Tag: ictlive

  • ICT 2026 Futures Review & RTH ORG Commentary \ April 29, 2026

    ICT 2026 Futures Review & RTH ORG Commentary \ April 29, 2026

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbEzAhdv_Ak

    – Context and protocol: Today is an FOMC day — trade by 10:30 ET (first hour) and then step to the sidelines until the Fed’s statement and press conference. Be neutral/no bias heading into the announcement; expect choppy, manipulated, or lethargic price action.

    – CFD vs futures / legality: The presenter uses CFD feeds (US100, US500) for demos but paper-trades them because U.S. citizens can’t legally trade some CFD brokers. Price/time alignment between CFD candles and futures is the key when transposing levels. He does not endorse brokers or affiliate deals.

    – Recap of yesterday’s execution: He demonstrated a short on MNQ based on a large opening-range gap down, targeting lower-quadrant/octant levels and portions of last week’s range (30% → 20%). Trade rationale relied on market-maker sell-model signatures: opening-range gap, inversion/fair-value gaps, consequent encroachment, and relative equal lows.

    – Technical framework emphasized: opening-range gaps (RTH), octants/quadrants, inversion/fair-value gaps, order blocks, buy/sell-side inefficiencies, and relative equal highs/lows as liquidity targets. He uses time-aligned candles to map levels between feeds.

    – Practical live observations: This morning’s action was slow and balanced with minor buy- and sell-side inefficiencies. He described what would confirm a bullish run (body above specific midlines) versus signs that a lower sweep was likely (bodies staying in lower halves, closing below key lows).

    – Execution mechanics note: He avoids market-replay for live execution demonstrations because replay changes on-screen execution markers; highlighted that small differences in candle formation/timing matter when mapping levels.

    – Trading mindset and pedagogy: Tape-reading is a discipline—make it routine, calm, and process-oriented (meditative rather than adrenaline-driven). Trust a repeatable model, accept uncertainty, practice indifference to outcomes, keep a journal, and focus on risk management and execution rather than chasing profits or emotional wins.

    – Final practical advice: On FOMC days, limit live trades, observe and learn, and only engage when your model gives clear, high-probability setups. Experience and repetition build pattern recognition and emotional control; maturity is accepting that not every session will produce a perfect outcome.

  • ICT 2026 Trading MNQ Futures & CFD US100 \ April 28, 2026

    ICT 2026 Trading MNQ Futures & CFD US100 \ April 28, 2026

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz0RbL1oVK8

    Summary:

    – ICT is executing a short trade in the micro NASDAQ (MNQ) and mirroring it on a US 100 CFD, adjusting stops and targets to the relative equal lows from that morning.
    – He highlights price discrepancies between real-time MNQ futures and the CFD feed but emphasizes that the same liquidity-based entry logic (lower quadrant 75, opening-range/gap levels, order blocks) can be transposed between futures and CFDs.
    – Key technical concepts used: opening-range gap, inversion/fair-value gaps, bullish/bearish order blocks, “gray pool” (sell-side liquidity pool between two wicks), event horizon (midpoint between lows), and body/wick placement as confirmation.
    – Trade management: stop placed above recent highs, partial profit-taking planned at an “event horizon” level, and a time stop rule if price fails to show directional conviction within a few candles.
    – He annotates the CFD chart heavily for students who can’t access futures markets, demonstrating that CFD price action can validly reflect the same order-flow signals (while noting legal/regional restrictions on CFD trading).
    – Emphasizes not endorsing any broker shown (Capital.com appears on his chart but he has no affiliate relationship).
    – The trade is executed and managed live (demo for CFDs due to US legal limits), partials are taken, and execution confirmations appear in the corner—used to teach that the method works across instruments when managed properly.
    – Overall point: the order-flow/liquidity approach and execution rules used for MNQ futures can be applied to CFDs; careful stop management, candle-body rules, and liquidity targets drive entries, confirmations, and exits.

