Weekend Recap: Trader Lessons

Futures traders this week were urged to prioritize preparation, discipline, and self-reflection as volatility and key economic events like Non-Farm Payroll (NFP) dominated market structure. Emphasis was placed on mapping out trades, using ATR-based stop-losses, and journaling to refine strategy and emotional control. A Bull/Bear Scorecard was introduced to quantify real-time market bias, while choppy sessions highlighted the need to wait for clear edge before entering trades. Throughout the week, the speaker underscored that risk management and avoiding prediction-based trading were essential for consistent performance.

Microtrader.com AM Briefing: Key Themes and Trading Philosophy

This briefing summarises key themes and important insights from Microtrader.com's AM Briefings and live trading sessions between Monday, 2 June and Friday, 6 June. The content primarily focuses on futures trading (ES and MES contracts), market analysis, risk management, and the disciplined approach advocated by the platform.

1. Core Trading Philosophy & Discipline

Microtrader.com strongly emphasises a disciplined and patient approach to trading, moving away from impulsive decisions. The repeated scripture, "A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy; I have come so that you may have life and have it in abundance" (John 10:10), serves as a constant reminder against reckless trading driven by temptation.

Mapped-out Trades: The cornerstone of the strategy is pre-planning trades. As stated, "mapped out trades work more consistent they're the very best trades to take that's been my experience that if I can sit down and plan out here's where I want to engage in price this is where I want to take a long this is where I might take a short uh and wait for those setups trading works much better in my humble opinion." This involves identifying "strong levels" for potential entries and exits.

Saying "No" to Price Action: A crucial skill for traders is the ability to resist trading when conditions are not ideal. "Can you say no to price action? A trader who can't say no won't be a trader long." Days with "total I'm not trading this" price action, like the range-bound trading on Thursday, 5 June, are highlighted as opportunities to avoid trading.

Limited Trades: The platform encourages a conservative number of daily trades. "Making no more than three trades a day in my humble opinion now if you took every core strategy trade and there happened to be 12 trades that day cool you did it right but in general I find one two trades are just great if I start getting more than two trades I start questioning myself dude are you chasing trades are you counterding are you fighting trend here what are you overnight levels especially point stocks what are you doing that makes you think you should be doing more than two or three trades."

Journaling for Improvement: Consistent journaling is promoted as essential for self-improvement. "If you're not journaling you're not improving... you will work things out through your writing that will transform you." The platform provides a dedicated trade journal for members to track their performance and thoughts on "special days" like Non-Farm Payroll (NFP) and CPI.

"Professional Loser" Mentality: Taking losses is an inherent part of trading, akin to a "cost of doing business." "Be a professional loser that's what we are we're professional losers best loser wins right." Losses provide valuable information: "what did that stop just tell me am I on the wrong side of price action was I so scared in the profit I moved my stop too quickly am I counter trading to my detriment and I need to get on the train and look at the chart more logically."

2. Market Analysis and Indicators

ES (E-mini S&P 500) vs. NQ (Nasdaq 100): ES futures are the preferred contract due to their "precision" and "accuracy of the bounces." "The ES performs with precision. It's just the accuracy of the bounces are remarkable I find ENQ colors outside of the lines just way too much and ES will often bounce right to the tick."

Strong Levels and Battle Plan: These are pre-defined price levels identified as significant support or resistance. The "battle plan" is a nightly publication for members outlining potential trade setups based on these levels.

New Week Opening Gap: This refers to the gap between Friday's close and Sunday's opening price, often serving as a target or point of interest.

Sunday Opening / Overnight Halfback: These are specific levels derived from the market's opening or overnight session, frequently retested and used as potential bounce points.

Value Area Low/High and Point of Control (POC): These are concepts from volume profile analysis, indicating areas of high and low trading activity. Trading within the "chop" between these areas is advised against unless there's a clear "edge."

Bull/Bear Scorecard: A proprietary indicator developed to provide a snapshot of market bias. It considers various metrics (e.g., session stacking, VWAP, overnight halfback, distribution, indices, bull bear line) to determine whether bulls or bears are in control. This scorecard provides "a nice little snapshot of where we are in relation to key levels."

