Table of Contents
In this interview from the Desire To Trade podcast, host Etienne Crete sits down with Chris Capre, a price action specialist with a deep background in neuroscience and trader psychology. Capre matters because he blends technical clarity with mental training, turning fuzzy “discipline” into concrete habits that scale from the Asian session to U.S. hours, from swing trades to day trades. You’ll hear how he evolved from early hot streaks to a professional process built on mindset, structure, and risk.
In this piece, you’ll learn Capre’s core playbook: train the brain first (neuroplasticity, loss-aversion control), then apply clean price action and concrete risk math (expectancy, position sizing, risk of ruin). We’ll cover his routine, how he adapts to time zones, why many retail traders perform better in the Asian session, and what to look for in instruments like the ASX 200 and JPY pairs. If you want a practical, beginner-friendly roadmap to trade execution that survives volatility and grows with your account, this breakdown will give you the steps to start today.
Chris Capre Playbook & Strategy: How He Actually Trades
Core Operating Routine
A clean routine keeps you from improvising and lets you execute the same edge every day. This section lays out the simple steps Chris Capre uses to prepare, scan, and pull the trigger with intent.
- Define daily focus: “one market, one setup, one risk” until green on the week.
- Pre-market checklist (10 minutes): trend map (HTF → LTF), key levels, session volatility, news windows to avoid.
- Rule of three: bias, setup, trigger—no trade unless all three align.
- Time-box decisions: entries and adds must be decided within the candle that triggers; no delayed chasing.
- Log every trade before entry (planned stop, target, R, reason); if it isn’t written, it isn’t taken.
Market & Session Selection
He favors instruments and sessions that move cleanly and pays you for being patient. Here’s how to pick your playground and avoid noise that kills performance.
- Trade instruments with consistent structure and tight spreads (majors, liquid indices, top commodities).
- Specialize in 2–3 symbols for 90% of trades; rotate a “wildcard” only when volatility regimes change.
- Prefer sessions where your edge is clearest; if you see better behavior in Asia or London, anchor there and skip the rest.
- No-trade windows: first 15 minutes after major data releases; stand down during central bank speeches unless you’re a news specialist.
- If ATR(14) on your timeframe is below your minimum (edge needs movement), downshift size or pass.
Price Action Bias: Structure First
Capre builds bias from a clean market structure, then lets price confirm it. This section turns that into rules you can run today.
- Start on the higher timeframe: mark swing highs/lows, value areas, and the most recent impulse leg.
- Trend rule: only trade with the last impulsive leg’s direction until that leg is invalidated.
- Break-retest logic: after a clean break of a key level, only trade the first two retests; ignore the third (edge decay).
- Compression to expansion: draw the squeeze; trade the first expansion candle that closes outside with above-median range.
- Invalidations live on structure, not feelings: if the structure that created the bias is gone, your bias is gone.
Set up Archetypes (Price Action)
He keeps a small stable of repeatable patterns, so execution is fast and consistent. Use these archetypes to standardize entries and stops.
- Pullback to value: enter on a rejection candle at prior value/MA zone; stop goes beyond structure, not fixed pips.
- Breakout + close: require a full-body close beyond the level; no “tick breaks.” Add only on the first shallow pullback.
- Reversal at exhaustion: look for a thrust into HTF level, range expansion, then immediate failure (engulfing or strong rejection).
- Inside bar coil: trade the expansion of a 2–3 bar coil only in the direction of HTF bias; skip if coil is mid-range with no context.
- Two-strike constraint: if two consecutive valid signals in the same direction fail, stand down on that instrument for the session.
Entries, Stops, and Sizing
Entries are precise; risk is pre-defined; size is math, not mood. Follow these numbers to harden your edge.
- Risk per trade: 0.25%–0.75% of account; only goes to 1.0% when weekly PnL ≥ +2R and volatility is normal.
- Initial stop: always behind structure (swing/level); minimum 1× current ATR on your entry timeframe.
- Position size = (risk $) ÷ (stop distance $); round down to nearest lot/micro so risk never exceeds cap.
- Limit vs. market: use limit on pullbacks, market on breakout closes; never “improve” price after trigger.
- Slippage rule: if realized R: R at entry drops below 1:1.8 due to spread/slip, cancel the trade.
Exits: Targets, Trailing, and Adds
Capre treats exits as a separate edge. You’ll lock in R faster and avoid giving back your day with these rules.