    Quiz

    1) What instrument did ICT say he was shorting at the start of the session?
    A. S&P 500 futures
    B. Micro NASDAQ (MNQ)
    C. US 100 CFD only
    D. EUR/USD

    2) Why did ICT compare MNQ futures price versus the CFD price?
    A. To promote Capital.com as a broker
    B. To show CFDs are illegal everywhere
    C. To compare and contrast real-time price action and show they may differ but map similarly
    D. To prove market replay is necessary

    3) Which specific entry mechanism level did ICT mention using?
    A. Upper quadrant 50 level
    B. Lower quadrant 75 level
    C. VWAP pivot level
    D. Opening range high

    4) What name did ICT give to the two-wick liquidity area he annotated?
    A. Event horizon
    B. Minor sellside pool
    C. ICT gray pool
    D. Inversion fair value gap

    5) What trade management action did ICT describe after the move progressed?
    A. Closed the entire position immediately
    B. Doubled the position size
    C. Took partial profits (e.g., “take three off”, “take two off”)
    D. Moved stop to break-even and added a new leg

    Answer key with evidence (no timestamps available):

    1) B. Micro NASDAQ (MNQ)
    Evidence: “All right. So, we’re going to be doing some work here in the CFD. So, I’m going short here in the micro NASDAQ.” and later references to “MNQ” throughout.

    2) C. To compare and contrast real-time price action and show they may differ but map similarly
    Evidence: “Notice that the prices do not agree, but we’re comparing and contrasting real-time price action with MNQ futures price versus the CFD um price…” and “I’m comparing and contrasting what I would do if I was doing the futures contract only versus what I see in the CFD market.”

    3) B. Lower quadrant 75 level
    Evidence: “the entry mechanism which is the lower quadrant 75 level”

    4) C. ICT gray pool
    Evidence: “There’s a gray pool forming. … Now, in between those two consequent encroachments, that is the ICT gray pool.”

    5) C. Took partial profits (e.g., “take three off”, “take two off”)
    Evidence: “Take three off. That’s good. … And we’ll take two off here in the MNQ and we’ll market that.” and “I’m probably going to take something off.”

  • ICT 2026 Low Probability Tape-reading \ April 21, 2026

    ICT 2026 Low Probability Tape-reading \ April 21, 2026

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PpnT-l-zSk

    Summary:

    – Market context: Fed Chair testimony at 10:00 (and headlines) creates low-probability conditions for precise intraday trading. The speaker is watching MNQ (micro E-mini Nasdaq) after a 9:30 open that ran up then dropped.

    – Key technical focus: watching fair value gaps (FVGs), especially an inversion FVG and Monday’s regular trading hours (RTH) settlement/opening-range gap low (previous day 4:14 pm ET). Preference is for lower prices (short bias) with a target area near 26,695, but he acknowledges the Fed could push price higher and he won’t force participation.

    – Execution notes: he was building a short between two FVGs and adding as price validated “premium sensitivity” (bodies concentrated in the lower half of a gap). He emphasizes bodies (real liquidity) over wicks, first-utilization validation of FVGs, and how inversion vs. bearish FVGs function.

    – Practical rules taught:
    – Use FVGs that show clear first-utilization (they prove themselves).
    – If a gap acts as bearish on first use, trading above it can turn it into an inversion FVG (and vice versa).
    – Order-block entry rule (candlestick selection): if the last candle in a series is the largest (or the smallest) use its open; if candles are uniform use the first (lowest) candle’s open.

    – Risk/discipline points: he trades in a demo account to avoid offering regulated trade advice (not a licensed advisor), and to protect both him and viewers. He warns against copying posted levels as trade signals; instead build and test your own price-action model, and only trade when the market gives context.

    – Teaching/operational notes: livestream and posting problems this morning; intends to work on entries in future lessons; time will be more limited due to family/grandparent responsibilities.

    – Final advice: today is a study day—observe price action, journal objectively, don’t let social media/critics dictate trades, and only engage when your model and price action align.

  • ICT 2026 Futures Market Review | April 18, 2026

    ICT 2026 Futures Market Review | April 18, 2026

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nmjg331xGQ

    Summary:

    – Quick personal aside about his wife shopping, then a brief, family‑friendly market review.

