London open playbook: first 30 minutes rules I actually follow
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2026 9:12 pm
London open playbook: first thirty minutes rules I actually follow.
The open is where my edge is supposed to live -- and where I can do the most damage. So the first half hour has stricter rules than mid-morning grind.
Rules on the sticky
1. Spread filter tighter than the rest of the day.
2. Only pre-marked levels -- no improvising mid-spike.
3. One open risk at a time.
4. News blackout overrides everything.
5. If two process mistakes happen early, size down or flat for the rest of the open window.
I am allowed to miss the first drive. I am not allowed to chase it with a story. Mid-morning can be more patient; the open cannot be sloppy.
What is non-negotiable in your first thirty minutes of London?
I also pre-decide whether the open is a breakout day or a range day hypothesis, knowing I may be wrong -- the point is to avoid trading both styles at once in the first half hour. Style confusion at 08:05 is expensive. Mid-morning can revisit; the open should be simple.
The open is where my edge is supposed to live -- and where I can do the most damage. So the first half hour has stricter rules than mid-morning grind.
Rules on the sticky
1. Spread filter tighter than the rest of the day.
2. Only pre-marked levels -- no improvising mid-spike.
3. One open risk at a time.
4. News blackout overrides everything.
5. If two process mistakes happen early, size down or flat for the rest of the open window.
I am allowed to miss the first drive. I am not allowed to chase it with a story. Mid-morning can be more patient; the open cannot be sloppy.
What is non-negotiable in your first thirty minutes of London?
I also pre-decide whether the open is a breakout day or a range day hypothesis, knowing I may be wrong -- the point is to avoid trading both styles at once in the first half hour. Style confusion at 08:05 is expensive. Mid-morning can revisit; the open should be simple.