Trader Round Up - ICT Mastermind

ICT_Concepts avatar
Kitt
@ICT_ConceptsFeb 25, 2026

The Spaces focused on ICT’s newly clarified definition of “key levels” and the practical fusion of time and price via a PD Array Matrix grid. Michael Huddleston walked through how opening-range-derived gaps (RTH/opening range gap), New Day Opening Gaps, and New Week Opening Gaps, combined with quadrant/gradient levels, provide a precise, repeatable grid that replaces vague “key level” talk with specific procedures. Community members including Slick Rick (Miami), Nico Suarez, Seth (SDR), Doctor Tony, Bobby, Mahmoud (Blaster FX), Louise, Joe Trades, and Michael (Nigeria) shared reactions, challenges, and results—highlighting patience, stop management, and confluence at key times (notably the 9:30 ET injection and SMT use). Huddleston detailed inside-day classification by body-only, wick theory versus body use in order blocks, SMT’s best timing, and a five-day rolling framework for plotting gaps. The discussion contrasted this method with breakout trading, emphasized journaling/backtesting to internalize the grid, and offered guidance for navigating current high-resistance conditions while preparing SOPs for low-resistance regimes ahead.

Trader Roundup | ICT Mastermind – Key Levels, Time & Price, and the PD Array Matrix

Session context and participants

  • Host: Kit (ICT Mastermind “Trader Roundup”).
  • Mentor: Michael Huddleston (ICT).
  • Attendees contributing notable points:
    • Honeywicks/Hunting Wix (pre-screened guest)
    • Joe Trades
    • Slick Rick (42, Miami; courier schedule to trade AM)
    • Nico Suarez
    • “Professor is a Tape Reader”
    • MB
    • SDR (Seth, 66, Southern California)
    • Dr. Tony (56, Indiana)
    • Alex
    • D. Conrad
    • “My con” (Michael from Nigeria, 23, mechanical engineering student)
    • Blaster FX (Mahmoud, 33, Palestine)
    • Simba
    • Luis (22)
    • Bobby
    • Poppy Trades (33)

Central theme: What a “Key Level” truly is and how to build the PD Array Matrix/Grid

  • Michael emphasized that key levels are specific, repeating, non-ambiguous structures that create a “grid” for price. They are not vague support/resistance or arbitrary “gold boxes.”
  • Core key levels:
    • New Day Opening Gaps (NDOG)
    • New Week Opening Gaps (NWOG)
    • RTH/Opening Range Gap (a.k.a. registration/opening range gap)
    • Gradient levels between the opening range high and low
    • Wick quadrants (dividing large-range wicks into usable quadrants and consequent encroachment)
    • Consequent Encroachment (CE) of bodies/wicks
  • Usage principle:
    • Time and key level must coincide. “We’re not breaking out anything.” Wait for price to trade to PD arrays that lie on top of these key levels at the correct time. You stalk the line; you don’t chase breakouts or do break-and-retest by default.
    • Draw-on-liquidity defines where price is gravitating. Alignment of PD arrays (e.g., FVGs/OBs) with key levels + time yields precision and confidence.
    • After this lecture, “key level” and the PD Array Matrix are fully specified (no longer a vague mask).

Building and maintaining the grid: rolling lookbacks and specification

  • Keep a rolling window for gaps so your chart is informative, not cluttered:
    • Last 5 days of NDOGs and RTH opening range gaps (with CE and gradient levels).
    • Last 5 weeks of NWOGs.
  • Anchor quadrants/gradients to these gaps. PD arrays that form on top of these anchored levels become high-value trade locations.
  • This “matrix” or grid standardizes where the community will be looking—removing ambiguity.