Multi-session Reversal Box: A pattern identified on the chart suggesting a potential significant reversal. The risk of a "liquidation break" is high when this pattern is present.

Trend Lines: Longer-term trend lines, like those from "tariff bomb day lows," are monitored for overall market direction.

Fair Value Gaps (FVG): Imbalances in price action that often get filled.

3. Risk Management and Trade Execution

Keeping a "Runner" Back: This strategy involves holding a portion of a profitable trade to capitalise on further price movement without additional risk, especially if it's a "financed runner." "How do you know if price is going to keep going how do you know you don't That's why you keep a runner back."

Stop-Loss Management: Stops are "insurance" and a "cost of doing business." An updated stop-loss indicator with ATR (Average True Range) functionality and leverage metrics was introduced. The typical philosophy on ES is that "once it goes 10 points you're wrong Once it goes 15 points you're probably really wrong."

Shorts as "Microwave Trades": Shorts are generally treated as quick, short-term trades. "I treat shorts like microwave trades. And I got out at 20 points right here." Full leverage on shorts is rarely advised.

Avoiding "Catch the Knife" Trades: Entering against a strong, fast-moving trend is extremely risky. "If you do a limit order, you're trying to do a catch the knife freight train trade small if at all never making things worse knowing where you're wrong taking the L."

One-and-Done Rule: Especially on volatile days like NFP eve, traders are encouraged to limit their exposure. "Is it one and done day is it one loss and I'm done day what is it."

Preserving Green Days: Prioritising retaining profits. "I was only willing to risk four points on my next trade because I was going to preserve my green day no matter what."

Trailing Drawdown Accounts: These are seen as unrealistic for disciplined trading due to their restrictive nature. Static accounts are preferred.

Opening Candle & Session Openings: Trading the opening candle of a session, particularly the Asia session, is not part of the disciplined trade plan. "It was the opening of the Asia session I'm not going to take that opening candle entry."

"Trap the Trader" Mentality: ES is often described as a "trap the trader instrument with a bias to the north." This implies expecting reversals and avoiding chasing breakouts. "You better expect reversals to come back in your face You better not be chasing price."

4. Market Commentary and Events (June 2–6)

• Monday, 2 June: Focus on PMI data and anticipation of Friday's NFP. The market was seen as "chop" and "nowhere" near an "edge" for trading. A long runner from Friday was being held, with a target of locking in 40 points upon reaching the new week opening gap.
• Tuesday, 3 June: Jolts data was released 30 minutes after market open. The market "does not look bearish," having tested the halfback and bounced. There was a discussion about reaching the 6150–6150 trend line for potential shorts.
• Wednesday, 4 June: Beige Book released in the afternoon (yellow event, behaving like orange). Continued emphasis on trading the day before NFP. Market seen as "bullish bullish bullish" and potentially in a "parabolic move."
• Thursday, 5 June (Day Before NFP): This day is explicitly highlighted as a "special day" where trade plans should be adjusted (e.g., "one and done"). The market was described as "not bearish" but "on the verge of a multi-session reversal box." The risk of a "liquidation break is high." Tesla, Nvidia, and Apple were mentioned as potential drivers. The opening 30 minutes with less than a 13-point range indicated a day "rarely worth trading."
• Friday, 6 June (NFP Day): Strong encouragement not to trade Thursday and Friday due to NFP. The market was expected to be volatile. The initial NFP candle provided nothing for the speaker, highlighting the unpredictable nature of news events. The overall sentiment was "bulls control," with the train moving "northbound." Counter-trading shorts were strongly cautioned against.

5. Community and Resources

• microtrader.com: The platform's website, offering a "free foundations course" and "strong levels" updates.
• YouTube Channel: Serves as the "free trial" for prospective members, offering AM briefings and live streams.
• Discord Group: Where daily trade plans and comments are shared for members.
• Text Message Alerts: Battle plan trade alerts are being developed for members, and potentially non-members.
• Mental Training: A 10-minute session held before market open, reinforcing discipline and mindfulness.

