Inside Bar Forex Trading Strategy

Inside Bar Forex Trading Entry

Inside bars are one of my favorite price action setups to trade with; they are a high-probability trading strategy that provides traders with a good risk reward ratio since they typically require smaller stop losses than other setups. I like to trade inside bars on the daily chart time frame and ideally in strong trending markets, as I have found over the years that inside bars are best in trending markets as breakout plays in the direction of the trend. However, they can indeed also be used as reversal signals from key chart levels, we will discuss both in this tutorial. Let’s discuss some facts about inside bars first and then I will go over some examples of how I like to trade them.

What is an inside bar?

An inside bar is a bar (or a series of bars) that is completely contained within the range of the preceding bar, also known as the “mother bar”. The inside bar should have a higher low and lower high than the mother bar (some traders use a more lenient definition of inside bars to include equal bars). On a smaller time frame such as a 1 hour chart, a daily chart inside bar will sometimes look like a triangle pattern.
Important note: Since the inside bar setup is by its very nature a potential breakout signal, I ONLY enter an inside bar on a breakout of the mother bar high or low. If I am looking to buy, I will place a buy on stop entry just above the mother bar high, and if I am looking to sell I will place a sell on stop entry just below the mother bar low.
There are different variations, but the way I determine an inside bar setup is if the inside bar is contained within the range of the mother bar from high to low. That is to say, I use the mother bar high and low to define the range that the inside bar can be contained within, others might use only the real body of the mother candle as the determining range, but I do not teach or trade it that way.
In the example image below, we can see the anatomy of an inside bar setup. Note that the inside bar is fully contained within the range of the high and low of the mother bar. You can have multiple inside bars within the range of one mother bar. If you see a pattern of consecutive inside bars that are “coiling” and all within the previous bar’s range, this can signal that a powerful breakout might be coming, more on this later.

Inside bars as continuation signals
The most logical time to use an inside bar is when a strong trend is in progress or the market has clearly been moving in one direction and then decides to pause for a short time.
Inside bars can be used when trading a trend on the 4 hour charts or the daily charts, but I personally prefer to trade inside bars on the daily charts and I recommend all beginning traders stick to the daily charts and until they have fully mastered and found consistent success with the inside bar setup on that time frame. I also recommend sticking to inside bars that are in-line with the daily chart trend as continuation signals until you have fully mastered trading them that way.

The best time frame for trading inside bars

I really only trade inside bars on the daily chart time frame. There’s good reason for this, and that reason is mainly because on time frames under the daily chart, inside bars simply grow too numerous to be worth trading. There can be long strings of inside bars on a 4 hour or 1 hour chart before a breakout for example, and trying to trade them will most likely cause you a lot of frustration due to all the false breaks that can occur on those chart time frames.
I get a lot of emails about inside bars, and many traders try in vain to trade them on lower time frame charts, and it really is just a huge waste of time. Once you gain experience, you MIGHT be able to trade inside bars on a 4 hour chart time frame, but that is the LOWEST time frame I would ever consider trading an inside bar on. The daily chart is the best for inside bars, and even the weekly chart can sometimes yield some very lucrative inside bar setups.
Inside bars can be used when trading a trend on the 240 minute charts or the daily forex charts, but I personally prefer to trade inside bars on the daily charts and I recommend all beginning traders should stick to the daily charts until they have fully mastered and found consistent success with the inside bar setup on that time frame.

The Simplest Forex Trading Strategy in the World

 

If someone asked me to describe my trading strategy in as few words as possible, it would be this; horizontal levels and price action. Indeed, trading price action setups from horizontal levels is the “core” component of my trading theory and strategy, and if you were to take away only one thing from my website it would be that you can learn to trade the market effectively by simply drawing the core levels on your charts and waiting for obvious price action signals to form around them.
After you finish reading this lesson, leave a comment, like it on facebook, tweet it on twitter and share it with others. :)