- Base target: structure-to-structure; first target at the opposite side of the most recent range or measured move.
- Partial at +1R or first trouble area (FTA), whichever comes first; move stop to breakeven only after +1R close.
- Trail with structure, not lines: ratchet stop behind higher lows/lower highs; no trailing on wick-only breaks.
- No adds unless unrealized ≥ +1R and HTF structure continues; each add must reduce blended risk, not increase it.
- End-of-session hard exit: if target hasn’t hit and momentum fades (ATR compression, doji cluster), take 70–100% off.
Risk Controls & Portfolio Heat
The game is surviving long enough to let expectancy work. These rules keep one bad afternoon from erasing a good week.
- Max open risk (portfolio heat): 2.5R across all positions; hard cap.
- Correlation filter: treat highly correlated pairs/indices as one position; if in EURUSD long, skip DXY short.
- Daily loss circuit breaker: stop trading for the day at −2R realized or two consecutive plan-grade losses.
- Weekly guardrail: if equity dips −4R on the week, size halves until back to the previous high-water mark.
- News shock rule: if a surprise release blows through a stop, stand down the instrument for 24 hours.
Psychology Training & Execution Hygiene
Mindset is trained like a skill. These drills reduce tilt and make your next trade look like your best trade.
- Pre-session priming (3 minutes): breathing cadence to baseline heart rate; read your top three process rules aloud.
- One-loss reset: after any loss, step away for 5 minutes; re-read the bias, structure, and invalidation before resuming.
- Decision journaling: snapshot the chart at entry and exit with two sentences—“why here,” “why out.”
- No P&L during management: hide the dollar column; manage only by structure and R.
- Sleep rule: skip the next session if sleep < 6 hours; fatigue ≈ reduced edge.
Review, Stats, and Iteration
Edges sharpen in review. This section shows how to measure what actually pays you and cut what doesn’t.
- Tag every trade by setup archetype, session, instrument, R multiple, and context (trend/rotation/range).
- Weekly audit: keep only setups with win rate × average R ≥ 0.6; cut or rework the rest.
- Expectancy focus: prioritize setups with stable average R and low variance, not just high win rate.
- Pre/post screenshots: build a playbook deck of 20 best examples per setup; add 2–3 new ones each week.
- Rule drift check: if a losing week shows more than 10% deviation from rules, the fix is discipline, not strategy.
Simple Playbook You Can Run Tomorrow
Turn the ideas above into a single page you can follow without thinking. Print it, tape it to your monitor, and make your trading boring—in the best way.
- Pick two instruments and one setup archetype for the session; ignore everything else.
- Map HTF structure and bias; wait for the LTF trigger that fits the archetype.
- Pre-define stop behind structure; size to 0.5% risk; confirm R: R ≥ 1:1.8.
- Execute on signal candle; partial at +1R/FTA; trail behind structure; respect hard exits.
- Stop for the day after +3R or −2R; log, screenshot, and tag before closing the platform.
Size Risk Small, Let Expectancy Work, Quit Chasing Home Runs
Chris Capre hammers that small, consistent risk is the oxygen of a strategy that lasts. He wants each trade pre-sized so a single stop is a paper cut, not a month-killer. When risk is tiny and fixed, you can take a clean series of signals and let math—not emotion—decide the outcome. That’s how expectancy shows up in the account instead of in a spreadsheet.
Capre also pushes traders to abandon the lottery mindset and optimize for repeatable R-multiples. Aim for solid 1.5R–3R outcomes taken often, rather than hunting the mythical 10R moonshot that never triggers. Keep losses flat, let winners breathe to the next structure, and your average R climbs even with ordinary win rates. The point isn’t to be right more—it’s to get paid more when you are.
Trade Mechanics Over Prediction: Structure, Triggers, And Repeatable Execution
Chris Capre insists that prediction is the trap and mechanics are the edge. He builds a directional bias from higher-timeframe structure, then waits for a lower-timeframe trigger that fits the playbook—nothing “gut feel.” Price either reaches the level and prints the signal candle, or he does nothing.
Capre’s execution is checklist-driven: confirm context, confirm pattern, confirm risk, then click. Entry, stop, and target are predefined, so the decision at the hard moment is binary, not creative. If the trigger is late or slippage ruins the R: R, he cancels and moves on. Repeatable mechanics turn an idea into a measurable process—and that’s what compounds.
