RANGE
FIRST 15M
STEP 1: SETUP — MARK THE OPENING RANGE
- At 09:30 do nothing. Let price print — no trades in the range itself.
- At 09:45, lock in the first 15-minute high (ORH) and low (ORL).
- Draw a rectangle connecting both levels. Measure OR Range = ORH − ORL.
- Drop to the 5M / 1M chart. Watch which edge breaks first.
STEP 2: THE CHART — STRUCTURE
ORH · OPENING RANGE HIGH
ORL · OPENING RANGE LOW
STEP 3: ENTRY RULES — TRADE THE BREAK
▲ LONG · BREAK ABOVE ORH
Buy the break + retest.
TRIGGER
5M candle closes above ORH with expanding volume.
ENTRY
At breakout close or retest of ORH
STOP
↓ below ORL (full) or mid-range (tight)
TP 1
→ 1R (half off)
TP 2
→ ORH + 1× range
▼ SHORT · BREAK BELOW ORL
Sell the break + retest.
TRIGGER
5M candle closes below ORL with expanding volume.
ENTRY
At breakdown close or retest of ORL
STOP
↑ above ORH (full) or mid-range (tight)
TP 1
→ 1R (half off)
TP 2
→ ORL − 1× range
STEP 4: CONFIRMATION FILTERS
A clean breakout is not enough. Confirm before committing.
- Volume expands on the breakout candle (min 1.5× avg).
- Break aligns with the pre-market gap direction.
- Candle closes beyond the level — wicks don't count.
- Optional: wait for retest for a higher-probability entry.
- Daily context (trend, key levels) supports the direction.
STEP 5: WHEN TO TRADE
✓ IDEAL
- Gap days with news catalyst
- Trending market, wide ATR
- Clean, expanding OR candles
- Breakout before 10:30 ET
✗ AVOID
- Tiny OR range (no edge)
- Doji / indecision open
- FOMC, CPI, Fed days
- First breakout that fails (fade it instead)
STEP 6: RISK MANAGEMENT
The range is your risk unit. One full range on stop, one range on target = 1:1. Use filters + retest to tilt that ratio.
STOP
0.5–1× RANGE
TARGET
1–2× RANGE
CUTOFF
11:00 ET
No trade taken by 11:00? Pass. The ORB edge is front-loaded — the afternoon is a different game.