Table of Contents
In this interview, three heavy-hitting voices sit down to talk shop: Carmine Rosato (order-flow futures trader), Dylan O’Neill (real prop-desk, multi-asset operator), and Vincent Desiano (options breakout/retest specialist). Filmed for YouTube, this roundtable matters because each guest has carved real results in different lanes—futures, options, and prop—bringing decades of live-risk experience to the same table. They compare “online funded” prop programs to actual prop-desk environments, share how team context can sharpen or dull conviction, and show why simplicity plus a repeatable process consistently beats flashy complexity for the working trader.
Read on to learn how pros really build conviction (muscle-memory reps on the same setups), when to press or stand down (trend vs. balanced days), and how risk actually gets standardized so your losses stay fixed while your winners scale. You’ll see why the first 60–120 minutes often offer the best edge for options traders, how order-flow confirms or rejects “breakout” narratives, and why journaling and a strict trade-management ladder can remove emotional sabotage. Most importantly, you’ll come away with a practical, beginner-friendly blueprint for choosing one strategy you can master—then protecting it with firm risk rules, clean execution, and zero FOMO.
Vincent Desiano Playbook & Strategy: How He Actually Trades
What He Trades & Why It Works
Vincent keeps it tight: liquid index/mega-cap names and their weekly options, focusing on clean momentum and clear levels. The edge comes from marrying opening context with simple, repeatable execution, so risk stays fixed while winners can expand.
- Trade universe: SPY, QQQ, TSLA, NVDA, META, AMZN, AAPL, MSFT.
- Options only when spreads are tight (≤ $0.05 on SPY/QQQ, ≤ $0.10 on single names) and open interest is ≥ 2,000 on chosen strikes.
- Preferred contracts: weeklies, 0–2 DTE, delta ~0.30–0.40 for runners; ~0.15–0.20 for lotto add-ons only after lock-in.
Pre-Market Bias & Lines in the Sand
This is where Vincent decides what type of day he might be dealing with and which playbook to pull. Keep it simple: one bias, a few levels, and a plan to be wrong fast.
- Mark prior day high/low (PDH/PDL), overnight high/low (ONH/ONL), and pre-market range.
- Tag HTF magnets: daily/weekly VWAP, previous week close, overnight VPOC, and prior daily imbalance.
- Bias rule: If pre-market holds above PDH and ONH with rising cumulative volume, default long bias; if below PDL and ONL, default short bias; inside = balance/mean-revert.
- News filter: stand down on single-name entries 5 minutes before/after stock-specific catalysts; index trades allowed with half size on major data prints.
Day-Type Playbook Selector
Not every setup fits every tape. Vincent classifies early and adjusts risk, targets, and patience accordingly.
- Trend day: expanding 5-min range + sustained VWAP hold in trend direction → use continuation/retest setups, wider targets, fewer scalps.
- Balanced day: repeated VWAP rotations → fade extremes back to VWAP with tighter stops and quicker partials.
- Switch rule: two failed continuation attempts = downgrade to balance; two failed fades at extremes = upgrade to trend.
Setup 1 — Opening Range Breakout (ORB)
This is Vincent’s go-to when the tape is directional out of the gate. Define the opening box, wait for confirmation, and let options gamma do the heavy lifting.
- Opening box: first 5 minutes on indexes, 1–3 minutes on single names with high liquidity.
- Entry: buy calls on high-side break (or puts on low-side) only if break occurs with >150% of the average 1-min volume of the opening box.
- Confirmation: price holds above/below the broken edge for a full 1-min close; no wick-only breaks.
- Invalidation: full candle close back inside the box = stop.
- Contracts: 0–1 DTE, delta 0.30–0.35; pay ≤ 1.5% of account per trade.
- Targets: 1R at pre-marked magnet, 2R at IB (initial balance) extension, trail remainder using 5-min higher lows/lower highs.
