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Why Smart Traders Watch the First Hour (Initial Balance Guide)

  • #261
  • Feb 19, 2026 9:11am Feb 19, 2026 9:11am
Quoting driven18
Break Even day so far with NY session, looking for the next range..I did traded London session successfully. I am not posting other ranges that I trade throughout the day, as this thread dedicated to one range a day. {image}
Dude yeah you're telling me! Super choppy waters out there today!
  • #262
  • Feb 19, 2026 10:38am Feb 19, 2026 10:38am
Goddamn what a choppy day. Only a Dow Jones short taken.
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  • #263
  • Edited 10:58am Feb 20, 2026 10:24am | Edited 10:58am
Today was very fast market due to fundamentals - I received bad fill of extra 20 points slippage on the SL for the Short trade and received bad fill on pending TP by about 50 points on the Long trade. So altogether I left 70 points on the table and not in my pocket.

Those are the perils of fast markets, broker manipulation during fast markets, etc.. Am I Ok with it? Not, but what you gonna do, just part of this business.

I did trade London session and have about +100 points on that range, so it is a around +30 points for today so far.

I will be trading more on the NY session, if the next range sets up.

If there is no more trading today, I am at around +7% for the week. Cheers .
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  • #264
  • Feb 20, 2026 12:36pm Feb 20, 2026 12:36pm
Quoting driven18
Today was very fast market due to fundamentals - I received bad fill of extra 20 points slippage on the SL for the Short trade and received bad fill on pending TP by about 50 points on the Long trade. So altogether I left 70 points on the table and not in my pocket. Those are the perils of fast markets, broker manipulation during fast markets, etc.. Am I Ok with it? Not, but what you gonna do, just part of this business. I did trade London session and have about +100 points on that range, so it is a around +30 points for today so far. I will be...
Hi Driven18,

Wanted to understand how is TakeProfit points on this calculated.. is it defined by the point range the basis of which the trade is generated LONG/SHORT 1:1 or do you keep any number in mind & liquidate once the number is hit.

Thanks
  • #265
  • Feb 20, 2026 1:00pm Feb 20, 2026 1:00pm
Quoting Johnsingh
{quote} Hi Driven18, Wanted to understand how is TakeProfit points on this calculated.. is it defined by the point range the basis of which the trade is generated LONG/SHORT 1:1 or do you keep any number in mind & liquidate once the number is hit. Thanks
I do place TP way out of the way, just so I can have piece of mind, but it is meaningless, as no one knows what will happen a second from now, so who/what is to say PA will not continue my way.

I money manage my trades and squeeze as much as I can from the trade, based on years work of research on Price Action volatility, momentum and certain PA based S/R.
  • #266
  • Feb 21, 2026 6:57am Feb 21, 2026 6:57am
Quoting driven18
{quote} I do place TP way out of the way, just so I can have piece of mind, but it is meaningless, as no one knows what will happen a second from now, so who/what is to say PA will not continue my way. I money manage my trades and squeeze as much as I can from the trade, based on years work of research on Price Action volatility, momentum and certain PA based S/R.
Thank you
  • #267
  • Feb 23, 2026 8:56am Feb 23, 2026 8:56am
When shit hits the fan with Trump crap, there is no flow to the markets, so one must be quick to take profits..so far +150 today..
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  • #268
  • Feb 23, 2026 9:10am Feb 23, 2026 9:10am
Quoting driven18
When shit hits the fan with Trump crap, there is no flow to the markets, so one must be quick to take profits..so far +150 today.. {image}
'Trump crap' BEST thing ever... go study your higher timeframe charts bro
Im out $26K Long gold since last night sunday opening!
follow News that move markets and take trades by looking at price level structure on higher tf
  • #269
  • Feb 23, 2026 9:14am Feb 23, 2026 9:14am
Quoting riko3
{quote} 'Trump crap' BEST thing ever... go study your higher timeframe charts bro Im out $26K Long gold since last night sunday opening! follow News that move markets and take trades by looking at price level structure on higher tf
OO, a hater, You are an Idiot and Imbecile ..stop hating on my +150 points in profit.
  • #270
  • Feb 23, 2026 9:39am Feb 23, 2026 9:39am
Today's trades. I also had a small S&P 500 short but closed it early and manually from my phone since I was not at the desk at that moment but I did leave the EA running. I'm starting a project with Claude Code and Python to develop this strategy a little better so I might not engage as much in this thread.
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  • #271
  • Feb 23, 2026 9:48am Feb 23, 2026 9:48am
Quoting riko3
{quote} 'Trump crap' BEST thing ever... go study your higher timeframe charts bro Im out $26K Long gold since last night sunday opening! follow News that move markets and take trades by looking at price level structure on higher tf
Okay. Wrong thread but yeah dude, cool.
  • #272
  • Feb 23, 2026 12:47pm Feb 23, 2026 12:47pm
Quoting driven18
When shit hits the fan with Trump crap, there is no flow to the markets, so one must be quick to take profits..so far +150 today.. {image}
Hi Driven18,
That was quick points. I did get some today once it broke down pre market low. Learning to find my levels.

thanks
  • #273
  • Edited 4:47pm Feb 23, 2026 1:46pm | Edited 4:47pm
Okay guys, so as I mentioned I'm working with Claude AI and Python to perfect this strategy. Afterwards I'll find a way to convert to MT5 with algorithmicportfoliomgmt.com

So, here are some interesting results so far:

1. S&P 500 - 30min Opening Range. SL at the low of the range and TP is 2X of the SL. Also all trades are closed at the end of the day.
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2.1. S&P 500 - 30min Opening Range. This isn't a test result but rather a measurement of the average point size of the 30 minute opening range.
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2.2. Based on that previous information, I added a filter that the opening range needs to be at least 12 points and max 27 points. If above or below that, those days weren't traded. Here are the results for that:
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3. So I went back to the original strategy but not closing trades at the end of the day. The results were interesting but the first 600 trades were complete losers. After that the strategy really takes off.
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  • #274
  • Feb 23, 2026 2:19pm Feb 23, 2026 2:19pm
Quoting eadweardcap
{quote} Okay. Wrong thread but yeah dude, cool.
OOps, my bad I didnt realize this was about S&P.. I trade Gold ..sorry guys!
  • #275
  • Feb 23, 2026 2:25pm Feb 23, 2026 2:25pm
Quoting riko3
{quote} OOps, my bad I didnt realize this was about S&P.. I trade Gold ..sorry guys!
Haha you're good dude. What ever get's you profits! On a personal note, along with this day trading strategy I'd like to learn how to trade based on fundamentals and news so your thread reply was not completely wasted! haha
  • #276
  • Feb 24, 2026 9:31am Feb 24, 2026 9:31am
Today's trades. Testing out the 15 minute range on S&P 500 and Nasdaq instead of a break out of over night highs and lows. For the Dow I'm still using that strategy since it's worked out pretty well. I did get a fake out but it was a small position since it was taken manually and not by the EA. I'll continue my work with Claude and Python and share more results with you guys
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  • #277
  • Feb 24, 2026 9:56am Feb 24, 2026 9:56am
Random thoughts...

I like everything you are doing but you are making a rookie mistakes when you are coming up with different excuses for this and for that. I have been there, coming up with excuses to oblige myself and make me feel good..it took me a long time to correct my thinking about my losses. No excuses - it is what it is.

Also, trading small account will become meaningless after awhile as your mindfuck is not prepare to loose larger. It is o so different trying to make $10-12K a month, rather then $1-2K a month.

My suggestion is, to start trading a bit larger amounts and learning the most important part of trading on how to control your Mindfuck to take a next trade, when trades do not go your way.
  • #278
  • Feb 24, 2026 10:02am Feb 24, 2026 10:02am
Quoting driven18
Random thoughts... I like everything you are doing but you are making a rookie mistakes when you are coming up with different excuses for this and for that. I have been there, coming up with excuses to oblige myself and make me feel good..it took me a long time to correct my thinking about my losses. No excuses - it is what it is. Also, trading small account will become meaningless after awhile as your mindfuck is not prepare to loose larger. It is o so different trying to make $10-12K a month, rather then $1-2K a month. My suggestion is, to start...
Do you mind telling me where or how I'm making excuses and for what I'm making excuses? Just so I can learn from that and improve.
  • #279
  • Feb 24, 2026 10:04am Feb 24, 2026 10:04am
I will not be going through others..here is one I consider to be example of excuse(small position, not ea, blah blah blah)...may not be about trading but excuse.

You do not have to rebut it.
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  • #280
  • Feb 24, 2026 10:09am Feb 24, 2026 10:09am
Quoting driven18
I will not be going through others..here is one I consider to be example of excuse(small position, not ea, blah blah blah)...may not be about trading but excuse. You do not have to rebut it. {image}
Oh ok I think I see what you mean.
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