Level 3 · Lesson 14
Sessions
Deep Dive
The complete hour-by-hour playbook. What to do at every stage of the trading day — from Asian open to the dead zone.
First — Why This Matters
📅 Kill Zones told you WHEN. This lesson tells you exactly WHAT TO DO at every hour.
Lesson 3.10 introduced the three sessions and Kill Zones. But knowing "London opens at 07:00" isn't enough. You need a minute-by-minute playbook: what to check, what to mark, what to watch for, and when to step away.
This lesson also covers something no other SMC course teaches: which pairs behave differently in which sessions, how to integrate the economic calendar, and a complete daily routine you can follow from day one.
01 — Hour by Hour
Your Complete Daily Playbook
Every hour of the 24-hour cycle has a purpose. Tap each block to see exactly what you should be doing:
02 — Pair-Specific Behaviour
Not All Pairs Move the Same Way
Each currency pair has a "home session" where it moves most. Trading a pair outside its home session is like fishing in an empty pond.
03 — News Calendar Integration
When Fundamentals Override Technicals
Your SMC models work 95% of the time. The other 5% is when a major news release overrides everything. Here's how to handle it:
💡 Daily habit: Check the economic calendar EVERY morning before you trade. Bookmark forexfactory.com/calendar or use TradingView's built-in calendar. Filter for HIGH impact events only. Mark the times on your chart. If a red event falls during your Kill Zone, adjust your plan.
04 — Daily Routine
The 10-Step Daily Checklist
Copy this routine. Follow it every day. It removes guesswork and creates consistency.
Before Asian
Check economic calendar for today's high-impact events
Asian Open
Open your pairs. Let Asian session print for 2–3 hours.
03:00 UTC
Mark Asian H/L on all pairs you trade
06:00 UTC
Check Daily/4H HTF bias. Note key OBs and liquidity levels.
06:45 UTC
Switch to execution TF (15M/5M). Confirm Asian H/L. Ready position.
07:00–10:00
TRADE: Watch for sweep + BOS. Execute Model 1 or 2. Max 2 entries.
10:00–13:00
MANAGE: Trail stops. Prepare for overlap. No new entries unless Model 2.
13:00–16:00
OVERLAP: Let winners run. Last chance for Model 2 entries. Watch for distribution.
16:00–18:00
CLOSE: Take remaining profits. Close all trades by 18:00 for day traders.
Evening
JOURNAL: Record every trade. Note what worked, what didn't. Review Asian H/L accuracy.
05 — Weekly Planning
The Sunday Night Prep
Professional traders don't start Monday blind. They prepare on Sunday evening. Here's your weekly routine:
Check the economic calendar for the ENTIRE week. Mark all high-impact events (NFP, CPI, FOMC, ECB). Note which days to be cautious.
Review the Weekly chart. Where is the current weekly candle relative to HTF structure? Is price in premium or discount on the Weekly?
Identify the Weekly OB/FVG/Liquidity levels that price is approaching. These are your "big picture" targets for the week.
Note the previous week's high and low. These are key liquidity levels that may get swept this week (especially Monday–Tuesday).
Set your maximum risk for the week: e.g. "If I lose 3% this week, I stop trading until next Monday." Write it down.
Decide which pairs you will focus on this week based on the calendar and HTF setups. Maximum 3–4 pairs.
💡 Day-of-week tendencies: Monday — consolidation/range-building (accumulation for the week). Tuesday–Wednesday — the week's big move often starts. Thursday — continuation or reversal. Friday — profit-taking, especially after 13:00 UTC. These are tendencies, not rules — but they help set expectations.
06 — Session Journaling
Track Your Sessions, Not Just Your Trades
Most traders journal their trades. The best traders journal their sessions. After each trading day, record:
Asian Range Accuracy
Did you mark the Asian H/L correctly? Did London sweep one of them? Over time you'll see that 70–80% of days, London sweeps at least one side of the Asian range.
Kill Zone Performance
Which Kill Zone did you trade? What was the outcome? After 20–30 sessions, you'll discover which Kill Zone suits your style best. Some traders thrive at London open. Others perform better in the overlap.
Model Success Rate
Which model did you use? Did it work? Track Model 1 vs Model 2 win rates separately. You might discover you're better at one than the other — and should focus accordingly.
Emotional State
Were you calm and focused? Or were you chasing, bored, or revenge trading? The pattern between your emotional state and your results will become obvious after 2–3 weeks of honest journaling.
07 — Session Mistakes
Mistakes That Kill Session Traders
08 — Session Decisions
Daily Playbook Game
5 real-world scenarios. Make the right decision based on session context.
Pre-London Prep
It is 06:45 UTC. London opens in 15 minutes. What should you be doing RIGHT NOW?
09 — Knowledge Check
Sessions Deep Dive Quiz
1. What is the single most important thing to do before London open?
2. Why do GBP pairs move most during London session?
3. What happens to most pairs during the dead zone (21:00–00:00 UTC)?
4. How should you handle a high-impact news release during an open trade?
5. When does the daily high or low most commonly form?
6. USD/JPY is most active during which session?
7. What is the recommended maximum number of trades per Kill Zone session?
8. What is the purpose of a daily session routine?
🔒
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