FUTURES TRADING SYSTEM
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Our Strategy
Part One — The Entry EngineINTRA-DAY SCALPING
At our core, we are "Bounce Traders" who wait patiently for our mapped-out trades (AKA "Battle Plan") to activate. We use bounce levels to enter positions, then hold a financed runner for larger swing moves.
We draw bounce levels ... where price is most likely to "bounce". These are levels/zones traders will defend, and that defense is what produces the bounce.
There are certain locations on the chart where buyers or sellers aggressively defend price. It's those institutional reactions that create the bounce. We map those levels, and they consistently deliver clean setups. We trade the bounce.
We place a limit order and let price come to us. Once it bounces, we follow the move using our 3-Contract System, always keeping a risk-free, financed runner on the trade. From there, we look for opportunities to ADD TO OUR WINNING TRADE... we love adding additional "risk-free" contracts. Done right, this scaling has a dramatic impact on your PNL. And we do it with micros… here is ES vs MES futures and why we trade the micro.
We are Liquidity Grab Ladder-Back Traders.
We capitalize on setups that reflect how institutions accumulate longs. Every month, capital flows into S&P 500 index funds, and institutions need liquidity to deploy that capital. Our job is to join them on the long side at pre-defined locations (AKA Battle Plan).
If you're familiar with Adam Mancini, this approach will resonate with you. However, our system offers crystal-clear clarity compared to the vague "acceptance" concept. We also don't clutter the chart with levels every 6 points. That said, if you like Mancini's approach, you'll love what we do.
While short setups do appear, we believe focusing on longs gives scalpers and swing traders the best edge.
THE SETUP
▶ Listen to this section
I'd rather watch price bleed downward for hours than chase a short. Why? Because I'm waiting for "THE SETUP"
What is THE SETUP? It is a long entry into the short-covering rally. That's my favorite trade! Nothing is more beautiful than a short-covering rally, and you are holding a "financed" runner... playing 'perfect chess'!
Every night when crafting the Battle Plan... our daily trade plan... THE SETUP is top-of-mind.
Do you want to make 100+ pointers consistently?
Master this setup! We trade it several times a week! Come join us.
I believe... Too many traders waste energy chasing the elusive BIG SHORT. The ES is a long-biased instrument. Just glance at a weekly chart to understand why. If you are short-focused, it will take a while to beat that out of you - or - trade a different instrument!
Nothing will dramatically improve your results more than learning how to stay in a trade longer. Once or twice a week, a scalp can turn into a multi-day swing. Runner management is a major part of our system. Here is an example:
Many in our group love scalping 3–5 points, with 10+ point runners when conditions align.
You could simply camp the 3M chart and trade with the dominant trend using our 3-Contract System. Our Analytics prove it works.
Part Two — The MapSTRONG LEVELS
We also trade our Strong Levels.
These are high time frame bounce zones and market profile-based levels... delivered via our custom TradingView Indicator. It's updated every Sunday and included with membership. They will become amongst your favorite levels!
Combined with the 3M Core Strategy, Strong Levels provide high-probability entry and exit zones. These are the most respected levels we trade.
Part Three — The OrdersBATTLE PLAN
We trade Pre-Planned Entries.
Each evening, I scan the ES chart and ask:
Where are the bulls and bears positioned?
Great bears know where the bulls are.
Great bulls know where the bears are.
The arrows on the Battle Plan highlight those pressure points — zones where reactions are most likely.
Each plan incorporates trend, range structure, liquidity pools, and Strong Levels. These are available to Battle Plan and full Micros Trader members.
Most arrows lean bullish. That’s no accident — the ES is long-biased over time.
- Set alerts in TradingView
- Review the Battle Plan the night before
- Annotate your chart with your own arrows
- Keep the Battle Plan visible during trading
- Join us live on Zoom to talk setups
⚠️ Nothing on this page is a trade recommendation. I am not a financial advisor.
Ready to learn it trade by trade? The full emini trading system curriculum lives in the Core Strategy Academy.
Conversation With A Member
E-mini Futures Trading FAQ
What are E-mini futures?
ES E-mini futures are electronically traded contracts on the S&P 500 index, listed on the CME. One contract moves $50 per point, and the smallest tick is 0.25 points, worth $12.50. The market trades nearly 23 hours a day, five days a week, with deep liquidity and tight spreads. That combination is why so many day traders pick ES futures over individual stocks. If you are brand new, start with the basics of futures trading for beginners before you ever place an order.
How do you trade E-mini futures?
Open an account with a futures broker, get approved for futures, and fund it. Then learn the contract specs cold: tick size, point value, margin, and trading hours. Trade on a simulator first. Real money comes after you can follow rules on sim.
Want the shortcut most beginners skip? Map out your trades in advance instead of reacting to every candle. Pick your levels before the session, define your risk on every trade, and pass on anything that was never in the plan.
What are micro E-mini futures?
MES micro futures are the smaller version of the ES contract, at exactly one tenth the size. One point on MES is worth $5, and one tick is $1.25. Margins are lower too, which makes MES the sensible starting contract for new traders and for anyone testing a new setup with real money. Want an even smaller step? E-mini Nano futures shrink the contract again, so you can trade the same plan with even less risk on the line. Here is a full breakdown of the difference between ES and MES futures and why smaller can work harder for you.