Why are horizontal levels so important?
If you want to learn to trade a “naked” price chart, you’ll need to learn about two things at minimum; price action and horizontal levels. Everything in the market starts with a horizontal line; this is the back-bone of my trading approach as well as the trading approach of many other great traders. Indeed, traders like George Soros, Warren Buffet, Jesse Livermore and others, all pay (paid) close attention to the key levels in the market, because they know that these levels are significant and can thus have a strong impact on the direction of price.
Horizontal levels help with timing and they provide “value areas” that can help you define your risk by giving you a price level to place your stop loss beyond. I have been a disciplined trader of levels combined with price action for years; probably about 80% of my trades involve an obvious “core” horizontal level combined with a price action signal. Horizontal levels provide us with a confluent area to trade from, but they are not the only factor of confluence that I look for; the more factors of confluence you have lining up with a price action signal the better. However, I do consider horizontal levels to be the “core” piece of confluence in my trading strategy and I want to show you guys some examples of how I use horizontal lines and price action to trade the markets. Ready? Let’s go…
Examples of trading with horizontal lines and price action signals:
I teach a plethora of price action trading confirmation signals in my course that I combine with levels and the trend, here’s a few examples of how I trade price action signals with obvious horizontal levels in the market.
• Trading horizontal lines in trending markets with price action from “swing points”
My favorite way to trade with horizontal lines is to trade them in trending markets from swing points. As markets trend, they create horizontal levels as they ebb and flow, these levels are what I call “swing points”, and we can find very high-probability trade setups by watching for price action forming from these swing points in the market.
Look at the illustration below, note how the market is trending higher and as it makes new highs it also creates resistance when it falls away from these highs, then as it pulls back the previous high / resistance actually turns into support (swing point). Thus, old resistance becomes new support in an uptrend, and in a down trend old support becomes new resistance, also known as swing points.
The way that we take advantage of these horizontal level swing points, is to watch for price action strategies forming near them as the market pulls back. Look at the blue circles in the illustration above, these are the swing points at which you want to watch for obvious price action signals forming, then you are trading from a confluent point of “value” within a trending market.
• Trading horizontal lines in range-bound markets with price action
Another excellent way to trade horizontal lines in the market is to simply watch for price action setups forming near the boundaries of a range-bound market. Unfortunately, markets do not always trend like we want them to, instead, they often swing between support and resistance in a trading range. Fortunately, trading with simple price action setups allows us to trade in any market condition, so we can still find high-probability trade setups even in range-bound market conditions.
In the illustration below we can see an example of what a range-bound market might look like. When price is obviously bouncing back and forth between a horizontal support and resistance level, we can wait for price to hit one of the boundaries of the range and then watch for price action signals forming there. This provides us with a very high-probability entry scenario and a very simple trading strategy. It also gives us obvious levels to define our risk and reward. Risk is defined just beyond the trading range high or low from the boundary you are entering near, and reward is defined near the opposite end of the trading range.
• Trading “event area” horizontal lines with price action
Event areas are horizontal lines that can be very high-probability areas to watch for price action setups forming near. Essentially, when a major price event occurs in a market, like an inside bar breakout or a pin bar reversal, price creates an “event area” at this horizontal level. You will notice that these event areas are significant most of the time because price will often stall or reverse as it re-tests them.
In the illustration below we can see an example of the creation of an event area as well as how it could subsequently be traded. Essentially, any price action signal can create an event area if it sets off a substantial move from the event area / horizontal level. In the example below we can see an inside bar breakdown occurred and then price came back and re-tested this event-area / horizontal level. As price re-tests the event area we would watch closely for price action signals, as the formation of a price action signal at an event area is a very high-probability event.
However, event areas also provide us with the ability to enter without confirmation from price action. This is a more advanced strategy that I teach in my price action trading course, but it is possible to enter “blindly” at the event area as price comes back to re-test it, that is to say without confirmation from price action.
• Real-life examples of trading price action at horizontal levels
Finally, I wanted to show you guys a real chart of the EURUSD and analyze its recent price action and horizontal levels to show how you could have used simple horizontal levels with price action to trade the market.
1) Note the trading range that the EURUSD was in for about 3 months earlier this year. Price was bouncing back and forth between resistance near 1.4550 and support near 1.4100 – 1.4000. We didn’t get a lot of signals in this range, but there were at least three good pin bars that formed off the support of the range that traders could have made some very good money on.
2) Next, as the trading range formed and the pin bars developed along support, we got an event area forming around 1.4100 – 1.4000. As price began to move lower from the top of the trading range before it broke out, it formed a long-tailed pin bar and then an inside bar right at this event area. Thus, a break of the pin bar low meant a break of the event area and we can see a significant move followed.
3) Next, we can see an inside bar and a pin bar setup that formed as the market trended lower. These setups both formed at horizontal levels and we can see they resulted in large moves to the downside that provided good risk reward ratios for savvy price action traders
In closing, trading horizontal levels with price action signals is the primary technique that I use to analyze and trade the market. It is essentially the “foundation” of my trading strategy and I believe it truly is the “simplest trading strategy in the world”, as well as the most effective. It is obvious that horizontal levels are very important in the market, and by combining them with my price action strategies you have a very effective and simple trading strategy.

