Most traders lose money because they skip the boring stuff. Here's my pre-trade checklist that's saved me from countless bad entries:

1. Higher timeframe bias

Before I look at a 15m or 1h chart, I check the daily and 4h. Is the trend up, down, or ranging? If I'm trading against the HTF trend, I need a damn good reason.

2. Key levels — not random lines

I mark the levels where price has reacted multiple times. Support that held 3 times is real. A trendline you drew to fit your bias is not. I focus on horizontal S/R and order blocks over trendlines.

3. Confluence

One signal is noise. Two signals is interesting. Three signals is a trade. I need at least: structure + a key level + a candlestick pattern or indicator confirmation before I enter.

That's it. No fancy indicators, no secret sauce. Just discipline and patience.

I share setups like these daily inside Market Edge — entries, targets, and stops on crypto and forex pairs. If you're tired of trading alone and want a room full of traders who actually manage risk, come through.