Inside Day – body-based definition and expectations

  • Classic definition: Current day’s high/low inside prior day’s high/low.
  • ICT’s clarified addition: Treat it as an inside day if today’s BODY closes inside the previous day’s high/low, even if the wick pierces beyond. Bodies tell the “real volume” story; wicks are allowed to do the damage.
  • Expectation:
    • Acts as compression/coiling and is a precursor for volatility/magnitude (one-sidedness) in the next 1–2 sessions.
    • It does not by itself specify direction; infer direction from higher timeframe draw/bias.
    • In high-resistance liquidity-run conditions (HRLR), this one-sided expansion can be delayed or muted (rangebound/chop persists); stay patient.

High vs. Low Resistance Liquidity Run conditions (HRLR vs LRLR)

  • HRLR: Chop, slower follow-through, more time spent inside inefficiencies (e.g., price barcoding around FVGs). Increased gap risk due to session breaks (5–6pm) dampens continuity; algos anticipate liquidity withdrawal.
  • LRLR: Clean, obvious draws, smoother runs; easier entries and management.
  • Implication: In HRLR conditions, emphasize patience and short-term objectives; wait for clarity at key levels and specified times.

Order Block and Wick Theory – where bodies vs. wicks take precedence

  • Not all order blocks are equal. ICT distinctions:
    1. Inception order block (first OB after a real market structure shift/CSD that begins a new run):
      • Use the BODY (open/close) as the reference when price returns after the initial breach. That OB needs to be respected at the body.
    2. Subsequent OBs during an ongoing run:
      • Use the WICK (high to its CE for bullish OBs; low to CE for bearish). The wick’s gap aspect takes precedence; price may not return to the body. Stops for pyramiding often go beyond the wick.
  • Precedence hierarchy at a given price zone:
    • Wick levels (incl. CE of large-range wicks) > Fair Value Gap (FVG) / SIBI/BISI (sell/buy-side imbalances) > Volume Imbalance (most flexible; can be passed through multiple times).
  • Practical midpoints:
    • Large-range wick: top half (CE) often acts as favored support in bullish contexts (and bottom half for bearish), consistent with core content Month 4.

SMT (Smart Money Technique) divergence – where and how to use it

  • High-probability SMT conditions: around 9:30 AM ET open and during volatility injections (news). Use SMT in context with opening range.
  • Cross-market divergences (e.g., NQ vs ES/NYM) and metals (gold vs silver) can show different candle closes on a given timeframe; drop to lower timeframes to see the true SMT divergence.
  • Use SMT to bolster conviction at key levels/times—not as a standalone signal.

Time & Price alignment and entry mechanisms

  • Judas swing (often misheard “Judith Wing”): Using the false break/liquidity sweep as a springboard for reversal at a specified time + key level + PD array.
  • Sharp reversal concept discussed: After higher timeframe bias + quadrant alignment into a PD array, a sweep of liquidity with the next candle rejecting (body close) from the PD array can form a simplified, actionable entry.
  • 2024 Mentorship model: Mechanical, expects an ORG 50% setup; when not offered, stand down or revert to “low-hanging fruit” objectives and be patient.

Midpoint and daily bias guidance

  • Daily midpoint (CE of the daily range) as bias trigger:
    • Above midpoint: still bullish; the day’s lows typically won’t be explored until there’s a close below midpoint.
    • Below midpoint: urgency to go lower grows; subsequent lows more likely to be explored.
  • During a daily range/chop: aim for imbalances above/near the lows rather than always targeting the lows themselves.

Gap theory clarified – how long to retain levels

  • Keep the last 5 trading days’ NDOG and RTH gaps and the last 5 weeks’ NWOGs on chart.
  • Maintain their CE lines and gradient levels; these are your anchor references for PDRA confluence and quadrant work.
  • You’ll “have everything you need” without clutter while capturing the algos’ lookback logic.

Trade management, stops, and the “gray pool” insight

  • “Gray pool” (as described by Luis): Consequent encroachment overlap from two long wicks (a gap-within-a-gap using wick CEs). ICT confirmed it’s valid for entries, stop placement, partials, or pyramiding—akin to an implied FVG using wicks.
  • Stop logic in ongoing runs: If using subsequent wick-based OBs, stops should protect beyond the wick because the market can use the whole wick range.
  • Management ethos: predefine objectives (low-hanging fruit during HRLR); journal and collect screenshots of AM/PM sessions; count precise reactions to time+key levels.

