How to Master Price Action Trading With Practical Setups
Price action trading is about keeping charts clean and focusing only on what matters most: price movement, structure, and market psychology. By combining support and resistance levels, moving averages, and candlestick signals, traders can identify high-probability opportunities without depending on lagging indicators.
Why Price Action Matters
At its core, price action reflects the real-time battle between buyers and sellers. Recognizing how candles form at key levels, how trends build momentum, and how reversals signal exhaustion allows traders to build simple yet powerful setups.
Reversal Setup: Dark Cloud Cover
Context: Market in an uptrend, price rallies into resistance.
Signal: A bullish candle is followed by a bearish candle that opens higher but closes below 50% of the prior candle.
Entry: Place a sell limit at 50% retracement of the bearish candle.
Stop-Loss: Just above the high of the rejection candle.
Targets: Nearest support for TP1, deeper swing low for TP2 (2:1 or 3:1 R:R).
Trend Continuation Setup: Pinbar
Context: Strong uptrend, price pulls back into support + EMA 21.
Signal: A bullish Pinbar with a long lower wick rejecting support.
Entry: Buy limit at 50% retrace of the Pinbar wick.
Stop-Loss: A few points below Pinbar low.
Targets: Swing high for TP1, higher resistance for TP2 (2:1 or better R:R).
Comparison: Reversal vs Continuation
| Aspect | Dark Cloud Cover (Reversal) | Pinbar (Continuation) |
|---|---|---|
| Market Context | Uptrend reaching strong resistance | Ongoing trend, pullback into support |
| Signal | Bearish candle closes below 50% of prior bullish candle | Long wick rejection with small bullish body |
| Entry | Sell limit at 50% retrace of bearish candle | Buy limit at 50% retrace of Pinbar wick |
| Stop-Loss | Above rejection candle high | Below Pinbar low |
| Targets | Support levels below (2:1 or 3:1 R:R) | Prior swing highs & next resistance (2:1 or better) |
| Bias | Bearish reversal | Bullish continuation |
The DOT Trading Checklist
D – Do Before Trade: Mark Weekly/Daily/4H levels, confirm trend direction.
O – Observe: Is the market trending or ranging? Where is price relative to EMAs? Any news risk?
T – Trade & Execute: Align trend + levels + signals. Wait for confluence before entering.
Risk Management & Execution Rules
- Risk only 1–2% of capital per trade.
- Always use stop-loss beyond the signal candle.
- Target at least 2:1 reward-to-risk, ideally 3:1.
- Take partial profits at TP1 and move SL to breakeven.
- Skip setups that form in the middle of nowhere without strong levels.
Quick Pre-Trade Checklist
- Levels marked on higher timeframes?
- Trend direction clear?
- Confluence with EMA + S/R present?
- Valid candlestick signal formed?
- Entry at retrace with tight SL?
- Reward-to-risk at least 2:1?
- News risks checked?
- Capital risk ≤ 2%?
SEBI Disclaimer: The information provided in this post is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. Readers must perform their own due diligence and consult a registered investment advisor before making any investment decisions. The views expressed are general in nature and may not suit individual investment objectives or financial situations.
Written by Indian-Share-Tips.com, which is a SEBI Registered Advisory Services
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