Intraday Trading Recap: Reading Structure, Trusting VWAP, and Managing Winners

Below is a clean, easy-to-read blog post written in a story + instructional style. It explains how the day unfolded, what I was watching, why I took trades, and what I learned, without sounding like a rulebook. This is suitable for a website, Substack, or Discord recap.

Intraday Trading Recap: Reading Structure, Trusting VWAP, and Managing Winners

Coming into today’s session, my focus was simple: define the higher-timeframe bias, identify key levels, and wait for price to confirm before getting involved. The goal wasn’t to trade frequently—it was to trade correctly.

Pre-Market Bias: Setting the Framework (15-Minute Chart)

Before the open, the 15-minute chart made one thing clear:25,675 was the most important level on the board.

This price had significance for several reasons. It acted as algorithmic support the prior day, held during the London session, and marked the breakdown area from January 2nd. When multiple sessions and algorithms respect the same level, it becomes a natural breakout point.

At the open:

The 8 EMA was above the 20 EMA
Price was holding above VWAP near 25,600
Buying pressure was already present

The market opened with a slight push higher, paused briefly, and then broke through prior highs. That early expansion confirmed that the higher-timeframe uptrend was still intact.

Price continued to show strength by riding the upper VWAP standard deviation band for about thirty minutes. When the pullback finally came, it retraced directly into a confluence of the 20 EMA and VWAP, which also lined up with the prior breakout level at 25,675. This was classic former resistance turning into support. After a period of consolidation, price resumed higher and expanded into new session highs.

Confirming the Trend (5-Minute Chart)

On the 5-minute chart, the story became even clearer.

The opening drive broke the 25,650 algorithm, followed by a short two-bar consolidation. As the 8 and 20 EMAs turned upward, price broke the 50 algorithm and then pushed through the daily high at 25,675.

From that point forward, buyers consistently defended VWAP. Every pullback into VWAP was not a reason to short, but rather an opportunity to look for continuation trades in the direction of the trend.

Key levels such as:

ORB highs
25,650 / 25,675 algorithms
VWAP

All played a major role in guiding trade decisions.

Trade Execution: Where and Why I Entered (2-Minute Chart)

With the bias confirmed, execution shifted to the 2-minute chart. The first real opportunity came after price broke into the daily high area and pulled back into VWAP and the 20 EMA. This wasn’t random—this was exactly where I expected buyers to step back in.

Trade 1: Pullback to the 8 SMA

The first trade was entered after price retraced into the 8 SMA. Structure was intact, momentum remained strong, and higher-timeframe bias supported continuation. The setup was sound—but I exited too early. The trade had every reason to continue, and this was a reminder that good entries still require patience.

Trade 2: VWAP Long

The second trade came off a clean reaction at VWAP. The entry itself was nearly perfect. My main takeaway here was trade management. I need to hold through minor resistance levels when the broader structure remains valid. In this case, price did exactly what the structure suggested—it continued higher.

Breakout + First Pullback

Later, a breakout followed by the first pullback offered another strong opportunity. Momentum was so strong that price hit my target before I could even adjust it. I captured about 15 points, though the structure supported closer to 45 points. This was not a bad trade—but it highlighted the difference between being right and fully capitalizing.

Eventually, price ran into resistance near 25,775. At that point, momentum faded, moving averages flattened, and selling pressure increased. From around 8:34 AM to 9:10 AM, price stayed firmly below the 8 SMA, signaling that the long-side edge had diminished.

Lower Timeframe Confirmation (1-Minute Chart)

The 1-minute chart largely mirrored the 2-minute chart. After the initial push higher, price consolidated at VWAP and then continued in the direction of the trend.

There was no additional edge here—just confirmation. When the 1-minute and 2-minute charts align, it reinforces the idea that execution should remain simple and focused.

Key Takeaways From the Session

Higher-timeframe context defined the edge
VWAP was the most important intraday decision level
The best trades came from:
The main area for improvement was holding winners longer
When structure and momentum align, patience becomes the final edge

Final Thoughts

This session was a strong example of why context comes before execution. The market clearly showed its hand early, and the best opportunities came from waiting for price to return to areas of value rather than chasing expansion.

The work now is not finding better setups—but trusting them long enough to let them fully play out.

If you want, I can: