Table of Contents
Today’s guest is Kevin Hunt, a Forex day trader featured on the Desire To Trade podcast. Kevin trades both London and New York sessions using simple, indicator-free price action and works alongside the Price Action Traders Institute with Kim, focusing on clear criteria, tight stops, and no overnight exposure. He’s big on transparency—sharing trades and results in real time—and treats routine, journaling, and screenshots as core parts of the craft.
In this piece, you’ll learn Kevin Hunt’s practical, beginner-friendly framework: how to anchor every decision to strict risk management, why psychology is the real edge, and the habits that keep him consistent—like posting trades for accountability, staying flat when conditions are poor, and running the same criteria across sessions. You’ll see how he resets after losses without revenge-trading, how a tight routine and clean charts simplify choices, and how a journal plus screenshots turn each session into a feedback loop you can actually act on. Apply these ideas and you’ll trade calmer, cleaner, and more consistent.
Kevin Hunt Playbook & Strategy: How He Actually Trades
Markets & Sessions
Kevin keeps it simple: liquid majors, clean price action, and the two busiest parts of the day. This section lays out when he sits down, what he looks at first, and how he stays selective so he isn’t forcing trades when the market is sleepy.
- Trade FX majors and top crosses with tight spreads (EURUSD, GBPUSD, USDJPY, XAUUSD if volatility is healthy).
- Primary windows: London session open through first 2–3 hours; New York from pre-NY into first 2 hours after the equities bell.
- If the first hour is choppy or one-way without pullbacks, stand down and protect mental capital—no trades is a valid outcome.
- Pre-market scan: mark previous day high/low (PDH/PDL), session high/low, and weekly open; note any obvious range or trend.
- Skip news spikes; wait at least 5–10 minutes after a high-impact release before engaging.
Chart Setup & Prep
He trades from clean charts—no clutter, no lagging indicators. The idea is to see structure, levels, and behavior fast, so decisions are straightforward.
- Use one execution timeframe (e.g., M5) with one higher timeframe (H1/H4) for bias and key levels; nothing else.
- Draw only essential levels: PDH/PDL, session high/low, weekly open, and the nearest supply/demand flip zone.
- Keep the chart naked: no oscillators; volume optional. If an element doesn’t improve entry/exit clarity, remove it.
- Screenshot the chart pre-session with levels marked; write your session plan in one paragraph max.
- Color code: green = areas to buy, red = areas to sell, gray = “no-trade chop zone.”
The A+ Setup (Structure First)
Kevin waits for the market to build a story: run a level, trap traders, and then show intent back through structure. This section defines the exact shapes he wants to see before risking a dollar.
- Bias comes from H1/H4: trade with the most recent break of structure (BOS) unless price is pinned inside a clear range.
- A+ long: liquidity sweep below PDL or session low → immediate reclaim back above the level → first clean pullback holds above the reclaimed line.
- A+ short: sweep above PDH/session high → quick failure back inside → first lower-high pullback below the reclaimed level.
- Avoid mid-range trades; entries must anchor to a key line (PDH/PDL/session extremes/flip zone) within ~5–15 pips.
- One setup per direction per session max; if missed, move on—no chasing.
Entry Triggers & Order Placement
Once the structure is set, he lets the price come to him. Triggers are simple and repeatable, so he can execute without second-guessing.
- Use limit orders at the first fair pullback into the reclaimed level; if momentum is strong, switch to stop orders above/below the trigger candle.
- Candle trigger: break of the signal candle high/low with the stop beyond the structure that invalidates the idea.
- Do not enter on the third or later touch of the same level; first touch or first pullback only.
- If the spread widens or slippage exceeds half the intended risk, cancel the order and reassess.
- No trades within 90 seconds of a session open or news print—let spread/vol normalize.
Risk, Sizing & Stops
Risk is the backbone. Kevin sizes small, keeps stops tight but logical, and caps daily pain before it messes with his head.
- Risk per trade: 0.25%–0.5% of account; never more than 1% total open risk at any time.
- Hard daily stop: −1.5R or −1%; after that, log out—no exceptions.
- Stop placement: beyond the sweep pivot + buffer (e.g., 2–3 pips for EURUSD; 3–5 pips for GBP pairs; adjust to pair volatility).
- RR minimum: 1.8R target on base idea; if the structure won’t allow ≥1.5R to the nearby opposing level, skip the trade.
- If the stop is hit by a wick and the price immediately reclaims the level, re-entry is allowed once only, with half risk.
Trade Management & Exits
He moves to break even with purpose, not panic, and lets the market do the lifting. These rules help you avoid tinkering your way out of winners.
