The ICT Judas Swing | Michael J. Huddleston

The » Judas Swing « is an engineered false price run meant to trap traders into taking positions in the wrong direction. Traders can use this to catch the high or low of the day and sometimes even the week if the proper narrative is in play. A Judas Swing can happen either in the London or in the New York session; however it is most common during the London session. During the London session Judas Swing price action usually trades above or below the week's opening price and manipulates buy or sell stops. The Judas Swing usually runs into keys levels such as the previous week's, the previous day's High/Low and the previous session's High/Low, into premium/discount levels, and into imbalances (Fair Value Gaps, FVGs).

 

The concept of a Judas goat leading sheep to slaughter can be applied to price action in trading.

The London session Judas Swing can set the session's or the day's high or low. 

This will come as a quick spike price action hunting for buy or sell liquidity. 

 

► The London Session Judas Swing - Bearish Scenario

The London Judas Swing refers to a false move in the market during the London session that tricks traders into believing the price will continue in a particular direction but then reverses. Focus on trading and identifying the London Judas Swing between New York midnight to 5 AM (New York Local Time).

 

• Mark Highs and Lows of the Asia Session: Identify the highest and lowest price levels reached during the Asia session.
• Mark New York midnight candle opening: Identify the opening price of the candle at New York midnight (NY 00:00).
• Check price trading above New York midnight: During the London Kill Zone (typically from the start of the London session until around 5:00 AM NY local time), check if the price is trading above the opening price of the candle in New York midnight.
• Check for Liquidity Grab at Asian high: If the price is trading above the New York midnight opening during the London Kill Zone, check for a liquidity grab at the Asian session high.
• Identify Market Structure Shift: Look for signs of a market structure shift, indicating a potential change in the market direction.
• Find a favorable entry point (e.g. a Fair Value Gap): Based on the market structure shift and liquidity grab, identify a favorable entry point that aligns with the anticipated market direction.
• Target: In an ideal scenario, set the target at the Asian session low or any visible sell-side liquidity, aiming for a profitable trade.

► The London Session Judas Swing - Bullish Scenario

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown for the bullish scenario, focusing on identifying a liquidity grab at the low of the Asian session during the London Kill Zone, finding the Market Structure Shift (MSS), determining a favorable entry point (FVG or IFVG), and setting the target at the Asian session high or buy-side liquidity:

 

• Identify Liquidity Grab at Asian Session Low: During the London Kill Zone (between New York midnight to 5 AM NY local time), observe if the price trades above the New York midnight opening and check for a liquidity grab at the Asian session low.
• Find Market Structure Shift (MSS): Look for a significant change or shift in market structure, such as a clear indication of a potential bullish movement.
• Determine favorable entry (FVG or IFVG): Based on the observed market structure shift and liquidity grab, identify a favorable entry point (FVG) or an improved favorable entry point (IFVG) that aligns with the anticipated bullish movement.
• Set Target: In this bullish scenario, set the target at the Asian session high or any visible buy-side liquidity, aiming for a profitable trade.

► The New York Session Judas Swing - Bearish Scenario

• Time Frame: Focus on trading from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM (New York Kill Zone)
• Price Condition: Confirm the price is trading above 7:00 AM and the NY Opening.
• Buy Side Liquidity Hunt: Wait for a move higher to trigger buy orders (liquidity hunt).
• Market Structure Shift (MSS): Look for a significant shift indicating a potential bearish direction.
• Favorable entry (FVG or IFVG): Identify a strategic entry point aligning with the expected bearish movement.
• Target: Aim for sell-side liquidity or visible sell-side order clusters.

► The New York Session Judas Swing - Bullish Scenario

• Time Frame: Focus on trading from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM (New York Kill Zone)
• Price Condition: Confirm the price is trading below 7:00 AM and the NY Opening.
• Sell Side Liquidity Hunt: Wait for a move lower to trigger sell orders (liquidity hunt).
• Market Structure Shift (MSS): Look for a significant shift indicating a potential bullish direction.
• Favorable entry (FVG or IFVG): Identify a strategic entry point aligning with the expected bullish movement.
• Target: Aim for buy-side liquidity or visible sell-side order clusters. 

Michael J. Huddleston (Dec 10, 2017):

Understanding the ICT Judas Swing.
 