Setup 2 — Break-Retest-Go (BRG)
When breaks are clean, but Vincent missed the initial entry, he hunts the retest. This avoids FOMO and often gives a better R: R with tighter risk.
- Trigger level: prior resistance/support, opening box edge, or HTF pivot.
- Entry: limit/stop-limit at the retest with a 15–30 second micro-hold above/below the level and delta divergence not making fresh extremes.
- Stop: 0.25–0.35% of instrument price beyond the level (or option premium stop at 40–50%).
- Contracts: 1–2 DTE, delta ~0.35–0.45 to benefit from sustained trend.
- Targeting: first scale at 1.2R, second at 2R, runner trails on 9/20 EMA cross on the 1-minute.
Setup 3 — Failed Break Reversal (FBR)
Fake breaks happen. Vincent uses them to fade the crowd, but only with strict confirmation and a smaller initial size.
- Conditions: break of PDH/PDL without volume expansion and immediate reclaim of VWAP within 3 minutes.
- Entry: opposite-direction options on the reclaim candle close; half size until VWAP holds for one more minute.
- Stop: candle body close back through the break level; no “give it room.”
- Targets: VWAP tag (scale 50%), then opposite opening range edge, then trail with 5-min structure.
VWAP, AVWAPs & Volume as Confirmation
Vincent keeps the indicator stack lean: VWAP + anchored VWAPs from obvious pivots, plus raw volume/cvd context. The goal is context, not clutter.
- Trade with VWAP: trend day = prefer trades on VWAP holds; balance day = fade stretches >1.0–1.5 standard deviations from VWAP.
- AVWAP anchors: session open, PDH/PDL, FOMC bar, earnings gap; confluence = conviction.
- Volume rule: no breakout entries on declining 1-min volume; no reversal entries if counter-trend volume is building.
Option Selection & Execution Rules
The contract is the vehicle—choose it to fit the plan, not vibes. Vincent standardizes selection so slippage and decay don’t eat the edge.
- Delta bands: 0.30–0.40 for trend runners; 0.20–0.30 for ORB scalps; avoid >0.55 unless deep ITM for management simplicity.
- Time: 0–2 DTE only during the first 2 hours; after lunch, shift to 2–4 DTE to reduce decay.
- Max spread: ≤ 1% of premium or stand down.
- Fill protocol: send limit at mid; allow one auto-increment; if not filled in 10 seconds and price hasn’t moved, cancel—no chasing.
Risk, Sizing & Daily Guardrails
This is where longevity lives. Vincent keeps risk fixed per attempt and lets the market decide when a big day happens.
- Per-trade risk: 0.5–0.8% of account; max 1% on A+ trend alignment (pre-market bias + VWAP + AVWAP confluence).
- Daily loss stop: 2R realized or three consecutive losers—done.
- Add-ons: only from unrealized profits; never increase initial risk.
- Weekly rule: 2 red days in a row → next day half size; 3 red days in a week → stop trading until next week.
Trade Management Ladder
Entries are cheap; exits pay the bills. Vincent uses a predefined ladder so emotions don’t rewrite the plan.
- Scale 1: at +1R take 30–50%, move stop to breakeven on the remainder after the next higher low/lower high forms.
- Scale 2: at prior HTF level or 2R, take another 25–30%.
- Runner: trail on a 5-minute swing structure or a close through 9 EMA against the position.
- Time stop: if price stalls for 10–12 minutes at a level without progress, exit to the last scale.
Timing Windows & “Best Two Hours”
The best edges often show early; after that, quality drops as chop rises. Vincent respects time as much as price.
- Prime window: 9:35–11:30 ET for new entries; avoid the first 60 seconds unless liquidity/volume is exceptional.
- Midday: 11:30–13:30 ET = reduced size or management only; no new trades unless trend day with persistent breadth.
- Power hour: 15:00–15:55 ET for day-two continuation planning and small runners only.
Breadth & Market Internals (Quick Check)
A 20-second dashboard glance saves a lot of whipsaws. Vincent uses it to avoid fighting the tape.