- Partial at +1R (25%–33% off), move stop to break-even only after a clean swing forms in your favor.
- If price stalls at the next obvious level (session mid, VWAP equivalent line, prior 5-minute swing), take more off (another 25%).
- Trail behind structure, not pips: last confirmed swing high/low on M5; only advance after a new higher-low/lower-high prints.
- If momentum dies (three consecutive inside bars near the target), flatten to bank realized R and wait for a fresh setup.
- Time stop: if trade hasn’t reached +0.5R within 30–40 minutes during active session, reduce risk by half or exit.
Daily Routine & Accountability
Consistency beats brilliance. Kevin treats routine and public accountability as performance tools, so the playbook stays tight.
- Pre-session checklist: sleep ≥6h, caffeine limit, volatility check (ATR or simple range read), economic calendar review.
- Write a one-paragraph plan with exact “if-then” conditions; no plan = no trading.
- Post every trade with chart and rationale immediately after exit; record R result, not dollars.
- Max 2 trades per session (one per direction); if the first trade is a full loss, allow only one more attempt.
- End-of-day note: one win, one improvement, one rule to tighten tomorrow.
Journal & Review Loop
Data turns experience into edge. The journal focuses on patterns that repeat, so you can cut losers early and press winners with intent.
- Log fields: date/session, bias, setup type (sweep-reclaim long/short), entry method (limit/stop), stop size (pips), planned RR, actual RR, management notes, screenshot links.
- Tag outcomes by market condition (trend day, range day, news-driven) to discover where your setup shines or struggles.
- Weekly review: top 10 charts (5 best, 5 worst). Identify one habit to reinforce and one behavior to kill.
- Maintain a “playbook page” with three images per setup: ideal example, acceptable variant, and common fake-out.
- If three trades in a row violate plan tags, stop trading and rebuild the plan before the next session.
Psychology Rules (Keep the Edge Between the Ears)
The edge is execution under pressure. These rules keep emotions from rewriting the plan mid-session.
- No revenge trades: after a loss, take a 10-minute break and re-read the plan before any new order.
- Use a visible countdown timer during news windows to prevent early entries.
- If you catch yourself scanning for new indicators, delete them and screenshot the clean chart—simplicity is a rule, not a preference.
- Define “no-trade” conditions (e.g., DXY and EURUSD both ranging tightly; overlapping sessions with micro-ranges); when triggered, stand down.
- End every session flat—no overnight holds on intraday ideas, ever.
Execution Checklist (Print-Ready)
This final section condenses the playbook into steps you can run in real time. Treat it like a cockpit list so nothing slips.
- Mark PDH/PDL, session high/low, weekly open; set bias from H1/H4 BOS or range.
- Wait for the sweep and reclaim at a key level; first pullback only.
- Place limit/stop with risk 0.25%–0.5%; stop beyond invalidation + buffer.
- Manage: partial at +1R, trail behind M5 structure, time stop at 30–40 min if stagnant.
- Hard rules: max 2 trades per session, daily stop −1.5R/−1%, flat by session end, journal with screenshots.
Size risk first, trade small, survive long enough to compound.d
Kevin Hunt insists the trade begins with risk, not the entry. Before he thinks about patterns or price levels, he caps downside in fixed R and keeps initial risk tiny so a cold streak can’t dent confidence or capital. He talks about building a habit where size is calculated the same way every time, so there’s no “feels big today” guessing. That consistency lets him show up session after session, because survival—not hero trades—creates the compounding runway.
When Kevin Hunt sizes small, he also earns the right to hold winners without panic. Tight, logical stops placed beyond invalidation keep losses honest, while small position sizes reduce the urge to meddle. Once risk is locked, he can let the structure work and target clean multiples of R instead of chasing pips. Do this for a month and the account curve reflects it: controlled drawdowns, steadier mindset, and a real edge from discipline rather than prediction.
Let volatility pick position size, adjust stops, and targets automatically.y
Kevin Hunt builds his trade around current volatility, so every position fits the day’s conditions. When the range expands, he widens the stop to logical structure and cuts the size to keep risk per trade constant. When range contracts, he tightens the stop to the same structural cue and modestly increases size within his risk cap. This way, the same setup feels stable on wild days and efficient on quiet ones.
Before the session, Kevin Hunt reads a simple ATR or average range, converts the intended stop distance into pips, and derives position size so the dollar risk equals his preset R. He avoids fixed 10-pip stops and fixed micro-lot sizing; structure plus volatility sets both. Targets follow suit: on high vol, he aims for quicker partials at +1R and lets runners breathe; on low vol, he locks partials closer and accepts smaller total R. The outcome is consistent risk, cleaner psychology, and exits that match the tape instead of wishful thinking.
