AM Briefing #830: Fewer Better Trades While The Tape Chops Before CPI

AM BRIEFING

ES CHART | KEY LEVELS | SETUPS

THREE WAYS WE EARN POINTS

Everything MicrosTrader does routes through three engines. Over 2,000 live sessions built them… roughly 1,072 before the group opened to the public, another 1,072 plus since. Here is how points get earned:

• The Battle Plan: The daily written trade plan. AMV indicators map the levels on your chart for you. Fewer, higher quality, pre-planned, well-thought-out trades.
• Zoom and Core Strategy: Live on Zoom we hunt Battle Plan trades, Core Strategy trades, and any extra setups the price action gives us. The goal is keeping traders on the right side of price action in a calm, patient training environment.
• Core Strategy levels: Three basic bounce levels we draw. Price hits the line, price bounces, we trade the line. Black and white… it either is or it isn’t.

The Battle Plan gives you the AREA you’re looking to go long. Core Strategy dials in your exact entry. You can’t measure the value of Zoom in points alone. Together We Trade Better.

Trader Lesson 1

Manage every potential trade as a losing trade the moment you entertain entering it. Know where you want in, know your leverage metrics, know what you’re willing to risk… and size appropriately.

TRADE REVIEW: BATTLE PLAN 1 DELIVERED BOTH WAYS

Yesterday gave a clean read on the plan. We got a short in line with Battle Plan 1, and it bounced beautifully off our Strong Level. Instant 10-pointer. Then the plan said if we get back above, look for a retest and a long… another 10-pointer. That’s 20 points off one mapped area.

▶ Watch this moment in the AM Briefing

On the 3-Contract System that reads: profit, profit, and breakeven, then profit, profit, and breakeven again. Take money when the market offers it, and hold a runner only if your leverage metrics allow it.

Here’s the honest part. On Battle Plan 1 the bounce was NOT to the tick. Price ran 3.75 points against you first… then paid 12 points in profit. So was it a perfect bounce? No. Was it the right trade at the right location? You betcha. That’s the whole purpose of the Battle Plan.

Trader Lesson 2

A trade doesn’t have to bounce to the tick to be the right trade. 3.75 points of heat before 12 points of profit is still the right trade at the right location. Judge the location, not the perfection of the fill.

THE AGGRESSIVE MAPPING AND WHAT IT REALLY MEANS

The current mapping is very aggressive. It maps a 50-point short. That full move hasn’t happened yet… price has only travelled 13, 14, 15 points at a time before coming back. That’s not a failure of the map, it’s the nature of a range.

▶ Watch this moment in the AM Briefing

Zoom out and you see the rhythm. The Wednesday before last we had a Battle Plan long and rode it 400-something points. What does ES do? It moves, it consolidates, then it moves again. What you do in between is critical. In this middle you play the range… looking for longs at Battle Plan 1, looking for shorts up at Battle Plan 2.

SLOP AND CHOP: TRADE THE RANGE OR STAND DOWN

Where is everybody? Still in slop and chop. We’re sloppy and choppy, and you’d better be good at trading ranges to trade this profitably. We’re very good at it… and the first rule of a range is to understand that most trades aren’t going to follow through. One time is one time. Expect the reversal.

▶ Watch this moment in the AM Briefing

We know we’re in the consolidation phase. The expectation is a breakout tomorrow on CPI. Will that be the day? We shall see. Until then, keep the plan lean, trade the edges, and don’t force a trend that isn’t here.

Trader Lesson 3

In a range, assume most trades will NOT follow through. Take profit at the mapped edge instead of waiting for a trend that isn’t there. One-time continuation is the exception, not the plan.

Trader Lesson 4

Levels that don’t move are information. When Battle Plan 1 and Battle Plan 2 sit unchanged for two days, the market is in balance… trade the edges of the box, not the middle.

Trader Lesson 5

Consolidation is preparation. Front-run the CPI breakout by doing the work now… finish the 4 Badge Challenge, sharpen your Core Strategy reads, keep your journal current while the market isn’t paying.

PLANS ARE ESTABLISHED BY COUNSEL

Today opened on Proverbs. Plans are established by counsel, and by wise counsel you wage war. That’s the Battle Plan philosophy in one line… fewer, better, pre-planned trades built with counsel instead of impulse.

August is historically not the prettiest month for trading. Summer tape. Don’t judge the year off it, and don’t judge yourself off a slow session. Do the work: complete the 4 Badge Challenge, and if you want to trade it live with us, it’s free today… it’s Tuesday. The link is in the description. Come and join us 15 minutes before the market.

COMMON QUESTIONS FOR ES FUTURES TRADERS

What is the Battle Plan in ES futures trading?

A: The Battle Plan is MicrosTrader’s daily written ES trade plan. AMV indicators map the key levels on your chart the night before, so you take fewer, higher quality, pre-planned trades instead of reacting live. It gives you the area to go long or short, and Core Strategy dials in the exact entry.

What does slop and chop mean for a day trader?

A: Slop and chop is a choppy, range-bound market with no clean trend. Price rotates inside a box instead of following through. It punishes traders who need continuation and rewards traders who fade the edges of the range and take profit quickly.

How do I trade a range-bound ES futures session?

A: Look for longs at the lower Battle Plan level and shorts at the upper one, and assume most trades will not follow through. Take money at the mapped edge rather than holding for a trend. When levels haven’t moved in days, the market is in balance and the edges are where the trades live.

Why should I manage every trade as a losing trade?

A: Because no level bounces to the tick every time. The moment you consider an entry, you define where you get in, your leverage metrics, and what you’re willing to risk. That way a trade that runs against you first is already accounted for, and you never trade bigger than your plan allows.

What is the 3-Contract System?

A: It’s MicrosTrader’s core position sizing framework using three contracts. A typical winning sequence reads profit, profit, then breakeven… you bank two targets and move the third to breakeven, or hold it as a runner only if your leverage metrics support it.

What is a Strong Level?

A: A Strong Level is a high-conviction price level where a clean reaction is expected. Yesterday’s Battle Plan 1 short bounced off a Strong Level for an instant 10-point move, then the retest offered a long for another 10 points.

Why did the 50-point short mapping only pay 13 to 15 points?

A: The mapping is aggressive and lays out the full potential move, but in a consolidation the market only delivers part of it before rotating back. A 50-point map traveling 13 to 15 points at a time is normal range behavior, not a broken plan. You harvest the piece the market gives you.

Should I trade the day before CPI?

A: The day before a CPI print often stays in a consolidation phase, with the real breakout coming on the number itself. Keep the plan lean, respect the range, and use the slow tape to prepare… finish your badge work and journaling so you’re ready when volatility arrives.

Is the MicrosTrader live trading room free to try?

A: Yes. The YouTube livestream is free every Tuesday, with the link in the video description. George trades live with the room starting 15 minutes before the market opens.

📅 Upcoming This Week

Hit the bell — every AM Briefing and live trading session this week is already scheduled on YouTube:

• Wednesday, Wed Aug 12: AM Briefing · Live Stream
• Thursday, Thu Aug 13: AM Briefing · Live Stream
• Friday, Fri Aug 14: AM Briefing · Live Stream