- Require alignment: index breadth > +1,500 (NYSE) for longs or < −1,500 for shorts before pressing size.
- Tick filter: three consecutive +800 TICK spikes support long continuation; three −800 spikes support short continuation.
- If breadth diverges from price at new extremes, downgrade conviction by one tier.
Level Selection & Marking Targets
Targets aren’t wishes; they’re pre-planned magnets. Vincent marks them before the bell, so he’s reacting, not guessing.
- Always pre-mark: PDH/PDL, overnight extremes, gap mid, prior VPOC, daily swing highs/lows.
- First target preference: nearest confluence (level + AVWAP + measured move).
- Measured move: duplicate the opening range size from the break point for the ORB second target.
Journal, Stats & Review Loop
Edges compound when you measure them. Vincent tracks what actually pays and cuts the rest without mercy.
- Record for each trade: day type, setup tag (ORB/BRG/FBR), entry rule used, R multiple, time in trade, and any rule violation.
- Weekly cull: kill bottom 10% of patterns by expectancy; double down on top 20% with size within guardrails.
- Screenshot before/after with notes on VWAP/AVWAP role and whether volume confirmed or contradicted the idea.
Common Kill-Switches (No-Trade Conditions)
Knowing when not to trade protects the account and the mindset. Vincent keeps these bright red.
- Inside, overlapping 5-minute bars for 20+ minutes around VWAP with falling volume = no entries.
- Spreads widen beyond limits or IV explodes without directional follow-through = stand down.
- Two setup misreads in a row on day-type classification = go flat and reassess; no revenge trades.
Carmine Rosato Playbook & Strategy: How He Actually Trades
Instruments, Sessions, and Why He Stays in His Lane
Carmine keeps his universe simple so he can go deep on order flow tells instead of scanning all day. He focuses on the most liquid futures and trades when participation is highest, letting the tape do the talking. Here’s the exact lane to stay in and why it matters for clean reads and fills.
- Primary contracts: ES (S&P 500) and NQ (Nasdaq); occasional CL (Crude) only when ATR > recent 20-day average.
- Preferred sessions: RTH (09:30–16:00 ET) for size; pre-market (08:30–09:25 ET) for feeler size only if the book is thick.
- Avoid thin tapes: stand down if ES 1-min volume is < 60% of its 10-day RTH average for the first 30 minutes.
Platform, Charts, and the Minimum Indicator Stack
His edge comes from reading the auction, not from colorful indicators. Keep charts clean so footprint and DOM details pop. This stack prevents decision fatigue and keeps you focused on what moves price: participation.
- Chart set: 5-min candlestick + session VWAP; Footprint (bid/ask or delta); Volume Profile (composite + session); DOM + heatmap/ladder.
- Anchors: AVWAPs from session open, prior day high/low (PDH/PDL), and major news bars.
- Layout rule: If a tool doesn’t directly help with execution (entry, add, exit), remove it.
Pre-Market Prep and Bias
Carmine forms a directional bias from overnight structure and major levels, then pressures it early to confirm or kill it. The point isn’t to predict; it’s to be ready with a plan for both outcomes.
- Mark PDH/PDL, ONH/ONL, prior VPOC, overnight POC, and gap levels (full and half-gap).
- Build a one-liner bias: “Above PDH and holding ONH → trend-up until VWAP fails”; “Inside prior value → balance day until proven.”
- News filter: no new positions 3 minutes before/after tier-1 releases; if in a trade, auto-reduce to half and widen stops only with unrealized profits.
Day-Type Switchboard
He classifies the tape early so he can pick the right playbook: trend, balance, or transition. Switching fast saves him from forcing the wrong setup.
- Trend day tells: one-way VWAP hold, expanding 5-min ranges, shallow pullbacks on footprint.
- Balance day tells: repeated rotations through VWAP/POC, poor highs/lows, absorption at extremes.
- Switch rule: two failed continuation attempts → downgrade to balance; two failed fades at value edges → upgrade to trend.
