AlphaFutures
Academy
Daily Bias + NY Session Blueprint

The Sniper Playbook
Done by 11 AM Every Day

Stop watching charts all session. Pros spend 20 minutes before the open analyzing market conditions, determine their daily bias, then wait for one specific 60-minute window to enter. If it doesn't set up — they close the laptop.

72–80% Win Rate
Max 1–2 Trades / Day
Done by 11 AM
No-Trade Days Count as Wins
Live NY Time
--:--:-- ET
All sessions done for today

The 5-Step System

Every trading day follows this exact sequence. No deviations.

STEP 01
Pre-Market Analysis
7–9:15 AM ET
Check news, mark levels, identify overnight range
STEP 02
Determine Bias
9:00–9:20 AM ET
Answer the 4 bias questions. Bullish, Bearish, or No-Trade.
STEP 03
NY Open Kill Zone
9:30–10:30 AM ET
One setup only. Wait for your exact criteria to appear.
STEP 04
Enter & Walk Away
After entry
SL and TP pre-set. Close charts. Check in 1× per hour max.
STEP 05
End-of-Day Review
4:00–4:15 PM ET
Log the trade. Did your thesis work? Why or why not?

How to Find Your Daily Bias — Asia, London & NY

The market doesn't have one session — it has three. Each session has its own personality, and together they form a cascade. Asia sets the trap. London springs it. New York delivers the real move. Understanding this cascade is the foundation of finding a clean daily bias.

🌏
Asia
7 PM – 2 AM ET
Sets the Range
→
🇬🇧
London
2 AM – 5 AM ET
Sweeps It
→
🗽
New York
9:30 AM – 12 PM ET
Delivers the Move
🌏
Asia Session — The Range Setter
7:00 PM – 2:00 AM ET  |  12:00 AM – 7:00 AM London  |  Lower Volume
SETUP PHASE
What happens in Asia?

Asia is a relatively quiet session. Big institutions are mostly offline. Price tends to consolidate in a tight range — building up what traders call a "liquidity pool" above and below the range.

Think of Asia like setting a mousetrap. The high and low of the Asia session are where retail stop losses pile up on both sides. London comes in and springs the trap — taking out one of these sides before the real move begins.

How to find Asia bias
1
Mark the Asia session HIGH and Asia session LOW on your chart before 9 AM ET. These are your key levels for the day.
2
Check the weekly and daily chart trend. If the trend is up, expect London to sweep the ASIA LOW first (trapping shorts), then rally.
3
Check if price opened the week at a discount (below midpoint) or premium (above midpoint). Discount = expect buys. Premium = expect sells.
4
Note whether Asia broke ABOVE a prior day high or BELOW a prior day low — that gives you the institutional footprint direction.
💡Key insight: The Asia range is the bait. The stops sitting above the Asia high and below the Asia low are the prey. London is the predator. Your job is to identify which side London will hunt first — that's your bias clue.
🇬🇧
London Session — The Trap Sprinter
2:00 AM – 5:00 AM ET  |  7:00 AM – 12:00 PM London  |  High Volatility Open
DIRECTION PHASE
What happens in London?

London is the most important session for determining the true daily direction. European institutions open up with massive order flow, and the very first thing they do is hunt liquidity.

London will almost always sweep the Asia high or Asia low within the first 30–60 minutes of opening. This sweep is NOT the start of a trend — it's a stop hunt. The move that follows the sweep in the opposite direction is the actual London bias.

