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Forex Intraday Scalping Session Cheat Sheet
Your complete reference guide for scalping major forex sessions with proven strategies, optimal timing, and risk management rules for quick profits.
📊 Updated Monthly
•
⚡ Quick Reference
•
🎯 Actionable Strategies
🕒 Current Session Status
--:--:-- GMT
Detecting Active Session...
Next session change in: --:--:--
⚡ Scalping Timeframes
M1, M5, M15 charts
1-10 pips
🎯 Hit Rate Goal
Win percentage target
70-80%
⏱️ Trade Duration
Average position time
1-30 min
📊 Risk Reward
Target ratio
1:1 - 1:2
Scalping Sessions Overview
| Session | GMT Time | Best Pairs | Avg Spread | Scalping Rating | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌅 Tokyo | 23:00-08:00 | USD/JPY, AUD/USD | 2-4 pips | ⭐⭐⭐ | Steady moves, JPY focus, less volatility |
| 🏙️ London | 08:00-17:00 | EUR/USD, GBP/USD | 1-2 pips | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Peak liquidity, major news, best session |
| 🗽 New York | 13:00-22:00 | USD/CAD, USD pairs | 1-3 pips | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | US data releases, strong trends |
| 🌟 London/NY Overlap | 13:00-17:00 | All Majors | 1-2 pips | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Maximum liquidity, tight spreads, golden hours |
Hour-by-Hour Scalping Guide
🏙️ London Session (08:00-17:00 GMT)
08:00-09:00
Market Open Volatility
⭐⭐⭐⭐
09:00-12:00
Prime Scalping Time
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
12:00-13:00
Lunch Lull
⭐⭐
13:00-17:00
London/NY Overlap
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Best Pairs:
EUR/USD, GBP/USD, EUR/GBP, GBP/JPY
🗽 New York Session (13:00-22:00 GMT)
13:00-17:00
Golden Hours
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
17:00-20:00
US Data & Trends
⭐⭐⭐⭐
20:00-22:00
Winding Down
⭐⭐⭐
22:00-23:00
Low Activity
⭐
Best Pairs:
USD/CAD, EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY
Top Scalping Pairs by Session
S
Elite Scalping Pairs
EUR/USD
All Sessions
GBP/USD
London
USD/JPY
Tokyo/London
Features: Tightest spreads (1-2 pips), highest liquidity, predictable price action
A
Premium Scalping Pairs
USD/CHF
London
AUD/USD
Tokyo
USD/CAD
NY
Features: Good spreads (2-4 pips), reliable movements, session-specific strengths
B
Selective Scalping Pairs
EUR/GBP
London
NZD/USD
Tokyo
EUR/JPY
Overlap
Features: Moderate spreads (3-6 pips), higher volatility, requires experience
Session-Specific Scalping Strategies
🏙️ London Session Strategy
Breakout Scalping (08:00-10:00)
- • Watch for London open breakouts
- • Target: 5-15 pips
- • Stop: 5-8 pips
- • Time limit: 30 minutes
Range Scalping (10:00-12:00)
- • Trade support/resistance bounces
- • Target: 3-8 pips
- • Stop: 3-5 pips
- • High frequency trades
🗽 New York Session Strategy
News Scalping (13:30-15:30)
- • Trade US economic releases
- • Target: 10-20 pips
- • Stop: 8-12 pips
- • Quick in/out on volatility
Trend Following (17:00-20:00)
- • Follow established trends
- • Target: 8-15 pips
- • Stop: 5-8 pips
- • Multiple entries
Essential Scalping Indicators
📊 Moving Averages
- • EMA 9, 21, 50: Trend direction
- • Price above EMAs: Buy bias
- • Price below EMAs: Sell bias
- • EMA crossovers: Entry signals
📈 RSI (Relative Strength)
- • Settings: RSI(14) or RSI(5) for M1
- • Overbought: Above 70 (sell signal)
- • Oversold: Below 30 (buy signal)
- • Divergence: Strong reversal signal
⚡ Bollinger Bands
- • Settings: BB(20, 2)
- • Squeeze: Low volatility, breakout pending
- • Upper band touch: Overbought zone
- • Lower band touch: Oversold zone
🎯 MACD
- • Settings: MACD(12, 26, 9)
- • Crossover above: Bullish signal
- • Crossover below: Bearish signal
- • Histogram: Momentum strength
📍 Support & Resistance
- • Key levels: Mark on H1/H4 charts
- • Bounce trades: High probability at levels
- • Breakout trades: Strong volume needed
- • Pivot points: Daily/weekly pivots
📉 Stochastic Oscillator
- • Settings: Stochastic(5, 3, 3)
- • Overbought: Above 80
- • Oversold: Below 20
- • Crossovers: K crosses D line
Scalping Risk Management Rules
🛑 Position Sizing
- • Major Pairs: 0.5-1% risk per trade
- • Minor Pairs: 0.25-0.5% risk per trade
- • Max Daily Risk: 2-3% of account
- • Max Open Positions: 2-3 simultaneous
- • Leverage: 1:50 to 1:100 maximum
⚖️ Entry/Exit Rules
- • Stop Loss: Always set before entry
- • Take Profit: 1:1 or 1:2 R:R
- • Trailing Stop: Not recommended for M1/M5
- • Profit Target: Exit at first sign of reversal
- • Time Stop: Close if no movement in 30 min
🧠 Mindset & Discipline
- • Consistency: Trade the same strategy
- • Avoid Overtrading: Stick to prime hours
- • Know When to Stop: After 2-3 consecutive losses
- • Journaling: Track all trades and emotions
- • No Revenge Trading: Take breaks after losses
Common Scalping Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Trading During Low Liquidity
Avoid trading during lunch hours (12:00-13:00 GMT) and late NY session (21:00-23:00 GMT). Spreads widen and movements become erratic.