In essence, Microtrader.com advocates for a highly disciplined, pre-planned, and risk-averse approach to futures trading, primarily focusing on the ES contract. The emphasis is on patience, precise entries at "strong levels," strict stop-loss management, and learning from every trade through consistent journaling.

Opening Remarks

The week commenced with an emphasis on the power of mapped-out trades. These are described as the most consistent and best trades to take. The speaker stressed the value of preplanning entry and exit points—whether long or short—and the discipline to wait patiently for those setups. This approach, according to the speaker, greatly improves trading outcomes.

News Drivers & Preparation

Key news events for the week included PMI data, a speech from Powell, the Beige Book (despite being a "yellow event," it often behaves like an "orange event"), and the much-anticipated Non-Farm Payroll (NFP) report on Friday. Traders were encouraged to plan their trades 30 minutes before market open, conduct mental training 10 minutes prior, and attend periodic live sessions. New members were directed to the free Foundations Course, with incentives to earn badges by mastering primary bounce levels and core strategies.

Runner Trade & Market Analysis (Monday)

The speaker held a runner from Friday, positioned with a stop-loss six points behind a ladder level and 10 points from entry. Overnight action nearly hit the stop, but the trade remained active. The plan was to trail the stop under the new week opening gap if price reached the top of the gap, aiming to secure 40 points.

Market structure indicated heavy "chop" between last week's value area high and low, offering little edge. The Sunday opening level posed a challenge for price to regain. If cleared, the top of the new week opening gap was expected to be targeted.

Tuesday: Journaling, Runner Trades & Execution

The scripture for the day was John 10:10, framing temptation in trading as a thief. Journaling these temptations was encouraged to increase awareness and improvement.

A critical tip was to “keep a runner back,” especially after a successful trade. Traders can often predict where price will bounce but not how far. Keeping a financed runner allows for further upside without additional risk.

News included JOLTS data 30 minutes after open. Monday was a strong day: a 40-point exit from Friday's runner and an additional 30-point trade. A separate overnight short captured 20 points and was treated as a "microwave trade"—quick in, quick out.

Stop-loss indicator updates allowed for ATR-based definitions and leverage metrics. This helps traders understand how many contracts they can trade based on their max loss and stop size. A key insight was that if ES moves 10–15 points against a position, the trade is likely invalid.

The overnight battle plan played out, though the entry wasn’t ideal. Price tested the half-back level and bounced, indicating bullish sentiment. Shorts were considered only below the bull/bear line for gap-fill targets.

Text message alerts for battle plan trades were under development. During live trading, the speaker recapped an overnight short and a missed long that didn’t meet quality standards. They also discussed using fair value gaps to manage trades and profits.

Daily reminders emphasized clean entry levels, testing break zones, backup levels, and avoiding full leverage on shorts. Discipline was highlighted—acting like a sniper who only takes one to three trades a day and avoids impulsive decisions. Stop-losses were presented as informative, not failures, and journaling was again strongly endorsed for growth.

Traders were advised to stay long during bullish conditions and aim for key targets like 77 and 92. Shorting was discouraged unless bulls lost control, as ES tends to trend upward persistently.

Wednesday: Parabolic Moves, Scorecards & Discipline

The daily tip once again was to keep a runner back—one can’t always predict how far price may move. The Beige Book was on deck as the day’s major news item.

Traders were advised to have a specific plan for NFP eve. The journal was promoted as a way to review such days for continuous improvement.

Market structure hinted at a potential parabolic rally. A Bull/Bear Scorecard was in development to assess bias using built-in and user-defined metrics like value area highs/lows and bull/bear lines. Tuesday’s battle plan short trade failed, reinforcing the need to let the market prove itself.

A new high followed by a pullback could create a retest entry opportunity. During live trading, a microwave short was reviewed. The speaker advised avoiding longs into “vomit” moves—aggressive, sharp drops—and described the environment as “slop and chop.”

A short position was also entered in a LEAP (paper) account based on a “reversal box” scenario with potential for a liquidation break. The speaker critiqued trailing drawdown models used by prop firms, suggesting static accounts are more realistic for most traders.