Core Setup 1 — LVN Reversal (“Volume Tail Turn”)
Carmine hunts turns where the auction thins out (low-volume nodes) and then snaps back as new initiative order flow hits. You’re fading in exhaustion, not guessing bottoms.
- Location: session or composite LVN at/near ONH/ONL or PDH/PDL.
- Confirmation: footprint shows diminishing delta on the push + absorption on the other side (big resting orders absorbed and price stalls).
- Entry: opposite-side pullback into the LVN after first reclaim; limit order with stop just beyond the “tail” (2–3 ticks past the lowest participating prints).
- Targeting: first scale at VWAP or session POC; second scale at prior swing; runner trails behind 5-min structure.
Core Setup 2 — IB Break & Retest (Opening Range)
When participation is real, he trades the break of the Initial Balance (first hour) only if the tape confirms. This captures the day’s directional move without chasing.
- Trigger: IB high/low break with 1-min volume ≥ 150% of the first-hour median and positive delta expansion in the break direction.
- Entry: first pullback to the broken IB edge; use DOM to see refreshed bids/offers step in.
- Invalidation: full 1-min close back inside IB = exit; no “hope holds.”
- Targets: measured move of IB range, then next profile node (HVN/LVN) or pre-marked HTF level.
Core Setup 3 — VWAP Hold Continuation
VWAP is Carmine’s moving “fair price.” On trend days, a clean hold is a green light to press; on balance days, it’s your mean. Trade with the crowd when it’s leaning correctly.
- Longs: higher-low against VWAP with buy-side imbalances stacking (footprint 2:1 or better on the bid-ask).
- Shorts: lower-high against VWAP with sell-side imbalances stacking.
- Stop: 1 full 1-minute close through VWAP against the position, or delta flips hard for two consecutive bars.
- Add-on: only from unrealized profits at the next micro HL/LH with imbalance confirmation.
Footprint Tells Carmine Actually Uses
Not all footprint signals are created equal. He prioritizes the ones that show real effort or real refusal, cutting through noise.
- Effort without result: strong delta but no range extension → likely absorption → fade or exit continuation attempts.
- Imbalance stacking: 3+ consecutive bars of the same-side imbalances aligned with price → continuation bias.
- Trapped traders: single large imbalance into LVN followed by immediate reversal and negative delta → take the other side on the first pullback.
DOM & Heatmap Execution Rules
The DOM is where his timing tightens. Use it to avoid chasing and to spot when a level is actually defended versus faked.
- Don’t hit at extremes: enter on pullback into fresh liquidity, not into a sweep.
- Watch refreshers: size that reappears after partial fills is real defense; size that pulls quickly is likely a spoof.
- If the book thins by 40% within 5 seconds at your level, cancel and wait for a new queue.
Risk, Sizing, and Daily Guardrails
Longevity beats heroics. He fixes the cost of being wrong and lets the market pay him for being right. These numbers keep you in the game.
- Per-trade risk: 0.4–0.8R of daily cap; max daily loss = 2R or three consecutive losers, whichever comes first.
- Position sizing: base contract count from stop distance; no adds before first scale unless trade is already > +0.5R unrealized.
- Weekly drawdown: after two red days in a row, next day trades at half size; after three red days, stop for the week.
Management Ladder (How He Takes Money)
Carmine treats exits as rules, not vibes. The ladder locks in progress while keeping a runner for the real moves.
- Scale 1: +1R or first touch of VWAP/POC (whichever comes first) → take 30–50%.
- Scale 2: next HTF level or measured-move objective → take another 25–30%.
- Runner: trail below/above last confirmed 5-min swing; hard exit on opposite footprint imbalance plus a close through 9-EMA.
Timing Windows and When Not to Trade
Time is a filter. Trade when participation is there and sit out when the auction is sloppy. This keeps you from bleeding in chop.
- Prime entries: 09:35–11:15 ET for new risk; 13:30–15:20 ET only if the day is trending with breadth confirmation.