Diversify By Underlying, Strategy, And Duration To Smooth Equity
Chris Capre wants your P&L curve to look like a staircase, not a roller coaster. He pushes diversification that actually de-risks: mix uncorrelated underlyings, pair a few strategy types, and stagger holding periods. Two trades that move the same way are one big bet in disguise, so treat correlation like a position. When themes rotate or volatility clusters, that blend keeps you from getting hit on everything at once.
Capre also emphasizes duration as a separate lever—combine quick intraday plays with swing positions so one timeframe can cover for another. Keep portfolio heat capped, and if correlations spike, cut size or reduce overlapping exposure. Track results by bucket (underlying, setup, timeframe) and feed size toward the bucket with the most stable expectancy. That’s how you turn a single setup into a resilient, multi-engine portfolio that compounds through different market regimes.
Adjust Position Size To Volatility; Avoid Dead Markets And Whipsaw
Chris Capre wants your size to breathe with the market, not fight it. When volatility expands, he cuts position size and widens stops to the next real structure so normal noise doesn’t kick him out. When volatility contracts, he tightens risk and often passes altogether if the range can’t pay a clean 1:1.8 or better. Fixed-pip risk is replaced by structure-plus-ATR logic, so the same setup adapts across quiet and wild sessions.
Capre also uses volatility as a filter to dodge whipsaw and dead tape. If ATR or average daily range sits below a personal floor, he stands down rather than force entries in sludge. After a spikey news bar, he lets the market normalize before taking a fresh signal, so slippage doesn’t nuke the R: R. The goal is consistent expectancy: throttle size and participation to the regime, trade less when noise dominates, and press only when volatility supports clean travel from entry to target.
Define Risk Precisely; Favor Defined-Risk Plays When Conditions Get Wild
Chris Capre is clear: risk must be defined before the trade exists. He wants stops placed beyond objective structure—not arbitrary points—so you can calculate position size and R: R with zero guesswork. If the structure-based stop makes the math ugly, he skips the trade rather than bend numbers. That discipline removes the “hope” factor and keeps every outcome inside a known envelope.
When conditions turn chaotic, Capre favors defined-risk tactics to cap downside while still participating. He’ll tighten the playbook to first-quality signals only, reduce exposure, and use structures or instruments that naturally limit loss if volatility surges. The idea is simple: you can always press later when the tape calms, but you can’t unblow an account. Defined risk first, opportunity second—that’s how you stay in the game long enough to compound.
Chris Capre’s core message lands the same no matter your account size: make your trading boringly consistent. Build bias from a clean structure, wait for an objective trigger, and size every position off a structure-based stop so risk is known before you click. Let volatility dictate participation—press when the tape has enough range to pay a real R: R, stand down when it doesn’t—and measure everything by expectancy, not hunches. That’s how you turn “being right” into getting paid.
He also shows how to pick your fights and survive long enough to compound. Specialize in a few instruments and sessions that behave well for you—he calls out the Asian session, the ASX 200, and JPY pairs as great case studies—then diversify by underlying, setup, and duration so one theme can’t wreck your week. Use partials at trouble areas, trail behind structure, and cap portfolio heat so a single streak can’t erase months of discipline. If you adopt Capre’s routine—mechanics over prediction, defined risk over hope, and constant review—you’ll build a process that scales with volatility and keeps your equity climbing like a staircase instead of plunging like a roller coaster.
Related posts:
- Chris Capre Trader Strategy: Order Flow, Price Action, and Mindset that Works
- Chris Weston Trader Strategy: Macro Flow, Price Action, and Real-World Risk
- Trader Mindset to Strategy: Faisal & Mr RTD Krishna on Action, Risk, and Consistency
- Chris Lee Trader Strategy: Price Action Within a Fundamental Context
- Al Brooks Trader Strategy: Price Action That Actually Works
- Al Brooks Trader Strategy: Price Action That Actually Works
- Al Brooks Trader Strategy: Price Action That Actually Works
- Chris Capre Trader Strategy: Adapting With Order Flow, Options, and Volatility
- Chris Capre Trader Strategy: Neuroscience-Powered Edge for Real-World Performance
- Walter Peters Trader Strategy: Mastering Dynamic Risk with Price Action
- Andrew Mitchem Trader Strategy: Price-Action, Timeframes, and Risk That Actually Scales
- Richard Jackson Trader Strategy: Price Action, Convergence, and Real Risk