How to find London bias
1
At 2 AM ET, note the Asia High and Low. These are London's target levels for its stop hunt.
2
Watch the first 30 minutes of London open. Which side does price attack first — the Asia high or the Asia low?
3
After the sweep (price spikes beyond the level then reverses quickly), the REVERSAL direction = London bias.
4
Confirm: Is the reversal direction aligned with the daily trend? If yes, that's a high-probability London trade setup.
5
London bias often carries through to NY. If London swept the Asia low and rallied, expect NY to continue higher.
💡Key insight: A London session that sweeps the Asia LOW then rallies strongly into the 5 AM ET close is one of the cleanest bullish bias signals for NY. The shorts were trapped, their stops fueled the move up, and institutions are now long. NY will likely continue that rally.
🗽
NY Session — The Money Maker
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM ET  |  Primary Kill Zone  |  Highest Volume of the Day
EXECUTION PHASE
How to determine NY bias
Q: What did London do?
→ If London swept the Asia low and rallied → NY bias is BULLISH. If London swept the Asia high and dropped → NY bias is BEARISH.
Q: Where is price at the NY open relative to VWAP?
→ Price opening ABOVE VWAP = buying pressure dominant. Below VWAP = selling pressure. This confirms your London bias read.
Q: Is there an overnight gap?
→ A gap up after a bullish London session = strong bullish NY bias. Expect the first move to be up before any pullback.
Q: Is price at Premium or Discount?
→ Mark the prior day's range midpoint. If price is above the midpoint = Premium (look for sells). Below midpoint = Discount (look for buys). Don't buy at premium.
Premium vs. Discount — The Most Ignored Concept
Prior Day Range
Prior Day HighEXTREME PREMIUM — sell zone
100%
Premium ZoneLook for SHORTS only
75%
50% Midpoint← Equilibrium line
50%
Discount ZoneLook for LONGS only
25%
Prior Day LowEXTREME DISCOUNT — buy zone
0%
The Simple Rule
If you're bullish — only enter when price is at a discount (below the 50% line). If you're bearish — only enter when price is at a premium (above the 50% line). Never buy at the top and never sell at the bottom.

The 4-Confirmation Entry Model

ALL 4 REQUIRED

This is a precision model where you stack 4 independent confirmations before entering a trade. Think of each confirmation as a filter. The more filters your setup passes, the higher the probability. Miss even one? Wait for the next setup.

This model works on any timeframe combination but the sequence described here — 15m/1H for context, 1m for entry — is the highest-probability version for NY kill zone trading.
1
Liquidity Sweep
2
HTF FVG
3
iFVG on 1min
4
CISD
✓
ENTER
1
Liquidity Sweep — The Stop Hunt
Timeframe: 15min or 1H  |  Watch for: Sharp spike beyond a major high or low, then quick reversal
What is it?

Institutions need massive liquidity to fill their orders. The only place that kind of liquidity exists is where retail stop losses cluster — just beyond obvious highs and lows.

A liquidity sweep is when price intentionally spikes beyond a major high (triggering the buy stops above it) or beyond a major low (triggering the sell stops below it), then rapidly reverses. The spike and reversal can happen in 1–3 candles. The key word is rapid — if price hangs above the level for many candles, it's not a sweep, it's acceptance.

What to look for
📍Identify a MAJOR high or low — prior day high/low, prior week high/low, or a swing high/low clearly visible on 15m+
⚡Price makes a new high ABOVE the major high (or new low BELOW the major low). The spike is aggressive — 1–3 candles max.
🔄Price immediately reverses back below the swept high (or above the swept low). It cannot sustain the new price level.
📊The reversal candle often has a long wick — this is the institutional rejection signal.
✅Confirmation 1 is now complete. Stops have been run. The trap is set. Now look for Confirmation 2.
Example (Bullish setup):
Prior day low: 5,380.00  →  Price spikes to 5,374.50 (sweeps it)
→ Price closes back ABOVE 5,380.00 on the next candle
→ Liquidity sweep confirmed. All the shorts' stop losses just got triggered. ✓
2
Higher Timeframe FVG — The Institutional Footprint
Timeframe: 15min or 1H  |  Watch for: A 3-candle imbalance in the direction of your bias
What is a Fair Value Gap (FVG)?

An FVG is a 3-candle pattern where price moves so fast that it leaves a gap — an area where no trading occurred. This happens when institutional algorithms aggressively push price and can't fill all their orders.

Price eventually returns to fill these gaps because the unfilled orders are still sitting there waiting. When price returns to a bullish FVG (created during a strong up-move), institutions re-enter long. When it returns to a bearish FVG, they re-enter short.

// How to identify an FVG
Bullish FVG = Candle 1 HIGH < Candle 3 LOW
→ Gap between C1 high and C3 low = the FVG zone
Bearish FVG = Candle 1 LOW > Candle 3 HIGH
→ Gap between C1 low and C3 high = the FVG zone
Why does the sweep need to land in an FVG?

