CRT Key Times

The rules

1. Clock: New York time, 4H candles at 1, 5, 9 AM. CME futures use 2, 6, 10 AM.
2. 1AM candle: mark its high and low. Both are liquidity.
3. 5AM candle: takes ONE side of the 1AM range and closes back inside: the purge.
4. 15m shift: after the sweep, a body close beyond the last swing (MSS).
5. Target: the opposite side of the 1AM range. The 50% of the range is the halfway reference.
6. No setup: 5AM stays inside, takes both sides, or closes outside the range.

How to mark it

1. On the 4H chart in New York time, mark the 1AM candle's high and low.
2. Watch the 5AM candle: did it sweep one side and close back inside?
3. Drop to the 15m. Find the last swing high (for a long) before the sweep.
4. Wait for a body close above it, then buy the pullback.
5. Stop below the sweep low, target the 1AM high. The 9AM candle often delivers it.

The 1:3 trade

Entry on the 15m pullback after the structure shift. Stop below the 5AM sweep low. Target the 1AM candle's high, the opposite side of the range. Reward is exactly three times the risk.

Before you enter

• Chart set to New York time, 4H candles at 1, 5 and 9 AM
• 1AM high and low marked
• 5AM candle took one side and closed back inside
• 15m structure shift after the sweep
• Stop beyond the sweep, target the opposite side of the 1AM range

Common mistakes

• Using a chart whose 4H candles open at 2, 6 and 10 AM without adjusting
• Buying the sweep before the 5AM candle closes back inside
• Entering without a 15m structure shift
• Trading a 5AM candle that took both sides of the range
• Targeting past the 1AM range instead of its opposite side

Key terms

• Key times: 1AM, 5AM, 9AM New York 4H candles
• 1AM range: the high and low of the 1AM 4H candle
• Purge: the 5AM candle takes one side and closes back inside
• MSS: market structure shift: body close beyond the last swing
• CME clock: futures 4H candles open at 2, 6 and 10 AM New York
• R:R: reward divided by risk; 1:3 means 3R for 1R risked

1AM range, 5AM purge, 15m shift, other side.