Thursday: NFP Eve and Staying Out of the Way

The briefing focused on the risks of trading on NFP eve, with scripture John 10:10 again used to illustrate trading temptations. The tip of the day: “Can you say no to price action?”

Traders were warned that engaging with subpar price action is unsustainable. Wednesday’s market hugged a key level without actionable signals—it was a “no-trade” day, and that’s okay.

Traders were reminded to make clear rules for special days like NFP eve: “one and done,” “one loss and done,” or don’t trade. Journals include specific fields for NFP eve, helping traders track their performance on such days.

The overnight battle plan had two parts, but no position was taken, expecting deeper movement. The market was basing and potentially setting up for a multi-session reversal box, which carries the threat of a liquidation break.

Advice was to either ladder into longs or use small size to “catch the knife”—never use limit orders during high-risk periods. “Stay out of the way” was the day’s mantra.

The Bull/Bear Scorecard showed the market in upper distribution and slightly favoring bulls, but without session stacking or VWAP bias. Overall, the speaker leaned toward risk-off trading: small size, minimal exposure, and only risking a portion of morning profits if taking a second trade.

Friday: NFP Day, Traps & Precision in ES

This was NFP Friday, the most impactful news day of the week. Scripture remained John 10:10, reinforcing the message of avoiding temptation and impulsive trading.

The tip of the day centered on why ES is the preferred futures instrument over NQ. ES offers precision—clean, consistent bounces and better behavior within structured systems. The speaker's strategy is tailored to ES, producing two to twelve quality setups daily.

Traders were encouraged to avoid trading on both Thursday and Friday if possible. CPI was mentioned as the next major upcoming catalyst. The speaker pointed out that their YouTube content essentially serves as a free trial for new traders.

Reviewing recent trades, Thursday included a 10-point profit on one micro contract, followed by a tight 4-point risk on the next trade. Reversal risk was high, and the market was labeled as “trap the trader galore”—making counter-trend trades especially hazardous.

The Bull/Bear Scorecard was now integrated into the Strong Levels indicator, giving real-time bias using inputs like Sunday open, daily open, overnight high/low, and volume structures. Custom levels could also trigger alerts for market control shifts.

The speaker hoped for a strong sell-off to then look long, but the opening push faded into chop. A narrow opening range of under 13 points in the first 30 minutes was a red flag—it often signals a no-trade day.

Live trading advice included waiting for clean levels, avoiding “prediction trading,” and taking counter-trend shorts with caution. Quick profits on shorts were to be taken immediately, as bigger wins were unlikely. The speaker advised not adding to losers and accepting losses with professionalism.

Ultimately, the speaker stepped away due to unattractive price action and a lack of edge, noting that the market stayed above the bull/bear line and previous highs—clearly favoring bulls.

Weekly Recap

This week highlighted the importance of:

• Discipline and Preparation: Mapping trades, pre-market mental training, and trade planning for news events like NFP.
• Risk Management: Strategic stop-losses, smart leverage, and preserving capital through “runner” positions.
• Market Understanding: Navigating chop zones, bullish trends, and recognizing risky patterns like “reversal boxes.”
• Execution: Differentiating between short “microwave trades” and longer runners, with patience and precise entries.
• Self-Reflection: Consistent journaling as a tool to identify patterns, temptations, and refine strategy.

The market tested traders with volatility spikes and indecisive structure, reinforcing that not trading can often be the best decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why is ES preferred over NQ for futures trading?
A: ES (S&P futures) offers more precise, predictable bounces and cleaner structure, making it more compatible with systematic trade setups.

Q: What is the Bull/Bear Scorecard mentioned in the briefings?
A: The Bull/Bear Scorecard is a real-time market bias tool integrated into the Strong Levels indicator, using metrics like VWAP, session stacking, and volume profile data to help traders assess control.

Q: How should traders approach NFP or high-impact news days?
A: Traders should develop a "one and done" plan, use small size, avoid chasing, and journal performance to better manage risk during volatile, low-edge environments.