The liquidity sweep alone isn't enough — you need to know price is at a level where institutions have unfinished business. An HTF FVG on the 15min or 1H tells you that's exactly where you are.

For a LONG trade
The sweep of a major low should land INSIDE a bullish FVG on the 15min or 1H. The FVG is the floor institutions defend.
For a SHORT trade
The sweep of a major high should land INSIDE a bearish FVG on the 15min or 1H. The FVG is the ceiling institutions sell from.
No FVG present?
Skip the trade. A sweep without an FVG backing it is random noise. You need institutional alignment.
3
iFVG on 1min — The Precision Entry Trigger
Timeframe: 1min  |  Watch for: A FVG that has been violated and flipped
What is an Inverse FVG (iFVG)?

An iFVG is a regular FVG that has been "violated" — meaning price passed through it in the opposite direction, flipping its character.

A bearish FVG that price later pushes upward through becomes a bullish iFVG — it now acts as support. A bullish FVG that price pushes downward through becomes a bearish iFVG — it now acts as resistance.

On the 1min chart, you zoom in to find this precise level after Confirmations 1 and 2 are met. The iFVG gives you a specific entry price range — not just a general area.

Step-by-step on the 1min chart
1
After Confirmations 1 & 2 are met on 15m/1H, switch to the 1min chart.
2
Look for a FVG that existed in the direction OPPOSITE to your trade. E.g., for a long trade, look for a prior bearish FVG on the 1min.
3
Watch for price to push THROUGH that bearish FVG to the upside — the gap is now "violated" and becomes an iFVG (support).
4
The top of the prior bearish FVG (now acting as support) = your ENTRY ZONE. Place your limit buy order here.
5
Your stop loss goes BELOW the bottom of the iFVG. Tight, precise, and justified.
Why does this work?
When a FVG gets violated, the institutions who originally created it are now underwater. Their stop losses become your fuel. The iFVG level is where smart money is repositioning — exactly the level you want to enter.
4
CISD — Change In State of Delivery
Timeframe: 1min  |  Watch for: Price breaking the most recent swing high (for longs) or swing low (for shorts)
What is "State of Delivery"?

"Delivery" is how the algorithm is moving price. When price is making lower highs and lower lows, it is in a bearish state of delivery. When it's making higher highs and higher lows, it is in a bullish state of delivery.

A CISD (Change In State of Delivery) is the moment the algorithm switches gears. On the 1min chart, after the liquidity sweep pushed price lower (bearish delivery), you watch for the FIRST moment price breaks a prior swing high. That break IS the CISD — the algorithm just switched from bearish delivery to bullish delivery.

This is your final confirmation and often your entry trigger — either entering at the CISD candle close or placing a limit at the iFVG and letting the CISD confirm the direction.

How to identify CISD on the 1min chart
BULLISH CISD (Enter Long)
1. Price was making lower highs, lower lows (bearish delivery)
2. After the liquidity sweep, price rallies
3. Price BREAKS the most recent swing HIGH on 1min
4. CISD confirmed — enter LONG
BEARISH CISD (Enter Short)
1. Price was making higher highs, higher lows (bullish delivery)
2. After the liquidity sweep, price drops
3. Price BREAKS the most recent swing LOW on 1min
4. CISD confirmed — enter SHORT
// Full Example — Bullish Setup (1min chart)
09:28 AM — Prior day low at 5,380. Asia swept it overnight.
09:31 AM — Price spikes to 5,372 (sweeps prior day low) [C1 ✓]
09:31 AM — Sweep lands in 15m bullish FVG at 5,368–5,374 [C2 ✓]
09:33 AM — 1min bearish FVG at 5,378–5,382 gets violated upward
iFVG formed. Limit BUY placed at 5,382.00 [C3 ✓]
09:35 AM — 1min swing high at 5,386 gets broken to upside
CISD confirmed — delivery shifted bullish [C4 ✓]
✅ ALL 4 CONFIRMATIONS MET. Trade is live.
Entry: 5,382 | SL: 5,369 | TP: 5,420 | R:R = 2.9:1
The Golden Rule of the 4-Confirmation Model
You need all 4 confirmations to fire in the same direction before entering. One or two confirmations = interesting observation, not a trade. Three = almost there, still wait. Four = sniper entry. The model's power comes from its patience, not its speed.