- No-go zones: overlapping 5-minute bars around VWAP for >20 minutes with falling volume; skip until a range expands.
- Last hour rule: no fresh fades after 15:20 ET; continuation only with clear imbalance stacking.
Market Internals for a 20-Second Sanity Check
He glances at breadth and TICK to avoid fighting the tide. Quick context prevents dumb trades against a freight train.
- Bias alignment: for longs, cumulative TICK rising with price and NYSE breadth > +1,000; for shorts, inverse.
- Divergence downgrade: new price extreme without TICK/breadth confirmation → cut target expectations one tier.
Level Marking and Target Planning
Targets aren’t guesses; they’re magnets. Carmine pre-marks the ones most likely to pull the price so he can react fast.
- Always mark: PDH/PDL, ONH/ONL, session HVNs/LVNs, prior VPOC, gap mid.
- Use Confluence: prefer targets where AVWAP + profile node + swing high/low align.
- Measured move: project the opening 30-minute range from the break for secondary objectives.
“Small Account” Execution Tweaks
Same read, smaller bite. He adapts risk and contract choice without changing the core logic, so compounding can actually happen.
- Trade micro contracts (MES/MNQ) until your per-trade dollar risk equals 0.5–0.8% of equity comfortably.
- One-contract rule: with a single contract, partial at +1R and use a time stop (no progress in 10–12 minutes → flat).
- Commission check: if fees > 10% of average winner over 20 trades, you’re over-trading—cut attempts.
Journal and Review Loop
Carmine’s improvements come from tracking what pays and cutting what doesn’t. Keep data simple, consistent, and brutal.
- Tag every trade by day-type (trend/balance/transition) and setup (LVN-reversal, IB-retest, VWAP-hold).
- Log entry reason (footprint/DOM tell), stop basis, and whether breadth/TICK aligned.
- Weekly: drop the bottom 10% expectancy tags; increase size one notch on the top 20% within all guardrails.
Dylan O’Neill Playbook & Strategy: How He Actually Trades
Markets, Vehicles, and Why He Keeps It Simple
Dylan trades the most liquid spots so he can move size, get fills, and read behavior clearly. Expect a short list of indices and mega-caps, plus futures and weeklies when options liquidity is great. The simplicity cuts noise and lets him hammer the same patterns every day.
- Core tickers: SPY/QQQ + 2–3 mega-caps (e.g., NVDA, TSLA, AAPL) chosen pre-market.
- Futures overlay: ES/NQ for cleaner structure when single names are messy; use micros to scale precision.
- Options only if spreads are tight (≤ $0.05 on SPY/QQQ; ≤ $0.10 on liquid single names) and OI ≥ 2,000 on chosen strikes.
- Trade 0–2 DTE in the morning session; shift to 2–4 DTE after lunch to reduce decay risk.
Chart Stack and Readability Rules
He uses “naked charts” with just enough context to see where the crowd is trapped. Indicators are minimized so price, volume, and key references dominate the decision.
- Timeframes: 5-min and 1-min for execution, 30-min/daily for context.
- References: prior day high/low (PDH/PDL), overnight high/low (ONH/ONL), session VWAP, and anchored VWAPs from obvious pivots (open, PDH/PDL, news bar).
- Volume tools: simple 1-min volume and a session volume profile; no clutter beyond what helps entries/exits.
- Rule: if a tool doesn’t change your order placement or stop location, remove it.
Pre-Market Bias and A-B Decision Tree
Dylan frames the day in plain English before the bell so he reacts, not guesses. One bias, a backup plan, and the level that proves he’s wrong.
- Write a one-liner: “Above PDH and holding ONH = long bias to [magnet]; below PDL and ONL = short bias to [magnet]; inside = balance.”
- Mark magnets: gap mid, prior VPOC/POC, HVN/LVN, and previous impulse highs/lows.
- News guardrail: avoid new positions 5 minutes before/after tier-1 releases; if already in a trade, cut size by half.
