Trend vs Counter-Trend Pattern Trading

With-trend patterns: pullbacks ending in hammers, bullish engulfing in uptrends, inside bar breaks in bias direction, three soldiers after shallow pullback. Higher win rate, modest R multiples often.

Counter-trend patterns: shooting stars, evening stars, tweezers at extremes against HTF trend. Lower win rate but larger R when right — require stricter confirmation and smaller size.

Strong HTF trends absorb reversal patterns. Shorting every shooting star in a parabolic bull market is account suicide. Trade counter-trend only at HTF decision points with structure break confirmation.

Continuation patterns can be traded larger than reversal patterns for many traders — know your statistical comfort from journaling.

When trend and pattern conflict, default to trend until structure breaks.