Kill Zone Schedule

All times Eastern
🔵
NY Open Kill Zone
9:30 – 10:30 AM ET
80% of daily moves happen here. Primary window.
🚫
Lunch Chop Zone
12:00 – 1:30 PM ET
DO NOT TRADE. Low volume, choppy, random moves.
🟢
NY PM Kill Zone
2:00 – 4:00 PM ET
Secondary window. Only if you missed the morning.
The Rule: Outside of these kill zones, your charts should be closed. The 12–2 PM ET window is statistically the worst time to trade — algorithms are resting, volume is thin, and moves are random. Protect your account by doing nothing.

Daily Bias Quiz

Answer all 4 questions before the NY open. Your bias = your direction for the day. No changing it mid-session.

Q1.What direction is the daily/4H chart trending?
Q2.Where did price close yesterday relative to a key level?
Q3.Is there an overnight gap today?
Q4.Any high-impact news events today?

No-Trade Day Criteria

If ANY of these apply — do not trade. Professional traders skip 1–2 days per week intentionally. Protecting capital on bad days is just as important as making money on good ones.

📅
Friday afternoon (after 2 PM ET)
Institutions close books. Volume drops 60%. Chop dominates.
📰
CPI, FOMC, or Non-Farm Payrolls day
Price moves unpredictably on news. No technical edge.
😤
You lost 2 trades back-to-back today
Emotional state is compromised. Come back tomorrow.
😴
You slept less than 5 hours
Cognitive performance is impaired. Decisions will be poor.
🌙
After 4 PM ET (RTH close)
Extended hours = thin liquidity, manipulated prices.
🗓️
Day after a major holiday
Low participation. Professional traders often don't trade these.
🔀
Daily bias score is 0 or mixed
Conflicting signals = no edge. No trade is a position.
The Pro Mindset on No-Trade Days
"Not trading is a position. It's a zero-loss position. Elite traders don't measure success by how many trades they took — they measure it by how little they lost on days when the edge wasn't there."
— Marcus Webb, 14-year funded trader

Pre-Market Checklist

0/12 complete (0%)

Run this every morning before 9:30 AM. Do not skip items. Do not trade until this is complete.

The Sniper Entry Rules

These rules apply to every single trade, regardless of strategy. No exceptions. This is what separates a 72% win rate from a 45% win rate.

📋Before Entry
Bias must be clear (bullish or bearish — not mixed)
Price must be at a KEY level (VAH, VAL, prior day high/low)
You are inside the 9:30–10:30 AM kill zone
No high-impact news within the next 30 minutes
Your SL and TP are already calculated and written down
🎯The Entry Trigger
Wait for a CONFIRMATION candle — not the first touch of a level
Enter with a limit order 1–2 ticks inside the level
The entry candle should show REJECTION at the level (long wick)
Volume on confirmation should exceed prior 3 candles
Hesitation over 3 seconds = skip the trade, next setup soon
🚶After Entry
Stop and target are set IMMEDIATELY after entry — no adjustments
Take 40% off at 1:1 R:R — move stop to breakeven
CLOSE YOUR CHARTS. Check once per hour max.
If stopped out — walk away for 15 minutes minimum
One trade = max 2 entries per day. More = overtrading.
🚫What Disqualifies a Setup
Price is in the middle of a range — no clear level
You already took 2 trades today
The setup appears AFTER 10:30 AM (wait for PM window)
The move already happened — you're chasing
The risk-to-reward is less than 2:1 — skip it

Today's Trade Log

One entry per day. Fill this out after your trade is closed. Traders who journal consistently improve 2× faster than those who don't.

Entries are stored locally. Export to CSV coming soon.
// Mindset Rules — Non-Negotiable
"The setup doesn't care about your feelings. Run the checklist or don't trade."
"A no-trade day is a zero-loss day. Protect it like a win."
"If you moved your stop wider, you already lost. The market saw your fear."
"Two losses in a row = walk away. Come back with fresh eyes tomorrow."
"The best traders aren't the ones who trade the most. They're the ones who wait the longest."
"Your job ends the moment you place the trade. Let the market do the rest."

Ready to trade with structure?

Use this playbook every morning. Run the checklist. Get your bias. Trade the kill zone once. Walk away. That's the system.

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