Table of Contents
Market Time Moves: 4:45 AM PCT (6:45 AM Central) 8:00 AM ET
5 AM Pacific spike is simply your E‑mini Nasdaq futures “waking up” for the U.S. day:
Market Hours
| Session | PT | MT | CT | ET |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Session (Pre‑market) | 3:00 PM – 6:30 AM | 4:00 PM – 7:30 AM | 5:00 PM – 8:30 AM | 6:00 PM – 9:30 AM :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} |
| American Session (Regular) | 6:30 AM – 2:00 PM | 7:30 AM – 3:00 PM | 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM | 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} |
Best General Trading Times
| Session | PT | MT | CT | ET | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Trading Hours | 6:30 AM – 1:15 PM | 7:30 AM – 2:15 PM | 8:30 AM – 3:15 PM | 9:30 AM – 4:15 PM :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2} | Highest Volume |
| Extended Hours | 3:00 PM – 2:00 AM | 4:00 PM – 3:00 AM | 5:00 PM – 4:00 AM | 6:00 PM – 5:00 AM :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} | Moderate Volume |
| Event | PT | MT | CT | ET | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre‑Market Surge | 5:00 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:00 AM | European desks join, key US economic data hits (spike at open) :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} |
| U.S. Cash Open Peak | 6:30 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:30 AM | 9:30 AM | Equity open; heaviest NQ futures liquidity :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} |
| Late‑Day Activity | 1:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 4:00 PM | End‑of‑day position squaring, volatility ramps :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2} |
| Session | PT | MT | CT | ET |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning Overlap | 6:30 AM – 8:30 AM | 7:30 AM – 9:30 AM | 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM | 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} |
| Afternoon Session | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} |
Your TradingView Layout Setup is now ready ✅ — it's built to support scalping futures using ORB, VWAP, and liquidity zone strategies. You can find it in the document titled “Tradingview Layout Setup” on the side panel.
- 18 Trades = $90.00 commission or $5.00 per trade.
3. Scalping Playbook (Start with These)
| Strategy Name | Setup Condition | Stop / Target |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Range Breakout | Break of 1st 15-min high/low with volume spike | 3–4 ticks SL / 6–8 ticks TP |
| VWAP Bounce | Price tests VWAP with rejection wick + volume | 2–3 ticks SL / 4–6 ticks TP |
| Liquidity Sweep Reversal | Wick above high + engulfing candle down | Recent wick high / Mid-range |
| Micro Order Block Reversal | Small consolidation breakout trap + reversal entry | Candle body stop / OB target |
Strategy vs. Pullback Usage
| Strategy | Uses Pullback? | Entry Point |
|---|---|---|
| VWAP Bounce | ✅ Yes | On rejection from VWAP after pullback |
| Micro OB Reversal | ✅ Yes | After pullback into OB or structure block |
| Liquidity Sweep | 🚫 Not really | More about failed breakout traps |
| ORB | 🚫 Rarely | More about breakouts, not pullbacks |
4. Daily Workflow (Morning Routine)
Pre-Market Checklist (6:30 AM CST or earlier)
- ALWAYS Mark key levels:
- Overnight High/Low
- Previous Close
- Pre-market High/Low
- VWAP
- News Events (use Forex Factory or Investing.com)
- Note economic releases:
- Check Forex Factory Calendar
- Plan 1–2 Core Trades Only
- Write your trading condition:
- “Today I will only trade if… [insert condition]”
- Avoid overtrading — this kills evaluations
- Use Bracket Orders in Tradovate:
- Pre-set stop loss + take profit
- Hotkey your exit
Record Everything
- Win or lose, jot it down:
- Setup
- Time
- Entry
- Emotions
- Use:
- Tradersync
- Notion
- Or a shared Google Sheet
- (I can build one for you)*
🔸 Trade Journal Must-Haves (Post-Trade)
- Screenshot of entry/candle setup
- Time, date, strategy name
- Emotions: (e.g. hesitation, FOMO, confidence)
- Grade your execution (A+, B, C)
🔸 Execution Tools
- Use hotkeys for entries/exits (especially in Tradovate)
- Set default bracket orders with predefined SL/TP
- Optional: Use DOM flow or cumulative delta to fine-tune entries