My trading day
How I trade futures.
Balance first.
The Zone Map is the main thing I use to trade. It gives me a path to follow and the reaction to watch at each level. I still trade crude oil; my upcoming public streams will focus on ES and NQ. I start at the open and finish at 11 AM Central.
Sierra Chart available now · Tradrr coming soon · TradingView details
From preparation to my cutoff
How I build my morning plan
See how I use prepared Balance levels, opening context, and separate tools through the morning.
One morning. Five checkpoints.
Start with the map.
Review the prepared Balance levels and identify the timeframe being read. Monday Midpoint is a separate Tuesday reference, not part of the Zone Map.
Locate price first.
Opening location sets the context for longs, shorts, or both. Half Gap is a separate possible destination to consider at the open.
Watch the response.
Reach describes the path; reaction describes behavior at a zone. A new high or low alone does not confirm continuation.
Use the setup’s rules.
A reference is not an entry. Zone Break needs its own qualification; IB Extreme can only be assessed after the first hour is complete.
My cutoff is 11 AM.
I finish trading at 11 AM Central. That is my personal session boundary, not the end of the map’s usefulness or every setup’s research window.
Choose a tool to explore
The map comes first. Each setup has its own rules.
These are not five steps to enter one trade. Balance and the Zone Map provide my main context; the other tools answer separate questions.
01 / My main context
Balance & Zone Map
I start with Balance and the Zone Map to locate price, then read reach and reaction separately. Historical zone rates give me context; they are not trade win rates.
Hypothetical chart walkthrough
Why a new high isn’t enough.
I watch what price does after reaching a zone. A brief move above it and a return inside give me a different read.
- 01
Locate price.
Start inside balance. Identify the upper and lower zones.
- 02
Watch the attempt.
A new high above the upper zone does not confirm that the move will hold.
- 03
Reassess the return.
Price returns inside. The attempt did not hold; that alone is not a short signal.
Read the full context
Price starts inside a balance area, briefly trades above its upper zone, then returns inside. The new high alone does not establish acceptance or satisfy a setup’s entry rules. Returning inside removes the basis for calling this a held move outside; it does not promise a move to the lower zone.
This made-up path shows a change in context, not a hindsight entry or a claimed trade result. The balance area could belong to Zone Balance or another selected timeframe; it is not automatically Daily Balance. No historical probabilities are assigned to this example.
Where to use AMT
Choose your platform.
Sierra ChartThe AMT study suite for market structure, order flow, and session context.
TradingViewPublished AMT indicators with chart examples, setup guides, and research.
TradrrAMT access included at launch for Gold and Lifetime members.
Open → 11 AM Central
I trade for time.
I stop trading at 11 AM Central because I am not willing to sit at a desk all day. If I wanted to do that, I might as well work a W-2 job.
I am here to be the best dad I can be and travel as much as I can. Trading needs to fit that life. Being at the screen all day defeats the point.
Balance keeps playing out across the entire session. I do not need to be there for all of it. I follow my setups, finish my morning, and get on with my day.
What I will share live
Still trading crude. Sharing ES and NQ.
I still trade crude oil. My upcoming public livestreams will focus on ES and NQ because that is what my audience wants to see. I will share how I use my tools and read the market as the session develops.
Follow AMT on YouTube →Start with something useful
Get the free tools.
The Sierra Chart Toolkit is free. Explore the tools, then follow the Balance lessons to understand the framework.