Day-Type Switchboard (Trend, Balance, Transition)
He tags the tape early so he can pick the right playbook. Switching fast is the edge—don’t force “trend” tactics in a balanced market.
- Trend tells: 5-min expanding ranges, same-side VWAP holds, and higher-low/lower-high stair steps.
- Balance tells: repeated VWAP rotations, overlapping 5-min candles, wicks at extremes.
- Switch rule: two failed continuations → downgrade to balance; two failed fades at edges → upgrade to trend.
Setup 1 — Opening Drive + First Pullback (OD+FP)
When the open is directional, Dylan lets the drive print, then takes the first clean pullback. It avoids chasing and keeps risk tight.
- Qualification: first 5 minutes show range expansion with >150% of the average 1-minute volume vs. the first five bars.
- Entry: pullback to prior 1-min swing or VWAP micro-tag that holds; enter on the first HL (longs) or LH (shorts).
- Stop: one full 1-minute close through the pullback low/high or 0.25–0.35% of instrument price.
- Targets: scale 30–50% at +1R, next scale at pre-marked magnet; trail remainder under/over 5-minute structure.
Setup 2 — Break-Retest-Continue (BRC)
If you miss the initial break, the retest is your second chance. This is Dylan’s favorite way to join a trend without FOMO.
- Levels: PDH/PDL, ONH/ONL, IB high/low, or a clean AVWAP pivot.
- Entry: limit at the retest only if the 1-minute closes back in trend direction and volume doesn’t die on the retest.
- Invalidation: a full close back inside the prior range (IB/PD/ON) or VWAP flip against you.
- Optional adds: one add from unrealized profits on the next HL/LH; never widen the original stop.
Setup 3 — Liquidity Sweep Reversal (LSR)
On balanced days, extremes get swept before reversing. Dylan waits for the sweep, then hits the first reclaim with real participation.
- Trigger: wick through PDH/PDL or ONH/ONL that immediately reclaims the broken level within 2–3 minutes.
- Confirmation: 1-minute close back inside plus rising volume or a quick VWAP tag/hold.
- Entry: take the reclaim candle close; conservative traders wait for the first pullback after reclaim.
- Stops/targets: stop just beyond the sweep wick; target VWAP first, opposite side of opening range second.
VWAP & AVWAP: When to Lean, When to Fade
VWAP is his “fair price” compass. He leans with it on trend days and fades stretches from it on balance days.
- Trend rule: buy higher-lows above VWAP or sell lower-highs below VWAP; avoid fighting a clean VWAP slope.
- Balance rule: fade >1.0–1.5 standard deviations from VWAP back to mean with smaller size and faster scales.
- AVWAP anchors: session open, PDH/PDL, major news bar; the more confluence, the more conviction.
Options Overlay and Contract Selection
When using options to express the view, Dylan standardizes strikes and time so Greeks don’t sabotage good reads.
- Morning entries: 0–2 DTE, delta ~0.30–0.40 for trend runners; ~0.20–0.30 for ORB scalps only.
- Afternoon shift: 2–4 DTE to manage decay; avoid 0DTE after 13:30 ET unless tape is clearly trending.
- Fill protocol: mid-price limit, allow one auto-increment; if not filled in 10 seconds and price hasn’t moved, cancel—no chasing.
- Spread filter: if spread >1% of premium, skip or switch vehicle (futures/shares).
Execution Timing and “Best Two Hours”
He respects time as a quality filter. Most edge occurs early; after that, only trade when the tape quality is obvious.
- Prime window: 9:35–11:15 ET for new risk.
- Midday: manage winners; new trades only on trend days with breadth confirmation.
- Power hour: 15:00–15:50 ET continuation/runners only; no fresh counter-trend fades late.
Market Internals: 20-Second Sanity Check
A glance prevents fighting the tide. If internals disagree, he downgrades conviction or sits out.
- Breadth alignment: for longs, NYSE breadth rising and above +1,000; for shorts, below −1,000 with lower lows.