Patience, discipline, and data

  • Don’t force “last-resort” trades to pay bills; that mindset compels trades in HRLR when conditions aren’t right.
  • Celebrate correct reads even if execution lags—recognizing the setup and draw remains a milestone.
  • Continuous data collection/backtesting (screenshots, journaling) builds conviction; you’ll need fewer videos once your own logs prove the phenomena.

Selected attendee perspectives and use-cases

  • Honeywicks/Hunting Wix: Precision improving; stop management remains a work in progress. Tendency to secure profits too early and get wicked out before the move.
  • Joe Trades: Learned to avoid rushing; waited for longs before 9:30, targeted London highs; using Judas swing model and ORG 50% target; 5th day with a prop (“Alpha Future”), now payout-eligible.
  • Slick Rick (42, Miami): Entries difficult as price runs without offering ORG 50%; took only ~3 trades in two weeks; reinforced patience. Working on an app (to be coordinated via DM).
  • Nico Suarez: Today clarified an entry for sharp reversals and redefined “inside range.”
  • Professor is a Tape Reader: Affirmed gradient level + time + PDRA confluence; reiterated rule for a ranging daily: target imbalance above lows, not lows themselves. Real-time observation empowered conviction.
  • MB: Consolidated takeaways—inside day uses bodies; daily midpoint behavior for bias; correct SMT timing (news/9:30); only PD arrays resonant with time; key levels include ORG high/low + gradients + wick quadrants (ICT added NDOG & NWOG for full score).
  • SDR (Seth, 66, CA): Trades the 9:50–10:10 macro with CSD + FVG into a sensible draw; admitted one rushed morning entry due to nerves; recognized that seeing the model play out is still a win.
  • Dr. Tony (56, IN): Asked about a long daily wick and closes above it; ICT tied bias to the Feb 12 daily FVG, explained CE respect in adjacent wicks, and framed HRLR implications and daily range handling.
  • Alex: Asked how many days to keep RTH gap levels—ICT: rolling 5 days (align with NDOG/NWOG practices) to avoid clutter but retain salience.
  • Blaster FX (Mahmoud, 33, Palestine): 7am model practitioner; looks for buy-side/sell-side sweeps and confirmation by RTH gap confluence; advised to watch today’s lecture for refined time+price/keys.
  • Simba: Observes NWOG respect and cross-asset divergences (gold up-close vs silver down-close at 9:30). ICT: Drop to lower timeframes—SMT often hides in higher TF candles.
  • Luis (22): Demonstrated “gray pool” (two-wick CE overlap) within an FVG and used it for stop placement to the tick; ICT confirmed validity and broad applicability.
  • Bobby: Queried bodies vs wicks for OBs (based on 2016 content). ICT clarified current practice: use body for inception OBs (change in state), use wick (to CE) for subsequent OBs in the run; wick > imbalance > volume imbalance; rejection block/Wick theory integrated in core content Month 4.
  • Poppy Trades (33): Integrated first-presented FVGs with opening ranges, NDOGs/NWOGs; sought clarity on inside-day redefinition and SMT around open. ICT: body-inside day = same inside-day implication; SMT favored around open/news.
  • “My con” (Michael, 23, Nigeria): Early in 2022+2023 mentorship content; uses displacement/FVG/market structure shifts; directed to core content Month 4 for PDRA foundations. Asked motivation question—ICT and Kit emphasized commitment, independence, and persistence.

Practical SOPs distilled

  • Grid construction
    • Plot last 5 NDOGs and RTH opening range gaps (with highs, lows, CE, and gradient levels); plot last 5 NWOGs. Add wick quadrants and CE lines for large-range wicks.
  • Confluence mandate
    • Trade when: (Time window) AND (Key level) AND (PD array on the key level) AND (Bias/draw aligned). Examples: 9:30 open with SMT + FVG at a gap CE; 9:50–10:10 macro at quadrant/gradient confluence.
  • Bias and midpoints
    • Use daily midpoint to frame whether highs or lows are likely to be explored; inside-day-by-body warns of imminent magnitude (direction via bias, not the inside-day itself).
  • Entries
    • Reversal mechanism: liquidity sweep into PDRA at a key level, followed by rejection candle body close; or use first-presented FVG in direction of bias at a specified time.
    • For sharp reversals (Judas swing context), align HTF bias, quadrants, and PDRA timing.
  • Management
    • For subsequent OBs during a run, reference the wick (to CE) and place stops beyond. Consider gray-pool (two-wick CE overlap) for surgical stops/partials.
    • In HRLR, target “low-hanging fruit”; avoid forcing moves to extremes; secure partials.
  • Discipline and review
    • Journal daily AM/PM with screenshots; tag time, level, PDRA, outcome. Backtest inside-day-by-body, midpoint rules, and PD arrays at key levels.

Key glossary (as used in discussion)

  • PD Arrays: Institutional reference points including Fair Value Gaps (FVG), Order Blocks (OB), Imbalances (SIBI/BISI), Volume Imbalances, Rejection Blocks, etc.
  • NDOG/NWOG: New Day/Week Opening Gaps—key anchors.
  • RTH Opening Range Gap: The opening range gap in the regular trading hours; includes gradients between high/low.
  • Consequent Encroachment (CE): The midpoint of a range (body or wick); pivotal reference.
  • Wick Quadrants: Partitioning large-range wicks for precision; top/bottom halves/quarters for entries/management.
  • SMT Divergence: Smart Money Technique divergence across correlated instruments/timeframes; most potent around 9:30 AM ET open/news.
  • Judas swing: Liquidity grab/false move preceding the real directional move.
  • LRLR vs HRLR: Low- vs High-Resistance Liquidity Run conditions—clean vs choppy regimes.
  • Suspension block: When a volume imbalance is part of the same imbalance inside an FVG; treated with discretion (noted during Q&A).
  • “Gray pool”: Overlap of two wick consequent encroachments—a gap-within-a-gap idea for precise stops/entries.

Big-picture takeaways

  • Today’s lecture provided a concrete, community-wide specification of “key levels,” replacing vague notions with a repeatable grid built from NDOG/NWOG/RTH gaps, gradients, CE, and wick quadrants.
  • The PD Array Matrix becomes powerful only when combined with time. The philosophy is to stalk predefined levels at predefined times and let price come to you.
  • Body-inside-day is a valid inside day (magnitude precursor), aligning with a body-centric reading of the tape. Direction still comes from the draw/bias.
  • Wick theory and order block hierarchy clarify why and when wick levels take precedence over bodies and imbalances; the first OB after MSD is body-referenced; later OBs during the run are wick-referenced.
  • In current HRLR conditions, patience and short objectives are paramount; precision emerges from disciplined confluence and data-driven conviction.

Action items for students

  • Build your 5×5 grid: last 5 days (NDOG, RTH gaps), last 5 weeks (NWOG); plot CE and gradients; add wick quadrants for salient swings.
  • Pre-plan sessions by time windows (e.g., Open; 9:50–10:10 macro; London; PM) and identify the single best level per window.
  • Await PD array formation on the key level at the time; use SMT at open/news for added conviction; prefer first-presented FVG in direction of bias.
  • Manage with wick CE logic on subsequent OBs; consider gray-pool structures for stop precision and pyramids.
  • Journal outcomes, screenshot AM/PM, and backtest inside-day-by-body and midpoint behaviors.

Closing sentiment

  • Community feedback ranged from “mind blown” to practical gains in patience and precision. The lecture demystified “key levels,” gave a grid to operate from, and set clear SOPs. The emphasis remains on discipline: time + key level + PD array + bias, executed patiently within prevailing liquidity conditions.