How much money do you need to trade E-mini futures?
Less than you think for MES, more than most beginners fund for ES. Many brokers offer reduced intraday margins on micros, so a few thousand dollars can support one or two MES contracts with room to survive losing streaks. The real question is staying power. Your account has to outlast your learning curve. This guide on trading capital and realistic day trading income walks through the math.
Can you trade E-mini futures for a living?
Some traders do. Most who try fail, and the difference usually comes down to process. Treat it like a business. Trade small until you have months of consistent results, journal every trade, and let account growth earn you larger size. Chasing a monthly income target on an undersized account is the fastest way to blow up. Prove consistency first. The income follows the discipline.
Can you trade E-mini futures on thinkorswim?
Yes. With futures approval on your Schwab account, thinkorswim gives you access to ES futures under the symbol /ES and MES under /MES. You can also trade them on NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Tradestation, and through brokers connected to TradingView. The platform matters far less than your plan. Every one of them will fill your order; none of them will manage your risk for you.
Is there a school or course for E-mini futures trading?
Yes. George trades ES and MES live five days a week and has more than 1,077 recorded live sessions behind the approach on this page. You can go deeper through the futures trading course, or watch the system applied in real time with an emini live trading room free trial. Watching real decisions on live price beats theory every time.
Futures Trading Strategies: Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best trading strategies for futures?
The best futures trading strategies share one trait. They tell you exactly where to act before the market opens. Level-based trading does that. You mark the key levels on your chart in advance, you wait for price to reach one, and you trade the reaction at that level. No guessing mid-session. No chasing candles. George built his entire Core Strategy on this idea, traded live on the ES chart five days a week. A strategy you can write down the night before beats a strategy you improvise in the moment. Every single time.
Is this a discretionary trading system or an automated one?
Discretionary, all the way. The rules for drawing levels stay strict. You mark the Strong Levels where price bounces, and those levels go on the chart before the session opens. The entries and exits at those levels stay in the trader's hands. No algorithm fires the orders. No artificial intelligence picks the trades. A human reads the price action at the level and makes the call. The edge comes from focusing on failed breakdowns, staying on the long side of price action, and holding runners for multi-day holds. That combination makes this the best futures trading system a discretionary trader can run.
What is the Battle Plan?
The Battle Plan is George's written trade plan, published every single day. It tells you where to look to go long and where to look to go short before the session ever opens. It maps out high probability trade zones on the ES chart, and then the job turns simple. You wait until price hits those zones. Price reaches the zone, or there is no trade. That removes the mystery of where to look for trades. For anyone trying to learn a futures trading system, a daily written plan teaches faster than any pile of scattered setups. You study the plan at night, you watch it play out the next morning, and the lessons compound fast.
What day trading strategies work for ES E-mini futures?
ES E-mini futures respond to key levels with remarkable consistency, which makes them one of the cleanest markets for a level-based day trading system. The working approach is simple to describe. Map the levels before the open, plan your longs and shorts at those levels, and let price come to you. That plan is the Battle Plan, and it turns a chaotic session into a short list of pre-planned trades. Want to see the levels mapped daily? George streams the AM Briefing on YouTube every Monday through Friday and walks through the key levels on the ES chart before the session starts. Join the free live stream and watch how the levels get built.
What futures trading strategies work for beginners?
Beginners need structure before they need setups. Start with the free Foundations Course to learn how futures work, how leverage works, and how to protect a small account. Then move into the Battle Plan Boot Camp to learn how the nightly Battle Plan maps trades in advance. Add the daily AM Briefing live stream to your morning routine so you see the key levels for the ES chart before every session. Course, boot camp, briefing… in that order. When an introductory offer for the Battle Plan comes around, take advantage of it. That path gives a new trader a complete system instead of a pile of random tips.
Can you scalp MES micro futures with a small account?
Yes, and MES micro futures exist for exactly this reason. Each MES contract runs one tenth the size of the ES contract, so a small account can trade real price action with controlled risk. Scalping MES at key levels lets you build skill, build a track record, and keep every loss small while you learn. George covers the full approach on his MES scalping strategy page, including how the same levels that drive the ES chart drive your MES entries. Prove the strategy on micros first. Size up later, once the results earn it.
How do you learn futures trading strategies faster?
Watch a strategy get executed live, day after day. Reading about setups teaches you the theory. Watching real entries, real stops, and real profit-taking at real levels teaches you the craft. That is the whole point of a futures trading room. You see the Battle Plan built the night before, then you see how price behaves at each level the next morning. Repetition at that pace compresses years of solo trial and error into months. Pair the live trading room with a journal of your own trades and your learning curve steepens fast.
Do ES futures trading strategies still work in 2026?
Level-based strategies work because they rest on market structure, and market structure has not changed. Buyers still defend prior lows. Sellers still defend prior highs. Price still reacts where large orders sit. Indicators fall in and out of fashion, but Strong Levels on the ES chart keep doing their job in 2026 just as they did years ago. What separates traders who profit from a day trading system from traders who abandon it is discipline. Trade the plan at the levels, keep losses small, and take your green when the market offers it.