- TICK cues: three consecutive +800 spikes favor long continuation; three −800 spikes favor short continuation.
- Divergence rule: new price extreme without internal confirmation → cut size or switch to take-profits mode.
Risk, Sizing, and Daily Guardrails
Dylan fixes the cost of being wrong and lets the market decide when he has a big day. These numbers keep him consistent.
- Per-trade risk: 0.5–0.8% of account; cap at 1% only when day-type and setup are both A+.
- Daily stop: −2R realized or three consecutive losers—flat for the day.
- Add-ons: from unrealized profits only; never increase initial risk after entry.
- Weekly guardrail: two red days in a row → next day half size; three red days in a week → stand down until Monday.
Management Ladder (How He Takes Money)
Profit is systematized with pre-planned scales and a trailing logic. No “feel” exists—just rules.
- Scale 1 at +1R (or first magnet) → take 30–50%, move stop to break-even after the next HL/LH forms.
- Scale 2 at 2R or the next HTF level; leave a runner for structure extension.
- Trail: 5-minute swing structure or a close through the 9-EMA against the position; time stop if no progress for 10–12 minutes.
Small-Account Tweaks Without Losing the Edge
Same reads, smaller risk. He adapts the vehicle and targeting so that compounding can actually happen.
- Use micros (MES/MNQ) or shares until your standard stop equals 0.5–0.8% of equity comfortably.
- One-unit rule: if trading one contract/share lot, partial by time/structure (exit half at +1R, trail the rest).
- Fee check: if commissions/fees >10% of your average winner over 20 trades, you’re over-trading—cut attempts.
Journal and Review Loop That Actually Improves P&L
He tags and measures everything so he can double down on what pays and cull what doesn’t. Keep it brutal and boring.
- Tag each trade by day-type (trend/balance/transition) and setup (OD+FP, BRC, LSR).
- Record: entry trigger, stop basis, R multiple, time in trade, and any rule break.
- Weekly: drop the bottom 10% expectancy tags; size up one notch on the top 20% while staying inside guardrails.
Size Your Risk First: Fixed Loss, Scalable Wins, No Averaging Down
Dylan O’Neill hammers one idea before anything else: define the loss per attempt and let the upside breathe. Carmine Rosato echoes it in futures—set the stop where the auction proves you wrong, not where it “feels” comfortable, then size the contracts to that fixed dollar risk. Vincent Desiano brings the same discipline to options, targeting a tight percentage of account risk so premium decay never snowballs into a blowup. Across styles, the shared rule is simple: no averaging down—ever—because adding to a loser only compounds a thesis that’s already failed.
Put this into practice by deciding your R first, then building the trade to fit it, not the other way around. If the setup is A+, take full size; if the read is B, cut the size, don’t widen the stop, and keep the same hard-loss number. Scale out into strength to bank 1R, trail the rest behind structure, and only add from open profits when Dylan O’Neill’s trend, Carmine Rosato’s order-flow, or Vincent Desiano’s momentum says the move is expanding. Cap the day after a fixed drawdown so you can live to attack the next clean opportunity with a clear head.
Let Volatility Drive Allocation: Widen Stops, Trim Size, Respect Regime
Volatility sets your risk budget, not your mood. Dylan O’Neill treats regime as the first filter, scaling exposure to realized range or ATR so he’s never oversized when the tape whips. Carmine Rosato does the same in futures—when NQ’s ATR expands, he halves contracts and prefers VWAP retests over blind breakouts. Vincent Desiano adapts on the options side, shifting from 0DTE to 2–4 DTE when IV spikes and keeping premium at a fixed percent per attempt.
A simple playbook: if your ATR% of price doubles from last week, widen stops to the new structure and cut size to keep the dollar loss identical. When VIX and intraday range are climbing, take fewer trades, push initial targets closer, and only let runners ride after structure confirms. If volatility compresses, tighten stops, reduce add-on distance, and be willing to recycle entries because slippage is cheaper. Dylan O’Neill, Carmine Rosato, and Vincent Desiano all repeat the same mantra—trim size, honor wider stops, and respect the regime so your edge survives every tape.
