An honest, rules-first guide to intraday trading: what the research says about who wins, the session clock, choosing one product, six core setups with stops and R:R, reading the day type by 10:30, execution mechanics, intraday risk limits and a daily process. No hype, no picks.
Module 1: Reality check and requirements
What the academic studies say about day trader outcomes, the capital and rules you need, what a day actually costs, and who should not do this at all.
Module 2: The session map
Pre-market prep, the first hour, midday chop, the close, plus the futures, forex and crypto clocks, with a timing table of what typically happens when.
Module 3: Products and instruments
Large caps, small caps, ETFs, index futures and micros compared on spread, liquidity and cost, and why you should pick exactly one to start.
Module 4: Core setups
Opening range breakout, VWAP reclaim and rejection, gap-and-go, failed breakout reversal, pullback continuation and range fades, each with trigger, stop, target, R:R and invalidation.
Module 5: Reading the day type
Trend, range and reversal days, the initial balance, breadth and TICK for equities, cumulative delta basics, and the 10:30 decision that picks which setups are live.
Module 6: Execution mechanics
Hotkeys, bracket orders, scaling and partials, stops in ticks versus structure, slippage on the open, not chasing, and the one-good-trade mindset.
Module 7: Risk for intraday
Daily loss limit math, per-trade risk as a fraction of the daily limit, max trades, the consecutive-loss stop, the 11am rule, and lining it all up with prop firm drawdowns.
Module 8: Process
The pre-market checklist, a 20-minute post-market review, a replay practice plan, the 100-trade sample, tilt protocols and scaling size only on evidence.
Educational content, not financial advice.