    – Recap of prior analysis (end of March YouTube/Twitter Spaces): he expected a drawdown to relative equal lows with a possible intraday reversal, warned about May volatility/new Fed chair, and described targets that could accelerate to the relative equal highs if certain levels cleared.

    – On the micro NASDAQ intraday, he walked through specific levels: Thursday high (~26,563), all‑time/contract high (~26,859), and the midpoint “event horizon” (~26,711). He also highlighted the regular‑trading opening‑range midpoint (consequent encouragement) and an 8:23 electronic low as short‑term draw targets.

    – Streaming issues forced him to call and timestamp trades on X (Twitter); he asks followers to link those tweets to TradingView to verify the real‑time calls.

    – Trade actions and rationale: he identified fair value gaps, order blocks, propulsion blocks and a “bolo” defensive PD Array, used these order‑flow visuals to go long in stages (multiple single‑contract adds), took partials at fair‑value gap extremes, raised stops, and was later stopped out by what he characterizes as a manual stop hunt (not algorithmic).

    – Main claim: his technical framework (continuous contract, PD arrays, inversion fair value gaps, event horizon) produced accurate targets and worked this week; he defends his bullish positioning and rebuts critics who said he didn’t call it.

    – Logistics and sign‑off: he’ll be off Monday for a long weekend, returns Tuesday, thanks his community, and signs off.

  • ICT 2026 Futures Market Review \ April 17, 2026

    ICT 2026 Futures Market Review \ April 17, 2026

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-xYcsOG9Yg

    Summary:

    – Purpose: Quick market review before a live trading stream, focused on practical teaching for new traders (use Micro Nasdaq instead of minis to avoid excessive volatility and overleveraging).

    – Market view and targets:
    – Micro Nasdaq (MNQ) buy-side engaged; yesterday’s daily high was called live at 26,562.75 (claimed “to the tick”).
    – Intraday objective ~26,711 (midpoint/event-horizon between liquidity pools); next larger target ~26,859.
    – S&P (MES) smashed all-time highs; Nasdaq weightier but both strong.
    – Dow target ~49,439 with potential acceleration intraday toward its all-time high.

    – Technical approach and observations:
    – Emphasis on price-action reads: opening price, high/low/close, fair-value gaps, opening-range gaps, “consequent encroachment,” discount/premium sensitivity, time-distortion accumulation, and using short timeframes (1-minute) for entries.
    – He maps liquidity pools and uses an “event horizon” technique (0.5 midpoint) to project intraday targets.
    – Warns Friday can produce odd behavior: moves during electronic hours might push through levels that close differently in regular hours.

    – Commentary on market structure and credibility:
    – Argues markets are algorithmically driven and “rigged” by market-making algorithms; claims dealers/algorithms drive price and hunt liquidity/stops.
    – Defends his prior live calls and criticizes other commentators who deny algorithmic control or claim his results are cherry-picked.

    – Practical notes: platform latency affected live order placement; he will call out entry/exit levels verbally when platform order entry is impractical.

    Quiz

    1. According to ICT, why was he looking at Micro Nasdaq instead of the mini contracts?
    A. Because the micro contract has less volatility and is better for brand new students
    B. Because the mini contract was unavailable that morning
    C. Because the micro contract moves faster than the mini contract
    D. Because he was only trading the Dow that day

    Answer Key and Evidence

    1. A
    Evidence: “I’ve been focusing on teaching how brand new students should be watching price action… let’s be practical about this in the beginning… obviously I can trade minis, but for someone that’s brand new, it’s not advised because the volatility… Look at this. This is violent.”

  • ICT 2026 Entries & Drills Part 2 | April 16, 2026

    ICT 2026 Entries & Drills Part 2 | April 16, 2026

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eft9_3ekDCY

    Summary:

    – Morning livestream focused on trading the opening-range gap and fair value gaps (FVGs). The market opened with a premium gap above the prior regular-hours settlement, giving a short/bearish bias for the first 30 minutes.

    – Key tactical concepts: identify inversion FVGs, use the opening price (9:30) and the regular-hours settlement to mark the opening-range gap, watch for consequent encroachment (half-gap) — ~70% probability of a move to the half-gap — and use a negative 0.5 projection outside the gap as a target if price breaches it.

    – Practical execution: stage levels before open, wait for the first presented FVG, use if-then rules, and treat the first 30 minutes as the most important timeframe for morning context.

    – Coaching philosophy: new traders should do many executions for ~4–8 weeks to desensitize to outcomes, study winning vs losing setups to identify repeatable signatures, and avoid shortcut-seeking. With experience, a 1:1 risk:reward model can be profitable.
    – Live-demo issues: the presenter experienced significant TradingView lag and poor fills, which interfered with entries and management — a reminder to use reliable execution platforms.
    – Behavioral advice: make trading enjoyable, keep clear parameters, and focus on disciplined observation and repetition rather than chasing shortcuts.

    Quiz

    1. What did ICT say about the first 30 minutes of trading?
    A. It is not important compared with the lunch session
    B. It only matters when using a 5-minute opening range
    C. It is highly important and gives the rhyme and reason for the morning session
    D. It should be ignored until the afternoon session

    Answer Key with Evidence

    1. C
    Evidence: “That first 30 minutes is going to give you the rhyme and reason for the entire morning session” and “The first 30 minutes of trading, highly highly important. That’s the opening range.”

  • ICT 2026 Asian Session Short Review \ April 14, 2026

    ICT 2026 Asian Session Short Review \ April 14, 2026

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J8drYX2zHM

    Summary:

    ICT reviews an Asian-session trade they shared on X, explaining the setup, execution, and rationale. Working off a macro window around 9:50–10:10 and using daily as their highest actionable timeframe, they identified a key wick/premium area and an inversion/fair-value gap (FVG) as a higher-timeframe turning point. Dropping to a 1-minute chart they hunted a Turtle-Soup–style entry into two stages of buy-side liquidity, then used a bearish FVG to short into deeper liquidity pools. They recorded the entire trade live (not market replay) and posted it for verification. They scaled out with partials near the swing low and closed the remainder near the targeted liquidity; price later reclaimed the lower FVG and rallied. Main lessons: treat wicks/gaps and FVGs as important levels, combine higher- and lower-timeframe context, and manage entries/exits into liquidity.

  • ICT 2026 Entries & Drills \ April 15, 2026

    ICT 2026 Entries & Drills \ April 15, 2026

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KASpfAd1MnI

    Summary:

    – This was a live trading “drill” session meant as practice, not trade advice. The instructor repeatedly warns viewers not to copy these live examples with real money and to use demo/paper accounts for drills.

    – Focus and method: working mainly on 1-minute charts with a sub‑1‑minute executable frame (15‑second) to practice entries into fair value gaps (today) and order blocks (upcoming). The aim is to learn how to spot small inefficiencies, liquidity pools, relative equal highs/lows, and consequent encroachment.

    – Objective and trade sizing: treat drills like “leg day” — uncomfortable but necessary. Target small, low‑risk moves (roughly 10–15 handles), use a one‑for‑one model, place stops, and accept that outcomes don’t matter for the exercise.

    – Mindset and psychology: primary goal is to desensitize to fear/need-to-be-right. Record emotional reactions, keep a journal, narrate and review your screens, and build repetition/experience rather than seeking instant profits or highlight trades.

    – Market commentary: the session’s market was “sloppy,” choppy and fast, with decoupling between indices and occasional order-fill glitches on TradingView. Such hard conditions are exactly where practicing is most useful.

    – Practical tips: do drills for short periods (15 minutes/day minimum), screenshot glitches/fills, record yourself narrating price action, focus on process not outcomes, and keep edge sharp by ongoing practice even after profitability.

    – Final point: there are no shortcuts — consistent practice, honest journaling, and accepting short‑term failure are required to develop reliable trading skills.