Ritchie Naso, a 40-year veteran NYSE floor trader:
» Algorithms control the stock market. «

 

Reference:

Michael J. Huddleston (2023) - ICT Daily Range Profiles.

 Michael J. Huddleston (2023) - ICT Weekly Range Profiles.
M. Hamza Akhtar (Oct 02, 2023) - ICT Judas Swing: Smart Money Trap.
DayTradingRauf (2023) - ICT Judas Swing and Market Protraction.

Daye (2023) - The Quarterly Theory. 

 

 

ICT Advanced Market Structure | Darya Filipenka

ICT market structure refers to the way the market behaves and shifts based on various factors such as institutional order flow, imbalances, and key levels. It is represented in a series of either higher lows and higher highs = bullish, or series of lower highs and lower lows = bearish, and the actual turning points that include highs and lows within it (intermediate highs and lows). 

 

The market trades in a generic pattern or rhythm and it is easy to read if one is aware of the basic structure price tends to move in.

1. Generally, the market trades from short term low (STL) to short term high (STH) back to a new short-term tow (STL). As these STL’s and STH's form, they will develop a 'market structure' of price action.
2. Any short term low (STL) that has higher short-term lows (STL) on both sides of it is considered an Intermediate term low (ITL).
3. Any short term high (STH) that has lower short-term highs (STH) on both sides of it is considered an intermediate term high (ITH).
4. Any Intermediate term low (ITL) that has higher intermediate term lows (ITL) on both sides of it is considered long term low (LTL).
5. Any Intermediate term high (ITH) that has lower intermediate term highs (ITH) on both sides of it is considered long term high (LTH).

The highest time frame will act as a Long-Term Perspective. This time frame will show you Higher Time Frame (HTF) Levels which will offer Trade Setup Opportunities. Trade ideas will be built upon levels derived from the HTF.
 

The mid-level time frame will act as an Intermediate-Term Perspective. Following the Trade Setup Opportunity found on the HTF, the mid-level will give you more definition in terms of structure based on that HTF Level. Managing trades will be done via a mid-level time frame.
 

The lowest time frame will act as a Short-Term Perspective. Following the Trade Setup Opportunity found on the HTF and insights given with the mid-level. The Short-Term Perspective will give you even more definition in terms of structure. Timing trades with entries will be done via the lowest time frame.

 

ICT Advanced Market Structure pairs very well with the ICT Market Maker Buy Model and Sell Model.

 

(Source)

 

Reference:

Darya Filipenka @ Twitter/X.

Darya Filipenka (2023) - Unlocking Success in ICT 2022 Mentorship: The Smart Money Guide to the Full ICT Day Trading Model. 

Michael J. Huddleston (2019) - Essentials to ICT Market Structure. (video)

ICT Silver Bullet Strategy | Darya Filipenka

The ICT Silver Bullet Strategy is a time-based algorithmic trading model for all assets. For the 10 AM Silver Bullet strategy, focus on 10-11 AM, using fair value gaps and Fibonacci levels for entry/stop adjustments, aiming for a minimum 3R risk-reward, and exit by 11 AM to maximize profits and minimize risks. 

 

3:00 AM - 4:00 AM New York Time

1. A Silver Bullet trade begins with a directional move either up or down.
2. Fair Value Gap (FVG): After the directional move, a Fair Value Gap is left behind. This gap is an important indicator for the Silver Bullet trade.
3. Market Structure Shift (MSS) after taking liquidity. A Market Structure Shift is a shift in direction of price delivery. When price is going in a direction and shifts to the exactly opposite. It occurs when price takes out previous short-term lows or highs within a trend. Identifying these shifts allows for an understanding on which side of the market to be trading with. A Market Structure Shift must be energetic and leave behind displacement to ensure that market is looking to reverse.
4. Displacement is a location in price where someone with a lot of money comes into the marketplace with a strong conviction to move price higher or lower very quickly. Displacement is characterized by strong and quick price movement that leave behind Fair Value Gaps.
5. Entering the Fair Value Gap: Once the Fair Value Gap is identified, we enter inside it. This means we take a position in the market.
6. Target and Exit: I aim for Asian Session Liquidity Level or Higher Time Frame Premium/Discount levels.