Trade clean levels and session sweeps, not predictions or hunches
Kevin Hunt focuses on mechanics over crystal-ball calls: mark yesterday’s high/low, session extremes, and obvious flip zones, then wait. He wants a sweep of a key level and a quick reclaim to prove trapped traders are fueling the move. No reclaim, no trade—he refuses to guess direction just because a chart “looks ready.”
Once the level is reclaimed, Kevin Hunt takes the first clean pullback that holds above/below that line, with the stop tucked beyond the invalidation swing. He avoids mid-range entries and third taps; the edge lives at the level, not in the middle. If spreads blow out at the open or around news, he lets the market settle before engaging. The whole idea is simple: let structure confirm, enter once, manage by rules, and leave the predictions to someone else.
Diversify by session, setup, and pair; never by random churn
Kevin Hunt spreads his edge, not his attention. He treats diversification as choosing distinct “engines”—London sweep-reclaim, New York pullback continuation, and a structured reversal—rather than firing shots at every candle. By rotating between sessions and clearly labeled setups, he avoids stacking correlated bets that all die when one condition fails.
Kevin Hunt also diversifies by instrument with intent: one USD major, one GBP pair, and a metals slot only when volatility is clean. If EURUSD and GBPUSD are moving as twins, he picks one—no doubling risk on the same idea. Time matters too: he caps trade duration per setup, so a slow grind doesn’t eat the whole session. The result is controlled exposure, fewer duplicate losses, and a steadier equity curve built from different but repeatable edges.
Use hard daily loss limits, checklist discipline, and public accountability.
Kevin Hunt draws a line in the sand before the bell: a hard daily max loss that ends the session the instant it’s hit. That single rule protects the weekly plan, the mindset, and tomorrow’s opportunity set. He pairs it with a pre-trade checklist—bias, level, trigger, stop, target—so entries pass the same gate every time. When a box isn’t ticked, the order doesn’t exist.
Accountability keeps those rules alive in real time. Kevin Hunt documents trades with charts and R-based outcomes, which kills the urge to rationalize or hide mistakes. If emotions flare after a loss, he takes a timed break and rereads the checklist before any new order. The combination—hard stop, checklist, and public record—turns “discipline” from a slogan into a system that survives rough days and compounds on the good ones.
Kevin Hunt’s playbook boils down to one simple promise: protect the downside, let structure do the heavy lifting, and show up the same way every day. He sizes by risk first, then volatility, so each trade lives inside a fixed R and a stop that makes structural sense. Clean charts and a short list of levels (yesterday’s high/low, session extremes, flip zones) keep him focused on mechanics over predictions. When the market sweeps a key level and quickly reclaims it, he takes the first pullback, places the stop beyond invalidation with a small buffer, and manages by R—partials at +1R, trail behind new swings, time-stop if momentum fades. If the environment is messy—spreads wide, news just hit, mid-range chop—he stands down and preserves mental capital.
He diversifies by session, setup, and pair rather than spraying orders, which avoids stacking correlated risk and keeps the equity curve steadier. A hard daily loss limit shuts the platform when the plan isn’t working, while a pre-trade checklist and public accountability keep the rules honest. He journals with screenshots, tags trades by condition, and reviews weekly to reinforce what works and tighten what doesn’t. The net effect is a process that’s robust on both wild and quiet days: consistent risk, repeatable entries at meaningful levels, and discipline that compounds. Follow Kevin Hunt’s approach and you’ll trade fewer opinions, more structure, and a lot less regret.
Related posts:
- Richard Jackson Trader Strategy: Price Action, Convergence, and Real Risk
- Steve Miley Trader Strategy: Simplicity, Price Action, and Real Risk Control
- Chris Weston Trader Strategy: Macro Flow, Price Action, and Real-World Risk
- JDun’s Trader Strategy: Real-Account Discipline, Volume Confirmation, and Clean Risk
- Trader Strategy Spotlight: JavielFX on Discipline and Clean Price Action
- Navin Prithyani Trader Strategy: Price Action That Trades For Real Freedom
- Nick Bencino Trader Strategy: Price Action That Fits Real Life
- Troy Noonan Trader Strategy: Price-Action Patterns, Simple Plans, Real Freedom
- Walter Peters Trader Strategy: Mastering Dynamic Risk with Price Action
- Andrew Mitchem Trader Strategy: Price-Action, Timeframes, and Risk That Actually Scales
- Kevin Timmer’s Trader Strategy: Simple Levels, Real Discipline
- Trader Mindset to Strategy: Faisal & Mr RTD Krishna on Action, Risk, and Consistency
