Candlestick Patterns | The Trader’s Guide (2024)

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As a forex trader, having a solid understanding of candlestick patterns can be a game-changer.

These powerful technical tools can provide valuable insights into market trends and help traders make informed decisions.

In this updated guide, we’ll explore the basics of candlestick patterns, including what they are, how to read them, and how to use them to your advantage in forex trading.

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, this guide will help you take your trading skills to the next level.

So if you want to learn more about candlestick patterns and how to use them for maximum profit, you better keep reading!

What Are Candlestick Patterns? – And Why You Should Care

Candlestick patterns are specific chart formations that clearly highlight an entire trading session’s price action – covering the open, high, low, and close. Making them one of the easiest ways to interpret technical analysis.

Which allows traders to place trades based on their meanings.

These candlestick patternsare formed based on what the market was doing in the previous trading session.

Due to the design of the Japanese candlestick patterns, they show a high, open, close, and low, with the difference between the open and close filled in with a body.

As you can see above, they are pretty easy to read and, at a single glance, can give you all theinformation you need to make a trading decision.

Each trading session can be different, but the core reason why the Japanese candlestick patterns are a popular choice for traders is because of this:

It’s easy to see whether the buyers or sellers won and by how much.

This gives you an idea of where the momentum lies.

You won’t get this from a Line Chart.

Key Takeaways

  • Candlestick patterns are used to analyze price action and predict future price movements in the forex market.
  • There are many different types of candlestick patterns, each with unique characteristics and significance.
  • Some of the most common candlestick patterns include doji, engulfing, hammer, and harami.
  • Understanding the meaning of each candlestick pattern is crucial in identifying potential trading opportunities.
  • Candlestick patterns should not be used in isolation but rather in conjunction with other technical analysis tools such as trend lines, support and resistance levels, and moving averages.
  • It’s important to be aware of the limitations of candlestick patterns, as they can sometimes be unreliable indicators of future price movements.
  • Ultimately, successful forex trading requires a combination of technical analysis, fundamental analysis, risk management, and disciplined execution.

Who Discovered Candlestick Patterns?

The discovery of candlestick patterns can be traced back to Japanese rice traders in the 18th century and is credited to Munehisa Homma as the discoverer.

These traders developed a unique system of analyzing market trends using candlestick charts, which became known as the Japanese candlestick technique.

The credit for popularizing this technique outside of Japan goes to Steve Nison, an American trader who studied the Japanese market and wrote a book called “Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques” in 1991.

The Forex trading book introduced candlestick charts to the Western world and helped traders understand the importance of these charts in technical analysis.

Today, candlestick patterns are widely used by traders and investors around the world as a way to interpret market trends and make informed trading decisions.

These candlestick patterns have become an integral part of technical analysis and are used in conjunction with other tools, such as trend lines, moving averages, and oscillators, to identify potential market reversals and entry and exit points.

How to Read Candlestick Patterns

Reading candle patterns is a sinch.

When it comes to candlestick analysis, the candle itself is divided into four parts:

  • Open
  • High
  • Low
  • Close

These are the values the market has reached during the trading session.

The body is the middle section of the chart, which usually represents the day’s trading range.

This can be a long body or a short body depending on the trading range.

The wick is a long thin line that shows the session’s high and low.

The wick can appear above and below the candle’s body.

The body of a candle can be colored either green or red, indicating whether the market is rising or falling.

If you see a series of green candles going upwards, this usually indicates a bullish run.

If you see a series of red candles going downwards, this usually indicates a bearish run.

When you can combine these price points together, they give candlestick patterns that you can take advantage of to predict any market reversals.

How many candlestick patterns are there?

Roughly speaking, there are over 60+ candlestick patterns recognized by traders all over the world.

There are so many different combinations available.

There are single, double, triple, and quadruple types of candlestick patterns + more that aren’t as well known.

However, today we will show you 21 of the best candlestick patterns to learn and begin with.