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM New York Time
The first thing we think about is the previous New York PM session. If, within the first 30 minutes after the market opens, we're not close to the PM range, we focus on the London Session Raid. This refers to the time between 2:00 AM and 5:00 AM, which is shown on the ETH chart. During the first 30 minutes after the market opens at 9:30 AM, we check where we stand compared to the previous PM session or London session. The market might go up or down, or it might stay stable. Then we wait for the Displacement between 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM, which sets the stage for the Silver Bullet setup.

1. Every day between 10 AM and 11 AM EST, identify an obvious pool of liquidity that has not been tapped into or engaged.
2. Wait for displacement (use 1-3-5 minute charts) towards liquidity pool between that time. Find a Fair Value Gap (FVG) on the opposite of the targeted liquidity pool.
3. Wait for price to trade back into the Fair Value Gap and then reprice out of the FVG towards the targeted pool of liquidity.

After identifying the Market Structure Shift (MSS), I recommend drawing an Optimal Trade Entry (OTE) retracement from the Swing Low (High) to the Swing High (Low). The optimal entry point for trades is typically at the 62% retracement level of that range. Once the trade is entered, the first target is typically set at the -27% extension level, and the second target is set at the -62% extension level.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM New York Time
The first thing we focus on is the morning and lunch time trading sessions. Our goal is to identify the AM Session Buy Side and Sell Side Liquidity (BSL/SSL) or Lunch BSL/SSL once the PM Session starts (from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM). This will serve as our reversal point during the afternoon Silver Bullet, where our target will be the opposite liquidity of the lunch/AM session. If it's Friday, our target can be 20-30% of the weekly range. This is known as the T.G.I.F. setup according to ICT.

1. We wait for the Displacement between 2 PM and 3 PM EST, which sets the stage for the Silver Bullet setup.
2. We look for a clear pool of untapped liquidity. It's recommended to pay attention to the liquidity levels during the AM and Lunch sessions.
3. Find a Fair Value Gap.
4. Wait for the price to trade back into the FVG and then move out of the FVG towards the targeted pool of liquidity.

Once again, we usually consider the AM Session BSL/SSL or NY Lunch BSL/SSL as our clear liquidity pool that has been taken. Then we wait for Market Structure Shift (MSS) and displacement.

 

Consider the 6 hour, the 90 minute, and the 22.5 minute cycles.

Expect highs and lows on the 1 minute chart around Micro-Quarter turns.

Reference: 

Darya Filipenka @ Twitter/X

Darya Filipenka (2023) - One Trading Setup for Life.

Darya Filipenka (2024) - ICT Algorithmic Price Delivery & Time Macros Intro.

Darya Filipenka (2024) - ICT Market Maker Buy Model and Sell Model (MMXM).
Darya Filipenka (2024) - Quarterly Theory - London and New York AM & PM Setups.

 Darya Filipenka (2023) - The Quarterly Theory.

Jevaunie Daye (2024) - The Quarterly Theory. 

Michael J. Huddleston (2024) - The ICT Judas Swing.  

Michael J. Huddleston (2023) - 2023 ICT Mentorship (videos)

ICT Mentorship 2023 - Algorithmic Price Delivery & Time Macros Intro. (video)

Michael J. Huddleston - ICT Silver Bullet Time Based Trading Model.

The Three-Day Rolling Pivot Level | Mark B. Fisher

 

Mark Fisher is no ordinary trader. The ACD trading system (an opening range breakout concept) he described in his 2002 book The Logical Trader is the one he and his 75-plus traders at MBF Clearing Corp. still use to make a living on the New York markets day in and day out. Does it work? Ask anyone at Fisher's firm, and they'll tell you it does. Unlike many in the business of helping traders, Fisher is happy to share his system because he believes the more people there are using it, the more effective it will be. However, the following is not specifically about Fisher's ACD system, but about his Three-Day Rolling Pivot concept (from the same book) and the general function of balance levels in daily and weekly market maker templates, about the market maker algorithm, and the origins and basic rationale of short-term trading. The 'rolling pivot' is an extension of Fisher's pivot range concept. 

