Bull and bear flags
A sharp move (the pole) is followed by a small, orderly drift against it (the flag). When price breaks out of the flag in the pole's direction, the trend usually continues.
Watch it play out
Replay plays a setup this strategy already finished and stops so you can call it. Live watches for the next one on Bitcoin (BTC-USD, 1-minute candles). Either way a setup is marked only when a candle closes, then it's locked and plays out to its target or its stop. Nothing to trade here.
How the live chart applies the rules
- 1-minute candles. The chart runs every strategy on 1-minute Bitcoin candles from Coinbase, whatever timeframe the strategy page suggests. Times are New York time.
- Closed candles only. Levels, triggers and stops are read when a candle closes. Entry is that candle's close.
- One setup at a time. While a setup is playing out, the same strategy doesn't start another.
- Sensible risk only. A setup counts only if its stop is between a quarter and 6 times the average candle range (ATR 14) from entry (wider for session-range strategies), and its target is at least 0.75R away.
- How a setup ends. At its target or its stop. If one candle touches both, the stop counts. A setup also ends at any exit its page names, and after 120 candles (longer for trend and session strategies) if nothing is hit.
- Replays. A replay plays the latest setup this strategy finished on the live chart's recent history, sped up. It's the same setup the live chart confirmed, with the same entry, stop and result. If the strategy hasn't finished one recently, the replay uses example candles and says so.
- The trading day. A day runs 6:00 PM to 6:00 PM ET, like futures. VWAP restarts at 6:00 PM, and "yesterday" means the last full trading day.
How Bull and bear flags works
- 1Where's the level?
- The top of the flag: its highest high (the lowest low for bear flags), after a pole of at least 3 ATRs.
- 2What's the trigger?
- A candle closes outside the flag in the direction of the pole.
- 3Where is it wrong?
- Just beyond the opposite side of the flag.
- 4Where does it end?
- The height of the pole, projected from the breakout close.
- Markets
- Futures, Stocks, Crypto
- Timeframes
- 1m to 1h
- Sessions
- Opening hours
- Also called
- flag pattern, pennant
What it means
A sharp move (the pole) is followed by a small, orderly drift against it (the flag). When price breaks out of the flag in the pole's direction, the trend usually continues.
How it is confirmed without repainting
The flag lines are fixed from closed candles before the breakout. The breakout counts only on a candle close.
When it fails
The flag retraces more than half of the pole, or the breakout candle closes back inside the flag.
Education only. Prop Firm Duel does not provide trade signals or financial advice. This page explains how the strategy is commonly defined. Past results never guarantee future results.
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