  • Hammer
  • Bullish / Bearish Engulfing
  • Piercing line
  • Morning doji star
  • Three white soldiers
  • Shooting star
  • Evening doji star
  • Three black crows
  • Dragonfly Doji
  • Gravestone Doji
  • Tweezer top/bottom
  • Falling three methods
  • Rising three methods
  • Three line strike
  • Bullish/Bearish Harami
  • Bullish/Bearish Hikkake

This will be enough candlestick patterns for your trading career. If you master all 21, then you will be navigating the markets with ease.

“How many candlestick patterns are there” and we go into answering it in more detail in this article.

Do candlestick patterns Really work?

Candlestick patterns do work. By using the price action from the market, these unique patterns will generate signals that can indicate whether the market will reverse or continue.

These patterns become even more powerful when you use other market signals for confluence, such as support and resistance levels.

However, like all trading strategies and signals, they do still fail from time to time, and nothing works 100% of the time.

The more you practice with them, the better you’ll be.

You’ll also pick up some quirks yourself by knowing which candle patterns will work better in which situations, but this comes from hours and hours of experience.

Candlestick Patterns Explained with Examples

Now you know how to read a basic candlestick pattern, it’s time to look at some candlestick patterns explained with examples:

Bullish candlestick patterns

Bullish candlestick patterns generate opportunities to highlight when the market will turn bullish/provide you with a potential buying opportunity.

It’s great to know these patterns, as you can find high-probability trading ideas that occur when the market is about to go upward.

Let’s get started with bullish candlestick patterns:

The Hammer Pattern

The hammer candlestick pattern is part of a duo that is probably one of the most taught and looked at candle patterns on the internet.

The reason behind this is that it’s a really easy pattern to spot and is equally as easy to trade.

The hammer pattern can be found at the bottom of a trend.

They usually give a signal when the downtrend has become exhausted – no more sellers in the market – and the buyers can come in and bring the price higher.

That is exactly what the hammer pattern portrays in the background (selling pressure dropping and buyers getting involved).

This can be seen because for a hammer pattern to form, the price must be taken much lower from the open, creating a lower low, but during the trading session, the buyers take advantage of the weakness and bring the price back up.

Thus giving a hammer sort of shape.

So once you see one of these candlestick patterns, you know that the momentum could be changing shortly.

The hammer pattern is a 1-bar pattern, which means that it can appear at any time and give an indication that the markets may shift.

You can clearly see one of these patterns by its long lower shadow as you can see in the image below.

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Take note, the color of the candle does not matter.

However, the longer the wick (the black line), the bigger the buying pressure, thus the higher chance of a larger movement over the next few trading sessions.

Click Here To Learn More About The Hammer Candlestick Pattern

The Bullish Engulfing Pattern

In the hammer pattern, we saw what happened when the sellers weakened, and then the buyers jumped in to raise the price higher. With the bullish engulfing pattern, the buyers are in control virtually the entire session.

This gives you a strong indicator that the move upwards should have momentum behind it.

Also, these are simple to spot in the markets too.

They are usually large candlestick bodies that have short high and low wicks but a large body between the open and close price.

Furthermore, this pattern is called engulfing because it takes over the previous candlestick’s close and high positions.

This pattern can be found at the end of a trend and demonstrates a drastic shift in bulls in the market.

When a bullish engulfing pattern is confirmed, this is usually a strong signal to take advantage of the change in the market.

Take a look at the bullish engulfing pattern below:

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As you can see, it is easy to identify, but the close of the latest candlestick must close higher than the previous open. Ideally, you want it to close higher than the high, to fully – consume – the previous candlestick.

The engulfing pattern can generate fantastic opportunities when timed right.

Click Here To Learn More About The Engulfing Pattern

The Piercing Line Pattern

This piercing line pattern is another 2 candle pattern that generates a reversal signal.

The name is given because the signal candlestick pierces at least 50% of the previous day’s candlestick.

Unlike a bullish engulfing bar that consumes the previous candlestick, you would want to see that sellers tried to drag the price further down before the buyers overpowered them.

Normally, you would want the bullish candlestick to gap down, but in forex – as it’s a 24-hour market, there are very few gaps created, in fact, you will only find them (sometimes) on a daily/weekly chart.