Know When to Hold ‘em – Know When to Fold ‘em while trading forex

One of the most challenging decisions that Forex traders are faced with on a day to day basis is…knowing when to hold on to a trade and when to close it.
This decision is usually the one that gives traders the most difficulty and frustration, and it is something that you must learn to effectively deal with if you want to make consistent money in the forex market. Trade management is often the area that gives forex traders the most trouble; it is relatively easy to get into a profitable trade but it is much harder to manage that profitable trade in such a way that it produces an outcome you are satisfied with.
This article will only focus on one area of the process of trade management; knowing when to hold on to a winning trade in order to let your profits run, and knowing when to close a winning trade and take your money. Pardon the cliché, but as the Kenny Rogers song goes, “You’ve got to know when to hold em’, and know when to fold em”…(If you never heard the song click here: Kenny Rogers)
How to manage a trade with a big open profit…
While there are certainly worse problems to have in the world, trying to figure out what you should do with a trade that is deep in profit can actually be quite puzzling for many forex traders. The problem that traders in this situation face is whether they should hold their trade for an even larger gain that may or may not materialize, or close the trade out and walk away with a very nice profit.
What this decision really comes down to is one of logic vs. emotion. Take a look at the technical picture of the chart that you are trading while completely disregarding how much money you are up or how you feel. When you look at the chart from this perspective think about how big the recent move has been that you have traded, how much has price moved compared to the ATR (average true range)? Do you really believe there is a logical technical reason that such a large move will continue on in your direction before reversing, or are you just being greedy? Remember that just because a trade is heavily in your favor does not mean you should necessarily keep it open. If you are in a trade that is up more than 3 or 4 times your risk, you should really stop to ask yourself, “Do I really believe this trade will keep going up or down in a straight line or is it more likely to experience a correction?” It usually makes more sense to lock in most of your profit or close a trade out that is deep in profit, because if there is one thing we can all agree on about the forex market it’s that it ebbs and flows and doesn’t travel in a straight line for very long except on rare times of economic volatility.
Here is an example of the point above illustrated in the daily GBPJPY daily chart from mid – 2010…
Another example….
How to manage a winning trade in trending markets…
Trending markets can increase the odds of a trade moving in your favor and as a result the chances of being able to let your profits run into bigger gains. One good way to tell whether or not you should try and let your profits run when a market is trending is whether or not new highs (in an uptrend) or new lows (in a downtrend) are being made on near daily basis. If this is happening you can simply trail your stop loss along the 8 day ema or slightly above / below the previous day’s high or low and let the trade run in your favor until it reverses and hits your stop.
Here is an example of the above point illustrated in the recent EURUSD bullish move on the daily chart…

Another example…

 How to manage a winning trade in the midst of opposing price action or support / resistance level…
Another factor you want to look for when trying to decide if you should hold your winning trade or fold it is whether or not there is an opposing price action signal or a nearby support or resistance level. A nearby opposing price action reversal signal or strong support or resistance level can be a good reason to close out a winning trade. Also, if there is a previous support or resistance level that has held strong in the past, you might want to use this level for a profit target, usually putting your target just in front of the level works better than trying to squeeze every last pip out by putting your target right at the level or slightly beyond it.
Just as we can use price action signals to enter into high probability trades, we can also use the opposite signal to exit a trade. How many times have you been in a pin bar trade and then after a day or two an opposing pin bar forms? In this case you might want to trail up your stop to just above the high or below the low of the opposing pin bar, depending on which direction you are trading. Opposing price action signals can be used to exit a profitable trade if they occur in the natural course of that trade, however, you should not wait or depend on such an opposing signal to exit a profitable trade, it is just something to be on the lookout for in case you are in a profitable trade.
Here is an example of the above point illustrated on the daily GBPJPY chart:
Another example…
How to manage a winning trade when reaffirming price action occurs…
One of the best signs that a particular trade is a good candidate to be held instead of folded is reaffirming price action. For example, if you are long the market and you get a bullish pin bar or consecutive bullish pin bars that form in the context of the uptrend you are trading you can be reassured by this price action because it “agrees” with the direction you are trading. This is essentially the opposite of the “opposing price action” rule that we discussed in the point above. This reaffirming price action can be a very good indicator that you should hold a winning trade instead of folding it. Learning to “read” a price chart in this discretionary manner is really what distinguishes the pros from the amateurs.
Here is an example of the above point illustrated on the AUDJPY daily chart…
Another example…
How to manage a winning trade in different market conditions…
Another factor to take into consideration when deciding whether to hold or fold your winning trade is the current state of the market. Is the market trending or consolidating, quiet or volatile? In a strong trend you will likely have a better chance to hold a trade for bigger gains, in a consolidating market you are probably better off using support and resistance levels and / or opposing price action signals to exit your trade. It is crucial that you consider what condition the market that you are trading is in before deciding whether or not to exit your trade.
Here are examples of managing a winning trade in a trending market on the daily USDJPY chart and an example of managing a winning trade in a consolidating market on the daily GBPJPY chart:
Don’t count your money when you’re sitting at the table…
When deciding whether to hold or fold your trade it is important that you look at your trade in terms of risk to reward instead of the amount of pips you are up. This is analogous to not counting your money when you’re sitting at the table; don’t count your pips when you are in a trade but instead calculate your risk to reward scenario. Before entering any trade it is very important to figure out how much reward you can reasonably make relative to the amount you are risking. As the trade progresses it is important to remember your pre-defined risk / reward scenario, you really don’t want to take anything less than this pre-defined risk / reward amount unless there is a logical reason to do so like one of the points we discussed above.
If in doubt…
If you find yourself in a profitable forex trade and you are unsure whether or not you should hold or fold it, the first thing you need to make sure you do is NOT let your emotion influence your exit decision as this is one of the most common and detrimental mistakes that forex traders make. If all else fails you can always refer back to this article and the points discussed above, go through them and see if any of them apply to the current trade you are in, you can think of this article as a sort of “check list” for what to do when you are in a winning trade.