 

In the charts above a Six-Day Moving Average defines a mathematically exact balance level for all segments of the weekly and daily market maker cycles. The same is true for the balance levels defined by Fisher's Three Day Rolling Pivot, by the Weekly Pivot and by the Daily Pivot. All four govern market structure and price action within and between the trading days inside the weekly cycle. Balance levels, market structure and price action reflect the market maker logic and the process of auctioning the order flow. These balance levels can be utilized in many ways, such as to determine entry points, stops and trailing stops. Is the current price out of balance, what is the distance towards these balance levels? Price is always being moved between 'liquidity pools' and (re-) balance levels. Across hours, sessions, days and weeks the market maker orchestrates the exact same eternal recurrence of the accumulation-expansion-distribution-retracement-cycle between round numbers or levels (e.g. 0, 25, 50, 75; 0, 10, 20, 30 or 0, 20, 40, 50) also known as the pump & dump cycle.

 

3 Bar Patterns - the smallest fractals of market structure. Inside bars are ignored, the last bar of a fractal becomes
 the first of the next. Where are the round number levels, the breakout levels, liquidity, the balance levels?

Identify in the above charts day-trading, short-term trading and swing trading setups. Define price targets, entry-, exit-, stop-levels, profit/loss ratios. Be sure everything is logically solid and proportionally related to daily and weekly highs and lows and the balance levels.

 

» All my life I've been a 60/40 player, content to clear my 20%. «   -  Jesse Livermore

Programming the Livermore Market Key

Richard D. Wyckoff's Composite Operator a.k.a. Market Maker a.k.a Broker manages the order flow of 'buyers' and 'sellers' with a price generating auction algorithm realizing the highest mathematically possible return in 'dealing' with the flow of orders. Later on in life Wyckoff became a broker and market maker himself. His schematics and Jesse Livermore's tables illustrate the complete logic and algebra of the market maker's auction process and the pump & dump cycle. The auction algorithm works ever since it was invented. Livermore was able to do the math without calculator, paper and charts. Aged fourteen he started as a quotation board boy at a Boston brokerage business and literally saw patterns in the waves of numbers flowing each day from the ticker tape. Livermore came to understand that scheme generates more profit than any other business activity ever known to man. Fifteen year old Wyckoff had also begun as a broker’s runner to soon experience the exact same epiphany. Market makers were tremendously successful in multiplying their returns with the invention of electronic exchanges and with the invention of the daily global scheme between the 'Asian Session', the 'London Session', and the 'New York Session'. Wyckoff, Livermore and W.D. Gann were contemporaries, trading the same commodities, stocks and indices in the same exchanges. All were initiated into the auction algorithm. Wyckoff and Livermore were larger-than-life traders while Gann's true returns have always been subject of debates. He sold many expensive courses and forecasts. And what he sold to subscribers and students and how he actually traded for a living were very different things: Gann traded a double-tops-and-double-lows-in-the-direction-of-the-daily-trend-strategy - plain and simple pump & dump trading Wyckoff-Livermore style. What should we learn from all this? Maybe the lesson is to keep things as simple as possible as Tom Hougaard suggested.

 

Market maker pump & dump levels.

The accumulated length of the intraday price swings in the 1-minute chart of any instrument exceeds the daily true range several dozen times every single day. Imagine the factor on sub-1 minute time frames without having to deal with slippage nor transaction costs. Let that sink in. How is that possible? Understand the opening range concept and the logic and purpose of 'breakouts' and 'false breakouts' from that range. Monday's high and low define the opening range for the week; the high and low during the first thirty minutes the opening range of a session; the first three trading days of a new quarter limit the quarterly opening range; and the range of the first trading week of the year becomes the yearly opening range. Know the logic, principles and precision of price action and of market structure as taught nowadays e.g. by ICT or Stacey Burke: Price moving in one direction always creates the exact same imbalance on the opposite side. Imbalances are re-balanced by retracements of at least 50%. Price expands in proportions of 1/8ths or 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 etc. Price is always timed and measured and moves across all times frames always proportionately to the above listed opening ranges towards (re-) balance levels. Three and nine minutes are fractals within the hour; three hours a fractal within a session and the trading day; three and nine trading days are fractals within and across weeks; three and nine weeks fractals within months and quarters. Ideally Wednesdays and Fridays are timed for ending and re-starting three day fractals within the weekly market maker template.   