So the next best thing is to monitor that the bullish candlestick moves down slightly before piercing the 50% level.

Imagine pulling back a slingshot – you need to pull back to create a thrust forward motion. This is the same idea.

Again, this piercing line pattern is seen towards the end of a downtrend, thus revealing a potential reversal imminent.

Let’s take a quick look at the pattern:

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As you can see here how it is slightly different from the engulfing bar – but both provide the same signal.

However, the piercing line pattern is considered slightly weaker as the bullish close price rarely closes higher than the bearish open price.

It does, therefore, identify a change in momentum, which can prime you for a reversal trade.

Click Here To Learn More About The Piercing Line Pattern

The Tweezer Bottom Pattern

The Tweezer Bottom pattern is a great reversal signal that traders take advantage of.

These are formed when the price has been rejected twice over two trading sessions.

Ideally, the previous lows are equal, but the bearish candlestick’s open is the same as the bullish candlestick’s close.

This forms two lower wicks at a similar length, hence the name “tweezer”.

It is important to note that this is a two-candle pattern and appears at the end of a downtrend.

What the tweezer bottom pattern tells you as a trade is that the sellers were unable to take a price lower than a certain point over two trading sessions, but the buyers were able to come on and change the momentum.

Thus enabling you to look for buying opportunities.

Here is what a tweezer bottom pattern looks like:

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As you can see, they are quite easy to identify – but they are not as common as hammers and engulfing patterns.

Click Here To Learn More About The Tweezer Bottom Pattern

The Morning Doji Star Pattern

The morning doji star is a 3-candle pattern that can easily be overlooked but gives a lot of information based on the shift in power between buyers and sellers.

If you look at it this way, it tells the story of how momentum changes.

It goes from sellers being dominant to neither buyers nor sellers being dominant, then shows the buyers as dominant – giving you the flow of momentum.

What this also tells us is that the bulls were able to essentially suffocate the sellers in a downtrend out of the market over two periods, thus giving a valid bullish signal.

Because of the visual transition from bears to bulls quite clearly, this is quite a strong indicator – and when spotted, should be taken into consideration.

Remember, compared to many of the other candlestick patterns – this requires 3-candlesticks, which means 3 different trading sessions to generate this formation.

Check out the 3-bar formation below:

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As you can see, it kind of combines 3 of the previous candle patterns (hammer, piercing line, and engulfing).

The core candlestick here is the star doji in the middle (highlighted) – it must be in a small cross shape for the pattern to be valid.

So when you master them, you can easily transition between candle patterns.

Click Here To Learn More About The Morning Doji Star Pattern

The Bullish Harami Pattern

The simplified name of this pattern is an insider bar, which exactly describes this 2-candle pattern perfectly.

This pattern appears quite frequently and can be found during a trend, which means it can happen as a continuation pattern too – but they have a much higher chance of success when they are seen at the bottom of a downtrend.

The bullish harami is caused when enough buyers enter the market but are not able to bring the price higher than the previous candlestick open price.

The bullish harami pattern is kept within the previous candlestick’s high, open, close, and low ranges.

This is significant because it dictates that the sellers couldn’t continue their moves lower – whilst the buyers were able to enter but lacked to buying power to take it higher.

This pattern is more of a setup candlestick that primes you to be aware of a bullish reversal (or bullish continuation) – so spotting these can make entering and re-entering trades a breeze.

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In the example above, you can see that the trigger candle (the first green candlestick in the red box) is completely within the previous red candlestick, which easily identifies as a valid trading signal.

Click Here To Learn More About The Bullish Harami Pattern

The Bullish Three-Line Strike Pattern

Not a common pattern, but it is one of the best.

It’s the only reason for unpopularity is that it doesn’t appear too frequently, thus people lose their interest in hunting for it.

But like Lady Mary Currie once said:

“All good things come to those who wait.”

And if you find a Three-Line Strike candlestick pattern, you should be excited.

This pattern consists of three bearish candlesticks and a large bullish candlestick, the first three bearish candlesticks create lower lows, and then the final candlestick close higher than the first candle.

It’s very simple, but the three-line strike is one of the best reversal indicators.

This is because we see a surge of buying power entering the market that was able to change the direction of the market by driving the price higher and consuming all the previous 3 candles.

You can see a three-line strike in action below:

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As you can see, you may have to wait for 4-candlesticks to confirm a reversal, but when you find it, it sure does change trading direction – quite violently too!

Click Here To Learn More About The Bullish Three Line Strike Pattern

The Dragonfly Doji Pattern

A dragonfly doji is a type of indecision candle that can form at the bottom of a downtrend.

These are very similar to the Hammer pattern discussed earlier, however, the only difference is that there is no candle body on the chart.

The open price is the same as the close price.

What this means is that during the trading sessions, the bears managed to pull the price down lower, generating a session low, and then it aggressively moved back up caused by a rush of bulls.

However, the balance of power between the bulls and bears is equal – thus creating a dragonfly doji.

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As you can see, compared to other candlesticks, the dragonfly doji is unique by not having a candlestick body – but reacts the same as you would trade a hammer.

Click Here To Learn More About The Dragonfly Doji

The Rising Three Method Pattern

The rising three methods pattern is commonly found in a bullish uptrend and is a continuation pattern.

This particular pattern is also 5 candlesticks long.

What we look for is a large bullish candlestick followed swiftly by 3 smaller candlesticks that trade slightly lower and close between the large bullish candlestick’s high and low range.

The final candlestick is a large bull candle that closes above the first bull candlestick’s close.

This is caused when buyers in the markets require a little rest before taking the market higher.

What this tells us is that in the current uptrend, the sellers that are taking the price lower are weak and will be easily overpowered when the buyers re-enter.

A lot to take in there, but this image below will help explain:

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As you can see, it’s a promising pattern – especially for getting into trends that you have missed the start.

Click Here To Learn More About The Three Rising Methods Pattern

The Bullish Hikkake Pattern

This candle pattern is one of our favorites.

It’s essentially a fake breakout pattern for a Harami pattern.

The set-up is quite advanced compared to the other candlestick patterns, but it does provide a great set-up for a buy trade.

This is a 3-5 candlestick formation that we can take advantage of.

It begins with a normal bullish Harami, then the next candlestick must produce a lower high and a lower low.

This is the 3-bar set-up.

Now within the next two trading periods, you want to see a bullish candlestick rise and close above Harami’s high price.

This will give you confirmation that the bullish Hikkake has formed and that a strong move to continue the uptrend may occur.

Let’s break it down in the image below:

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As you can see in the image above, it looks a little bit more complicated than the other patterns, but once you’ve seen it a few times – it’s as easy as a,b,c…

Click Here To Learn More About The Bullish Hikkake Pattern

Next up is our final bullish candlestick:

The Three White Soldiers Pattern

Certain patterns in the markets require extra detail and attention, and the Three White Soldiers pattern is one of them.

The reason is that they have a particular set-up that makes them work. Anything else makes them fail.

In addition to that, at a glance – this pattern just looks like 3 candlesticks going upwards.

Fear not, as we will show you the true pattern to look out for.

This pattern identifies a reversal of the current uptrend and is caused by a huge rush of buyers entering a market at a certain level/price.

The three white soldiers’ pattern forms after a large push downwards by the sellers (this is key).

If you see three bullish candles in a row but don’t follow a previous bearish surge – then they are exactly three bullish candles and not the pattern we look out for.

Next, the first bar in the three white soldiers pattern must close at between 50-60% of the previous bearish candlestick.

The second candlestick must close higher than the bearish candlestick.

Whilst the last candlestick must continue further up, which is a similar size to the middle candlestick, but must open (or create a small high) at the bearish candlestick close.

On top of this rule, each candlestick must be creating new higher highs and closing near these highs too.

Let’s break it down in the image below:

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Click Here To Learn More About Three White Soldiers Pattern

Moving forward, now you know what reversals make things go up – it’s time to look at the opposite side of the market:

Bearish Candlestick Patterns

In this section, we will cover some of the easiest-to-recognize and learn candle patterns that are proven to change the markets from an uptrend to the start of a downtrend.

