FAQ - Trading Patterns Hub

🚀 Getting Started

Q1: I'm a complete beginner. Can I use these patterns?

Yes! Start with these steps:

Pick ONE instrument (Gold or EUR/USD recommended)
Learn Pattern #1 (Classic Reversal) first
Paper trade for 2-4 weeks minimum
Master 2-3 patterns before going live
Always use proper risk management (1-2% per trade)

Important: Don't try to learn all 17 patterns at once. Master one pattern at a time.

Q2: Which instrument should I start with?

Recommended for beginners:

Gold (XAU/USD): Clear patterns, high liquidity, Pattern #4 works 70% of the time
EUR/USD: Most liquid forex pair, tight spreads, clean price action

Avoid as beginner: Natural Gas (too volatile), Bitcoin (24/7 trading), GBP/USD (too choppy)

Q3: What timeframe should I use?

Best timeframes:

15-minute chart: Primary chart for pattern identification
5-minute chart: For precise entries
1-hour chart: For overall trend context

Pro tip: Use 15m to identify the pattern, 5m to time your entry, 1h to confirm trend.

Q4: How long does it take to master one pattern?

Realistic timeline:

Week 1-2: Learn the pattern structure and rules
Week 3-4: Paper trade and identify patterns in real-time
Week 5-8: Live trading with small size
Month 3+: Consistent profitability

Key: Quality over speed. Master one pattern before moving to the next.

📊 Understanding Patterns

Q5: What's the difference between Pattern #4 and Pattern #17?

Pattern #4 (Liquidity Sweep):

Asian creates the high/low (range)
LONDON does the sweep
Then reverses during London or NY

Pattern #17 (Asian Sweep & Reverse):

ASIAN does the sweep
ASIAN also does the reversal
London just continues the move

How to choose: Check when London opens. If price already swept and reversed before London open = Pattern #17. If sweep happens during London = Pattern #4.

Q6: Can I combine multiple patterns?

Yes, but carefully:

Good combo: Pattern #1 + Pattern #4 (reversal + liquidity sweep)
Good combo: Pattern #2 + Pattern #6 (momentum + full trend)
Bad combo: Opposite patterns (don't trade both directions simultaneously)

Pro tip: Master 2-3 patterns that complement each other, not contradict.

Q7: What does "Previous Day NY" mean?

Previous Day NY = Context

It's the NY session from the day BEFORE
Shows the direction/bias from yesterday
Critical for understanding today's patterns
If Prev NY closed bearish → Look for bearish patterns today

Why it matters: Previous NY sets up tomorrow's liquidity levels and bias.

Q8: Do these patterns work on all instruments?

Success rate varies:

Best: Gold, Silver, EUR/USD, USD/JPY (clean patterns)
Good: GBP/USD, Oil, Major forex pairs
Challenging: Natural Gas (high volatility), exotic pairs (low liquidity)

Bitcoin/Ethereum: Work differently due to 24/7 trading - use crypto-specific patterns #18-21.

💰 Trading & Execution

Q9: When should I enter the trade?

Entry timing:

Best entry: During the reversal candle (requires experience)
Safe entry: Wait for confirmation (1-2 candles in new direction)
Conservative entry: Wait for retest of the swept level

Kill zones for each pattern are listed on the pattern pages.

Q10: Where should I place my stop loss?

Stop loss placement:

Bullish patterns: Below the swept low (SSL)
Bearish patterns: Above the swept high (BSL)
Buffer: Add 5-10 points buffer for volatility

Never: Use fixed pip stops. Always base on structure.

Q11: What are realistic profit targets?

Target guidelines:

Target 1: Previous session high/low (50% position)
Target 2: Previous day high/low (30% position)
Target 3: Weekly high/low (20% position - runners)

Risk-reward: Aim for minimum 1:2 (risk $100 to make $200).

Q12: Should I trade during news releases?

NO! Avoid major news:

NFP (Non-Farm Payrolls)
FOMC (Federal Reserve meetings)
CPI/Inflation data
Central bank decisions (ECB, BOE, BOJ)

Why: Patterns break during news. Price becomes unpredictable. You can get stopped out even with correct pattern.

🔧 Technical Questions

Q13: What tools do I need?

Essential tools:

Trading platform: TradingView (free version works)
Broker: Any regulated broker with tight spreads
Session indicator: Shows Asian/London/NY sessions
Economic calendar: Know when news releases happen

That's it! You don't need expensive indicators or software.

Q14: How do I mark BSL and SSL?

BSL (Buy Side Liquidity):

Draw horizontal line ABOVE recent highs
This is where buy stops are sitting
When price sweeps above = grabbed BSL

SSL (Sell Side Liquidity):

Draw horizontal line BELOW recent lows
This is where sell stops are sitting
When price sweeps below = grabbed SSL

Q15: What's IFVG?

IFVG = Inverse Fair Value Gap

A gap in price where there's inefficiency
Price tends to return to fill these gaps
Used for entry refinement

Not critical for beginners: Focus on sessions and liquidity first. Add IFVG later for precision.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Q16: Why do I keep losing with these patterns?

Common reasons:

Trading during news: Patterns fail during high-impact news
Wrong timeframe: Use 15m for patterns, not 1m or 1h
No confirmation: Entering too early without reversal confirmation
Poor risk management: Risking more than 1-2% per trade
Too many patterns: Trying to trade 10 patterns at once
Ignoring Previous Day NY: Missing the critical context

Fix: Go back to paper trading. Master ONE pattern first.

Q17: Why doesn't the pattern work sometimes?

Patterns are probabilities, not guarantees:

70% success = 30% failure (3 out of 10 trades will lose)
Market conditions matter (trending vs ranging)
News can override technical patterns
Liquidity matters (avoid low liquidity times)

This is normal! Even 70% win rate makes you profitable with good risk management.

🎓 Advanced Questions

Q18: Can I trade multiple instruments simultaneously?

Yes, but:

Master ONE instrument first (3-6 months)
Then add a 2nd instrument (different category)
Max 3-4 instruments for most traders

Good combos: Gold + EUR/USD, or Oil + USD/CAD (oil-correlated)

Q19: How do I track my pattern performance?

Keep a trading journal:

Screenshot each trade
Note which pattern you used
Record entry, stop, targets
Track win rate per pattern

After 30 trades: You'll know which patterns work best for YOU.

Q20: Are you selling a course or signals?

NO!

This website is FREE and open source
No paid courses
No signal services
No upsells

Why I created this: To share knowledge and help traders learn session-based patterns. Learning | Growing | Evolving together.