Part II - Once I have the auction context (the map), the next step is deciding when and how to engage. Market Profile tells me where business is likely to be done. Order Flow and Microstructure reveal whether the market is validating those levels in real time. Why This Matters Microstructure gives me the trigger for execution. Without it, I'm trading “blindly off a map / level.” With it, I can filter noise and only act upon the information when the auction bias is being confirmed in real time. ---- 5 Core Observations (not the only ones) 1. Liquidity & Absorption Resting orders absorb: pulls precede breakouts. 2. Exhaustion Aggression fades, moves stall, auctions fail. 3. Aggression & Delta Delta reveals buyer vs. seller dominance. 4. Icebergs Hidden size at key levels acts as support/resistance. 5. Order Book Dynamics Queue, stacks, and pulls expose short-term intent. --- GAME PLAN: Session Prep - Pre Trade Before the session opens, I go through a structured routine to ground every idea in context. Below is a quick summary from a market profile context: Identify Key Levels (ONH, ONL, VAH/VAL, Composite Highs/Lows): I mark the overnight auction extremes, the prior day’s value area, and larger composite references. These levels tell me where price has been accepted or rejected, and where I should expect participation to pick up or fade. Plan Multiple Scenarios (Trend, Range, Fade, Drive): I map out several potential market structures. If the market sets up for a trend but instead opens in balance, I can immediately switch to a fade mindset. Each scenario has conditions for entry and clear invalidation criteria to keep me disciplined. Note Volatility, Structure, and Open Type: I assess whether the open is 'in-range' or 'out-of-range', and whether volatility is expanding or compressed. This frames which setups I’m likely to take, how aggressive I’ll be early on, and what I’ll need to see in order flow to commit. ----- KEY QUESTIONS - Where is the market trading? - Where has the market come from? - Where is the market trying to go? - Is the market behaviour initiative or responsive? - Is pressure building/compressing or failing? - Is order flow confirming the auction narrative? - Is absorption or exhaustion occuring exhibited? ----- Sample Playbook I trade (DOM / Order Flow Lens) 1. Initiative Drive On the DOM/Ladder: Offers lifted, bids stack/refresh to support breakout. 2. Responsive Fade On the DOM/Ladder: Aggression dries up, price stalls, opposite side reloads. 3. Stop-Run Reversal On the DOM/Ladder: Stops trigger in a burst, no follow-through, liquidity reloads. 4. Failed Auction Reversal On the DOM/Ladder: Thin break runs into iceberg absorption, repeated prints stall move. ------ Final Note The chart along with Market Profile provides the map / context. Order Flow refines execution (not an orderblock wider than my mother in laws letterbox) Together they align bias with precise timing, creating structured intraday and intraweek trades. If you've managed to read this far - then thanks. Not often I type these long form tweets it up but hope it helps. Cheers