By learning this section, you will be able to instantly analyze what’s in front of you and be ready to adapt to the situation accordingly.

Without further ado – let’s get started with the first bearish candlestick pattern:

The Shooting Star Pattern

The beauty of reversal patterns is that they have a counter-pattern, which is the same setup but goes the other direction and flips on its head.

In this case, a shooting star is the same as a hammer – but upside down, so in this case, we are looking for the market to reverse.

This 1-bar pattern is generated when the buyers try to take the price much higher but failed, and the sellers entered the market aggressively.

Pushing the price back down to near the open price and thus generating a long upper shadow.

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As you can see from the image above, the bulls failed to keep power and the bears managed to take control of the price and move it lower.

These patterns tend to be at the end of an uptrend – and are commonly formed around support/resistance levels or supply and demand zones.

The Bearish Engulfing Pattern

Just like the shooting star, the engulfing pattern can go both ways – so it makes it much easier to learn!

Just like the bullish engulfing pattern, this is a 2-bar pattern that occurs when the tide changes quickly and suddenly from buyers in control to sellers taking over.

You want to make sure that the bearish engulfing pattern closes below the previous candlestick open price.

Naturally, this pattern indicates that the markets want to move downwards and break away from the previous uptrend.

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These are great patterns to watch out for.

The Tweezer Tops Pattern

The Tweezer Tops pattern is a strong reversal indicator that easy to spot.

These are formed when the price has been rejected twice over two trading sessions – ideally, the previous highs are equal, but the bullish candlestick’s open is the same as the bearish candlestick’s close.

This forms two higher wicks at a similar length, which is very important.

What the tweezer top formation tells you as a forex trader is that the buyers were unable to take the price higher than a specific price over two trading sessions, but the sellers were able to enter and change the momentum.

Thus enabling you to look for selling opportunities.

Here is what a tweezer top looks like:

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As you can see, they are easy to identify.

The Three Black Crows Pattern

Now this pattern is powerful IF you recognize it properly.

Many people teach this by generalizing the rules a bit, which isn’t great because you’ll have a hit-or-miss pattern. Not what you want.

The three black crows pattern forms after a large push upwards by the buyers (this is key).

If you see three bearish candles in a row but don’t follow a previous bullish surge – then they are exactly three bearish candles and not the pattern we look out for.

Don’t worry. An image to help visualize this will follow soon.

Next, the first bar in the three black crows pattern must close at between 50-60% of the previous bullish candlestick.

The second candlestick must close lower than the bullish candlestick.

Whilst the last candlestick must continue further down that is a similar size to the middle candlestick.

It must open (or create a small high) at the bullish candlestick close.

On top of this rule, each candlestick must be creating new lower lows and closing near these lows too.

Let’s show an example:

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As the image above shows a great example of the Three Black Crows pattern – these rules are important, otherwise, you’re just trading into three random bearish candlesticks.The Evening Doji Star Pattern

The opposite of the uptrend is the downtrend, and the opposite of the Morning Star is the Evening Doji Star Pattern.

This pattern is the same but appears at the end of an uptrend with the same, easy-to-identify pattern.

The key thing that remains is the middle candlestick must be small vs. the candlesticks on either side.

Ideally, around 10% of the ranges, but with Evening Star patterns, less is more.

What this pattern tells you as a trader is that after the market has been pushed higher for a while by the bulls, they have started to show signs of exhaustion (first two candlesticks), and the bears have been able to come in and take the price lower.

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These types of patterns may occur a lot more frequently in lower timeframes – so be cautious when identifying them.

The Bearish Harami Pattern

The bearish harami pattern is opposite to its bullish 2-candle pattern counterpart.

This candlestick formation is caused after sellers enter the market and outmuscle the buyers but are not strong enough to close the price lower to confirm the momentum change.

The bearish harami pattern is kept within the previous candlestick’s high, open, close, and low range.

This is significant because it dictates that the buyers couldn’t continue their moves higher – whilst the sellers were able to enter but lacked to selling power to take it lower.

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This pattern is more of a warning candlestick that primes you to be aware of a bearish reversal (or bearish continuation) – so when these appear, it should give you an immediate focal point.