✓ Solution: Focus on high-volume overlap hours
❌ Holding Losing Positions
Scalping requires quick exits. Never let a losing scalp turn into a swing trade hoping for recovery.
✓ Solution: Honor your stop loss every time
❌ Ignoring Spread Costs
With targets of 5-10 pips, a 3-pip spread eats 30-60% of your profit. Always factor in transaction costs.
✓ Solution: Use ECN brokers with tight spreads
❌ Over-Leveraging
High leverage magnifies losses. One bad trade can wipe out days of profits.
✓ Solution: Use max 1:100 leverage, preferably 1:50
❌ Trading Without Confirmation
Entering trades based on gut feeling or a single indicator leads to random results.
✓ Solution: Wait for 2-3 indicator confluence
❌ Emotional Trading
Revenge trading after losses or greed after wins destroys accounts quickly.
✓ Solution: Set daily profit/loss limits and stick to them
Pre-Trade Entry Checklist
✅ Before Entering Trade
- ☐ Session Check: Am I trading during high-liquidity hours?
- ☐ Spread Check: Is the spread acceptable (under 3 pips)?
- ☐ Trend Direction: What's the overall trend on M15/H1?
- ☐ Indicator Confluence: Do 2+ indicators confirm entry?
- ☐ News Events: Any high-impact news in next 30 minutes?
- ☐ Risk Calculation: Stop loss and position size calculated?
✅ During Trade Management
- ☐ Stop Loss Set: Is my stop loss placed immediately?
- ☐ Take Profit Set: Is my take profit at 1:1 or better?
- ☐ Screen Time: Am I watching the trade actively?
- ☐ Reversal Signs: Any early exit signals appearing?
- ☐ Time Limit: Exit if no profit after 20-30 minutes?
- ☐ Emotional State: Am I calm and following my plan?
Daily Scalping Performance Tracker
Track your daily performance to identify patterns and improve your strategy. Print this section or create a digital spreadsheet.
| Date | Session | Pair | Entry | Exit | Pips | R:R | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ___/___/___ | __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ | ____ | ____ | _____________________ |
| ___/___/___ | __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ | ____ | ____ | _____________________ |
| ___/___/___ | __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ | ____ | ____ | _____________________ |
Daily Stats
- Total Trades: ____
- Winning Trades: ____
- Win Rate: ____%
Best Performance
- Best Pair: __________
- Best Session: __________
- Largest Win: ____ pips
Areas to Improve
- Worst Pair: __________
- Most Losses: __________
- Largest Loss: ____ pips
Key Scalping Principles
🎯 Golden Rules
- 1. Trade Prime Hours: Focus on London (08:00-12:00) and NY overlap (13:00-17:00) for best liquidity
- 2. Tight Spreads Only: Never scalp pairs with spreads above 3 pips
- 3. Quick Decisions: Enter and exit fast - scalping is not swing trading
- 4. Always Use Stops: Never enter a trade without a predetermined stop loss
⚡ Success Factors
- ✓ Discipline: Follow your trading plan without emotion
- ✓ Consistency: Trade the same pairs and strategies daily
- ✓ Risk Management: Never risk more than 1% per trade
- ✓ Continuous Learning: Review all trades and learn from mistakes