 

Calculation of the Three-Day Rolling Pivot:

Three-Day Rolling Pivot Price = (three-day high + three-day low + close) / 3
Second number = (three-day high + three-day low) / 2
Pivot differential = daily pivot price – second number
Three-Day Rolling Pivot Range High = daily pivot price + pivot differential [omitted in above charts]
Three-Day Rolling Pivot Range Low = daily pivot price – pivot differential [omitted in above charts]

The Probabilistic Mindset of Successful Traders - Mark Douglas

Reference:
Mark B. Fisher (2002) - The Logical Trader: Applying a Method to the Madness.

Mark B. Fisher (2002) - Spotting Breakouts As Easy As ACD.

Jesse Livermore (1940) - How To Trade In Stocks. 

Richard D. Wyckoff (1931) - The Wyckoff Method of Trading in Stocks.

 

Mark B. Fisher

ICT Liquidity - The Financial Market's Zero Sum Game | Michael J. Huddleston

For a trader or institution to buy or sell an instrument, stock, currency pair, etc. it is necessary that there is another trader or institution or 'the crowd' with the equivalent opposite position. If the smart money (capital controlled by institutional investors, market mavens, central banks, funds, and other financial professionals) wants to buy a financial instrument, they will need sellers in the market. Our presumptions are: 

1. All financial markets are a zero sum game. 
2. In all financial markets price is generated and driven by the market maker's auction algorithm. 
3. The market maker's price generating algorithm continuously calculates, re-balances and manages the flow of orders always in line with the fundamental 'Minimum of 50% Retracement-Rule across all time-frames: fractions of a second, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and quarters. 
4. The algorithm generates the mathematically highest possible return for the market maker.
   

 

For the market makers, for the big dealers in the exchanges - for the smart money - liquidity is provided by the dump money, by the crowd, at levels where the dump money usually has its Stop loss, Buy and Sell orders. Driving price beyond these order-levels, the market maker collects liquidity - the money of the uninformed. Smart money activates these stop, buy and sell orders to feed and place their contrary positions in the market. Richard D. Wyckoff - a brilliant speculator, and later on a broker and market maker himself - explained the accumulation and distribution process of the 'market maker' - of the Composite Operator - in all detail ninety years ago. The Composite Operator manipulates the price in order to collect 'free money'. Liquidity.  

 

There are two types of liquidity:

1.          Buy Stops Liquidity (BSL)

The BSL is originated by Stop Losses of sell orders, after the BSL is taken, the market reverses to the downside, because banks use the BSL to place sell orders in the market. 

 

 

Regarding Buy Stops Liquidity (BSL) focus on:
PMH - Previous Month's High
PWH - Previous Week's High
PDH - Previous Day's High
HOD - High Of Day
OLD HIGH - Swing High
EQUAL HIGHS = Retail Traders' typical 'Resistance'.

When BSL is taken, the market reverses to the downside.

 

2.          Sell Stops Liquidity (SSL)

The SSL is originated by Stop Losses of Buy orders, after the SSL is taken, the market reverses to the Upside, because banks use the SSL to place Buy orders in the market. 

 

 

Regarding Sell Stops Liquidity (SSL) focus on:
PML - Previous Month's Low
PWL - Previous Week's Low
PDL - Previous Day's Low
LOD - Low Of Day
OLD LOW - Swing Low
EQUAL LOWS = Retail Traders' typical 'Support'.

When SSL is taken, the market reverses to the upside.

 

The Stop Hunt (SH) is a manipulation movement used by the Market Makers to neutralize liquidity (stop losses). It's a false breakout above /below the zone where there is liquidity. Market Makers usually use High Impact News to take liquidity.
 

High Impact News Calendar

Always pay attention to the news calendar, to know the pairs that will move, generally, pairs with many news forecasts('High Impact'), those currency pairs, stocks, bonds, etc. are going to move (trending) during the day or week.

Reference:
WadeFX (2021) - Market Structure & Powerful Setups.

See also:

Richard D. Wyckoff (1931) - The Wyckoff Method of Trading in Stocks.

Jason A. Jankovsky (2007) - Buy/Sell 50% Retracements. 

2022 ICT Mentorship.
2022 ICT Mentorship - Notes.

TPR (2022) - Richard D. Wyckoff's Accumulation & Distribution Schematics.

TPR (2022) - The Daily & the Weekly Market Maker Cycles: ICT Intraday Trading Templates. 
TPR (2022) - Daily Range = Accumulation + Manipulation + Expansion + Distribution (AMD).