The Gravestone Doji Pattern

The doji family has amusing names, but they are very to the point.

The gravestone doji is no joke either – if these are spotted at the top of an uptrend, it usually means that the trend is dead!

This gives you a great opportunity to take a reverse position.

The gravestone doji is formed when the bulls try to extend the uptrend higher but fall short and quickly meet a barrier of sellers.

This creates the long wicks to look out for, similar to the Shooting Star pattern.

With the uptrend meeting a wall of unmovable sell orders, the price tumbles down toward the open price. If the price closes at the same level as the open, then we have a gravestone doji!

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Such a simple pattern and easy to learn.

Yet it can produce some great results.

Click Here To Learn More About The Gravestone Doji

The Bearish Three-Line Strike Pattern

The Three-Line Strike pattern family are powerful reversal pattern – so you should certainly learn these.

The bearish three-line strike pattern consists of three bullish candlesticks and a large bearish candlestick.

The first three bullish candlesticks are creating higher highs, and the final candlestick closes lower than the first pattern.

This happens in the markets because we see a rush of selling power entering the market that was able to manipulate the direction of the market by driving the price lower and consuming all the previous 3 candles.

You can see a bearish three-line strike in action below:

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In the image above, the simplicity of the pattern should not be overlooked – as you can capture some strong pips from this.

The Bearish Hikkake Pattern

This is an advanced setup and combines several single/double patterns to create a stronger pattern.

This is a 3-5 candlestick formation that offers protection and an entry point.

It begins with a normal bearish Harami, then the next candlestick must produce a lower low and a higher high. This is the 3-bar set-up.

Now within the next two trading periods, you want to see a bearish candlestick fall and close below Harami’s low price.

This will give you confirmation that the bearish Hikkake pattern has formed and that a strong move to continue the downtrend may occur.

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This may appear more complicated at first, but after some time reviewing it – you’ll notice them and be able to take action (and potentially profit) in no time!

Plus it builds on the foundations created via engulfing and harami patterns!

The Best Way to Practice with Candlestick Patterns

Candlestick patterns are an important tool in the technical analysis used by traders to predict market trends.

To become proficient in identifying these candlestick patterns, it’s essential to practice and develop your skills. Here are some steps to help you practice with candlestick patterns effectively:

Step 1: Learn the Basics

Before you start practicing, it’s important to have a solid understanding of candlestick patterns.

You should know the most common candlestick patterns and how they are formed.

Some of the most widely recognized candlestick patterns include Doji, Hammer, Shooting Star, Engulfing, Harami, and Spinning Top.

Step 2: Study Real-World Examples

To see how candlestick patterns work in real-world scenarios, study candlestick patterns from past market trends.

Analyze charts and identify candlestick patterns to understand how they correlate with market movements.

Step 3: Practice with a Demo Account

Using a demo account is a great way to practice trading with candlestick patterns without risking real money.

Most online brokers offer demo accounts with virtual funds, allowing you to simulate trading in a live market environment.

Use these accounts to practice identifying and trading using candlestick patterns.

Step 4: Join a Trading Community

Joining a trading community can help you connect with other traders and share knowledge and insights.

It’s a great way to learn from others and get feedback on your trading strategies.

Participating in online forums or attending local trading groups can be helpful in expanding your knowledge of candlestick patterns.

Step 5: Keep a Trading Journal

Keeping a trading journal can help you track your progress and identify areas for improvement.

Record your trades and analyze your performance to see which candlestick patterns were successful and which were not.

This information can help you refine your trading strategy and improve your ability to identify profitable candlestick patterns.

By following these steps, you can improve your ability to identify and trade using candlestick patterns.

Remember, practice makes perfect, and the more time you spend studying and practicing, the more confident you will become in your trading abilities.

Which candlestick pattern is most reliable?

This is the million-dollar question.

Below is the list of the candlestick patterns (from above) in the order that we believe to be best for trading.

Please note that this is not advice.

You may find greater success with other candlestick patterns instead, so it’s a great idea to learn them all.

The answers below will be for both bullish and bearish candlestick patterns (unless stated).