    Quiz

    1. According to ICT, what should traders do when there is nothing on the chart to work with?

    A. Enter anyway to stay active
    B. Wait and do nothing
    C. Increase position size
    D. Trade the opening bell only

    2. What did ICT say is the purpose of these drills?

    A. To make money quickly
    B. To build a highlight reel for social media
    C. To practice participation in price action without fear or money pressure
    D. To predict every market move correctly

    3. What target range did ICT repeatedly say he was looking for in these drills?

    A. 1 to 3 handles
    B. 5 to 8 handles
    C. 10 to 15 handles
    D. 25 to 30 handles

    4. What did ICT say about using live trading accounts for these drill examples?

    A. They are meant to be copied directly into funded accounts
    B. They should only be used on futures contracts
    C. They are not trade entries to copy into live or funded accounts
    D. They only work during the London session

    5. What market condition did ICT say would make him reluctant to participate?

    A. Clean price action with open traffic
    B. Fast, loose, low resistance liquidity run conditions
    C. Messy, choppy, range-bound price action with shared candle ranges
    D. A market with large clean imbalances and expansion

    Answer Key with Evidence

    1. B. Wait and do nothing
    Evidence: “So if you have nothing to work on, you sit still.” He also said, “If there’s nothing in the chart, don’t force it.”

    2. C. To practice participation in price action without fear or money pressure
    Evidence: “You’re just simply looking for something to engage with to get accustomed to the watching price action… You got to get that baseline foundation of experience. And don’t be afraid.” Also: “Drills are simply looking for small little participations in price action with no monetary hope of making money and no fear of losing.”

    3. C. 10 to 15 handles
    Evidence: “think about how, say for instance, 10 to 15 handles. Okay? So, that’s a really good small low-hanging fruit objective to look for”

    4. C. They are not trade entries to copy into live or funded accounts
    Evidence: “please don’t take these as trade entries for you to put on your funded accounts. Do not try to copy them for your live account trading. If you’re here to do that, I promise you I’m going to hurt you.”

    5. C. Messy, choppy, range-bound price action with shared candle ranges
    Evidence: “when the candlesticks are all parked next to each other it’s like you trying to go northbound or southbound on interstates. And it’s frustrating.” Also: “When it’s like that… you’re more prone to see a lot of continued consolidations.” He described it as “high resistance liquidity run conditions” and “very messy.”

  • ICT 2026 Futures Opening Range Tape-Reading \ April 14, 2026

    ICT 2026 Futures Opening Range Tape-Reading \ April 14, 2026

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9mVorSyvR0

    Summary

    – ICT reviewed a recent live stream trade plan and confirmed the targets were hit after the morning PPI print (June contract target 25,715).
    – Key methodological points:
    – Anchor analysis to a suspension block and its nearby breaker to identify liquidity pools and objective highs/lows.
    – Compare delivery-month and continuous contracts — use the contract closest to market for the most actionable objective (example: June ~25,715 vs continuous ~25,495).
    – News (high‑impact “red folder” events like PPI/CPI/FOMC) create clear high/low magnets that price tends to target.
    – TGIF concept (weekly behavior):
    – Markets often retrace ~20–30% of the weekly range intra‑week, typically beginning around Thursday 1 PM Eastern into Friday; if that retracement doesn’t occur, watch the next Monday.
    – Order‑flow and price‑action rules:
    – Use candlestick structure, fair value gaps, wicks and body placement (bodies in upper/lower halves) as proxies for institutional order flow — no paid indicators needed.
    – Monitor very short timeframes (1m, 30s, 15s) for confirmation of these micro-structures.
    – Intermarket context:
    – Track correlated averages (NQ, ES, Dow) to find delays/drags and preferred execution markets; trade the weakest/strongest appropriately.
    – Behavioral/trading advice:
    – Be patient once targets are achieved — don’t chase for another “sugar high.”
    – Narrow focus to one market while cross-referencing others; annotate liquidity pools and journal screenshots.
    – Study price action repeatedly; skepticism about retail indicators and market-profile mysticism — the presenter favors simple price/time analysis.
    – Tone: blunt admonitions against trolling and gimmicks; emphasis on disciplined study and demo/practice rather than impulsive trading.

    Quiz

    1. What does ICT say TGIF typically does to price after Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern time going into Friday?
    A. Retraces 20% to 30% of the weekly range
    B. Reverses 80% of the weekly range
    C. Always closes at the weekly high
    D. Never revisits the prior week’s range

    Answer Key

    1. A. Retraces 20% to 30% of the weekly range
    Evidence: “it usually retraces 20 to 30% of the weekly range…” No timestamp available.

  • ICT 2026 Futures Opening Range Tape-Reading \ April 14, 2026

    ICT 2026 Futures Opening Range Tape-Reading \ April 14, 2026

    https://youtu.be/G9mVorSyvR0

    – ICT reviewed a recent trade call centered on a “suspension block” and a bearish “breaker” on daily charts, which anchored liquidity targets. The June delivery contract target (~25,715) and the continuous contract target (~25,495) were identified and hit using the morning PPI print as the catalyst.

    – Key lesson: once targets are reached, don’t rush back in chasing more gains (“sugar high”). Be willing to be content with achieved objectives and study price action instead of forcing trades.

    – Suspension block / breaker analysis: compare delivery-month vs continuous contracts (they can show different nearby targets). Anchor to these structural levels to identify where large pools of liquidity likely reside.

    TGIF method (weekly-range behavior): watch Thursday 1 p.m. ET into Friday for intra-week highs; typical retracement into the remainder of the week is about 20–30% (occasionally up to ~40%) of the weekly range. If that retracement doesn’t occur, watch the following Monday for follow-through.

    – Order-flow and price-action emphasis: use candlestick bodies, wicks, and fair value gaps to read institutional order flow—no paid indicators or fancy heatmaps required. Examples: closing bodies above the midpoint of a gap and staying in the upper half indicates bullish institutional control.

    – Multi-timeframe practice: annotate key liquidity pools on daily/weekly charts, then confirm on 1‑minute, 30s or 15s charts. Small-timeframe structure (body positions, fair value gap fills, consequent encroachments) gives actionable feedback.

    – Cross-index context: monitor correlations among Nasdaq (NQ), S&P (ES), and Dow to time entries and understand where liquidity may draw other indices (weakest index often leads directional moves).

    – Practical advice: focus on one market to develop skill and reduce noise, screenshot and journal your annotated levels, test the patterns in demo trading, and study price action repeatedly—don’t rely on mysticism, paid black boxes, or random indicators.

    – Meta points: patterns repeat (likely influenced by algorithmic activity), so learning these signatures gives an edge; the stream’s goal is to teach reading price and probability, not to push immediate trade signals.

    Quiz

    1. According to ICT, what kind of news events create “nice little obvious magnets on prices”?
    A. Earnings reports
    B. Red folder or orange folder high/medium impact economic news
    C. Political speeches
    D. End-of-day close announcements

    2. What does ICT say TGIF generally does to the weekly range?
    A. Retraces 80% to 90% of the range
    B. Retraces 50% of the range
    C. Retraces 20% to 30% of the weekly range
    D. Never retraces at all

    3. What did ICT say to do after price hits your targets?
    A. Immediately double your position
    B. Rush back in to catch the next move
    C. Be content with enough and not chase another “sugar high”
    D. Ignore the chart and stop studying

    Answer Key with Evidence:

    1. B. Red folder or orange folder high/medium impact economic news
    Evidence: “Whenever you have news, red folder news like today’s PPI, last Friday’s CPI, non-farm payroll, FOMC… if it’s a red folder event or a orange folder, so it’s a high impact news driver or if it’s a medium impact news driver, those create nice little obvious magnets on prices.”

    2. C. Retraces 20% to 30% of the weekly range
    Evidence: “It usually retraces 20 to 30% of the weekly range…”
    Evidence: “generally you’ll get a retracement up to 20% to 30%.”

    3. C. Be content with enough and not chase another “sugar high”
    Evidence: “once it hits your targets, why rush back in? Because the only reason why you’re trying to do it is you’re trying to get another sugar high.”
    Evidence: “learning to be content with enough, learning to say, ‘Okay, I’ve done enough.’”