Introduction
Most days, I stick to a single directional bias. But sometimes, price action presents multiple high-probability setups in opposite directions. That’s what happened today on NASDAQ. I started with a short into Asia session lows, then flipped long after a structural shift confirmed new upside potential. Both trades were valid, both paid out, and together they highlight why flexibility matters in trading.
The Short Setup
Going into New York, my bias was for Asia lows to be taken. ES and NQ were both positioned for it, but I chose to short NQ around 696. The entry came after a move higher into my level, with a stop above structure and targets toward the session lows.
I partialed out as ES tagged its Asia lows, since that was the liquidity draw I was focused on. NQ didn’t hit the full objective, but the short delivered about 1.7R before reversing. That partial exit helped bank profit and keep me flexible for what came next.
The Long Setup
The reversal off those lows created a clean long opportunity. Several factors aligned:
A huge SMT divergence at the lows between ES and NQ.
A 1-hour fair value gap acting as a point of interest.
The 9–10am candle close confirming strength for a push higher.
I entered long around 725 with a stop below the structure. My upside target was framed using standard deviations, aiming for 794. This trade displaced strongly to the upside, hitting 2R and paying more than the short.
Key Lessons from Today
Bias doesn’t mean rigidity: You can start the day short-biased but still take a long if the structure shifts.
Liquidity targets are critical: Asia session lows on ES acted as the anchor for the short, even if NQ didn’t fully tag them.
Multi-timeframe alignment matters: The 1-hour gap framed my longs, while the 15-minute and 5-minute gave precise entries.
Partial exits reduce pressure: Taking profit when ES hit its objective kept me in control when NQ reversed.
Final Thoughts
The short returned 1.7R, while the long delivered 2R. Together, they made for a clean, profitable day. More importantly, today showed the value of staying flexible: don’t box yourself in with too many conditions. A couple of key confirmations are enough to take the trade.
Tomorrow, being Friday, I’ll focus on capital preservation while also keeping an eye on my standing in the My Funded Futures competition. Currently, I’m sitting near the top of the leaderboard, and we’ll see how the final update looks by market close.