  1. The Three-Line Strike Pattern
  2. Three Black Crows/ Three White Soldiers
  3. Engulfing Bar
  4. Hikkake Patter
  5. Rising/Falling Three Method
  6. Morning/Evening Doji Star
  7. Hammer/Shooting Star
  8. Harami Pattern
  9. Dragonfly/Gravestone Doji

The list is not definitive, but from our experience – we’ve seen fewer false signals with the Three-Line Strike patterns than we have with Dragonfly/Gravestone Dojis.

Either way, give them all a review and learn each one – as each one presents a strong signal of an opportunity arising in the markets.

Candlestick Patterns Cheat Sheet

Like learning any new skill, it is important to get to grips with it and practice as much as possible.

That is why we have included this candlestick patterns cheat sheet for you to use as a reference about which way the markets may go if you identify a chart pattern!

This is a great resource if you want to view just the candlestick patterns, what they look like and which direction they indicate the market will move towards.

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(You can grab this cheat sheet for free by clicking here: Get The Candlestick Pattern Cheat Sheet)

Wrapping Up: Mastering Candlestick Patterns

All candlestick patterns are valuable tools for any trader because they allow you to analyze a market’s direction, volume, and volatility simultaneously.

In this guide, you’ve learned what a candlestick pattern is, how to use them, and how to identify a bullish or bearish candlestick pattern.

FAQ

What is Candlestick Patterns Mastery?

Candlestick Patterns Mastery is a course or book that teaches techniques and tips for trading success, specifically focusing on utilizing Japanese candlestick charts and patterns.

What are candlestick charts?

Candlestick charts are a type of financial chart used to represent the price movement of an asset or financial instrument. They are used by traders to analyze price action and make informed trading decisions.

What are candlestick patterns?

Candlestick patterns are formations on the candlestick chart that consist of one or more candlesticks, which can provide insight into potential market movements. There are both bullish and bearish candlestick patterns.

What are the most important candlestick patterns every trader should know?

Some of the most important candlestick patterns every trader should know include the hanging man, shooting star, doji, morning star, evening star, bullish engulfing, bearish engulfing, inverted hammer, and piercing line.

What is a bullish candlestick pattern?

A bullish candlestick pattern is a formation on the candlestick chart that indicates a potential bullish reversal in the market. These patterns typically consist of a long bottom candlestick followed by a short top candlestick.

What is a bearish candlestick pattern?

A bearish candlestick pattern is a formation on the candlestick chart that indicates a potential bearish reversal in the market. These patterns typically consist of a long top candlestick followed by a short bottom candlestick.

How do candlestick patterns work?

Candlestick patterns work by providing traders with visual representations of potential market movements. By analyzing these patterns, traders can make informed decisions about when to buy or sell an asset.

What are continuation patterns?

Continuation patterns are candlestick chart patterns that indicate a potential continuation of the existing market trend. These patterns typically consist of a series of candlesticks that move in a particular direction.

What are reversal patterns?

Reversal patterns are candlestick chart patterns that indicate a potential reversal in the existing market trend. These patterns typically consist of a series of candlesticks that move in the opposite direction of the existing trend.

How are candlestick patterns used to predict market movements?

Candlestick patterns are used to predict market movements by providing traders with visual representations of potential trends and reversals. By analyzing these patterns, traders can make informed decisions about when to buy or sell an asset.

What are some common trading strategies for candlestick patterns?

Some common trading strategies for candlestick patterns include using single candlestick patterns as buy or sell signals, looking for confirmation of patterns with multiple candlesticks, and combining candlestick patterns with other technical indicators.

Candlestick Patterns | The Trader’s Guide (2024)

FAQs

What is the most accurate candlestick pattern? ›

Which Candlestick Pattern is Most Reliable? Many patterns are preferred and deemed the most reliable by different traders. Some of the most popular are: bullish/bearish engulfing lines; bullish/bearish long-legged doji; and bullish/bearish abandoned baby top and bottom.

What is the most powerful candlestick pattern? ›

Top 5 Most Powerful Candlestick Patterns for Intraday Trading
  • Three Line Strike: The bullish three-line strike reversal pattern carves out three black candles within a downtrend. ...
  • Two Black Gapping: ...
  • Three Black Crows: ...
  • Evening Star: ...
  • Abandoned Baby:

What is the 3 candle rule? ›

It consists of three successive candlesticks – the first is long and bearish and is followed by a smaller bullish bar that is completely engulfed by the first one. The third candle is bullish and closes above the second candle's high, suggesting a potential shift from a downtrend to an uptrend.

Is candlestick pattern enough for trading? ›

Candlestick charts are useful for technical day traders to identify patterns and make trading decisions. Bullish candlesticks indicate entry points for long trades, and can help predict when a downtrend is about to turn around to the upside.

Which stock pattern has the highest accuracy? ›

Head and Shoulders Pattern: The head and shoulders pattern is considered one of the most reliable chart patterns and is used to identify possible trend reversals.

Do professional traders use candlestick patterns? ›

Christopher Duffy's Post. Candle Patterns Professional traders often utilize candlestick patterns as a part of their technical analysis toolkit. These patterns provide insights into market sentiment and potential price movements.

What time frame is best for candlestick patterns? ›

If we talk about the best candlestick time frame for day trading, the most commonly used time frame charts for intraday trading time are the 5-minute candlestick chart and the 15-minute candlestick chart. The candlesticks have four points that are commonly called OHLC (open high low close).

Which time frame is best for trading? ›

For day trading, 15-minute charts and 30-minute charts are the offer optimal results. Day traders who use indicators in their day trading strategy can use a 15-minute or lower time frame. In the case of price action-based trading, a combination of the 15-minute and 30-minute time frames proves to be highly effective.

What is the best candlestick strategy? ›

Candlestick Patterns can be Bullish or Bearish
Candlestick PatternDirection
Morning StarBullish (Reversal)
Bullish EngulfingBullish (Reversal)
DojiBullish/Bearish (Indecision)
HammerBullish (Reversal)
4 more rows

What are the secrets of candles in trading? ›

Candle size can tell you a lot about strength, momentum and trends. When candles are suddenly getting larger, it often signals a stronger trend. Small candles after a long rally can foreshadow a reversal or the end of a trend.

What is the triple top pattern? ›

Triple Top Pattern is a bearish reversal pattern that forms after an extended uptrend. It signifies a potential shift in market sentiment from bullish to bearish. The pattern consists of three consecutive peaks at approximately the same price level, with two minor pullbacks in between.

What is the king candle in the stock market? ›

The King Candle trading strategy is famous for the fact that it uses price action. Price action do not use indicators, it provides clear patterns and helps in the identification of breakout points & saves you from trap of consolidation phases and false trends.

What is the most successful candlestick pattern? ›

This is called “Two Black Gapping,” and it's a powerful bearish signal. There are two things that make this candlestick pattern highly favorable and effective. First, it has a 68% accuracy rate; but second, and perhaps most importantly, it occurs very frequently in the markets, making it a highly tradable pattern.

What is the rarest candlestick pattern? ›

The rarest candlestick pattern is often considered the "Abandoned Baby." This pattern is a reversal indicator characterized by a gap followed by a Doji, which is a candle with a small body, and then another gap in the opposite direction.

What is the best chart for day traders? ›

Clarity
ChartBenefits
Line ChartsSimplicity makes them beginner-friendly Ideal for spotting long-term trends
Bar ChartsCompact format for data presentation Ideal for spotting support and resistance levels
Renko ChartsThey filter out noise and highlight significant price movements They help in identifying trends

How accurate is a candlestick pattern? ›

Candlesticks are often not accurate enough for traders to solely rely on (no tool is 100% accurate). However, by combining candlestick patterns with other methods, such as using StockOdds data, trading Odds can be increased. Investopedia lays out a few other factors here as well.

What is the strongest candlestick pattern reversal? ›

The kicker pattern is one of the strongest and most reliable candlestick patterns. It is characterized by a very sharp reversal in price during the span of two candlesticks. In this example, the price is moving lower, and then the trend is reversed by a gap and large candle in the opposite direction.

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