Diversify Smart: Underlying, Strategy, and Holding Duration—Not Just Tickers
Dylan O’Neill spreads risk across indices and a couple of mega-caps, so a single headline can’t wreck the day. Carmine Rosato diversifies by strategy in futures—trend continuation, LVN reversals, and IB retests—so he’s not hostage to one market mood. Vincent Desiano adds duration diversity with weeklies for structure and 0–2 DTE only when momentum is clean. This mix means one bad tape type or symbol doesn’t take down the whole playbook.
Start by capping exposure to any single theme—no more than one trade per highly correlated group at a time. Rotate strategy types: if a breakout failed, don’t reload another breakout; switch to a retest or mean-revert setup like Carmine Rosato does. Stagger holding duration like Vincent Desiano—pair a same-day scalp with a smaller runner dated out 2–4 DTE. Keep Dylan O’Neill’s rule in mind: diversify the “how” and “how long,” not just the ticker symbol list.
Trade Mechanics Over Predictions: Levels, Liquidity, VWAP, and Repeatable Triggers
Dylan O’Neill keeps the crystal ball on the shelf and lets mechanics lead: mark PDH/PDL and ONH/ONL, watch VWAP slope, and trade the retest instead of guessing highs or lows. Carmine Rosato adds the execution layer—wait for liquidity to show up at the level, see if the reclaim holds for a full minute, then place the order where the book is thick, not where the price just sprinted. Vincent Desiano applies the same logic with options, choosing strikes and DTE that fit the setup’s behavior so fills, decay, and exits line up with the plan instead of the prediction.
If the open drives, Dylan O’Neill looks for the first pullback that respects VWAP or the opening range edge, not a top-tick chase. When a level breaks, Carmine Rosato wants the “break–retest–go” rhythm with participation, not a wick and a wish. If momentum is clean, Vincent Desiano buys time with 2–4 DTE after lunch and keeps targets anchored to magnets like prior VPOC or measured move. The trio shows the same blueprint: trade the trigger you can repeat tomorrow—levels, liquidity, and VWAP—because mechanics pay rent long after predictions stop working.
Choose Defined or Undefined Risk Intentionally, Then Execute With Discipline
Dylan O’Neill chooses the structure first, not the trade: if the setup needs room and he wants linear P&L, he uses futures or shares (undefined risk but tight, technical stops); if decay or gap risk is the problem, he defines risk with options and sizes the premium like a hard stop. Carmine Rosato treats undefined risk as a privilege—he’ll fade or press only where the auction proves it, and he never widens stops to “let it breathe.” Vincent Desiano flips the lens with defined-risk options when volatility jumps, selecting strikes and DTE so the max loss is capped and execution speed stays high.
Make it binary before you click: if you pick undefined risk (futures/shares), enforce a structure stop that gets you flat on a full candle close through the level—no averaging down, no exceptions. If you pick defined risk (debit options), pre-decide max premium per attempt, avoid spreads with junk fill quality, and cut early when the setup invalidates instead of praying for theta rescue. For adds, only scale from open profits, never to repair losers, and match the instrument to the goal—Vincent Desiano’s 2–4 DTE for momentum that needs time, Dylan O’Neill’s futures for clean, directional intraday pushes, and Carmine Rosato’s order-flow entries where absorption flips to initiative. Pick the risk container on purpose, then execute like a machine.
In the end, the playbook these three lay out is ruthlessly simple: risk first, everything else second. Dylan O’Neill, Carmine Rosato, and Vincent Desiano each start by fixing the cost of being wrong—no averaging down, no moving stops—and let winners scale only when structure proves it. Volatility sets the pace: widen stops and trim size in fast regimes, tighten and recycle in slow ones. They diversify the how and how long—indices plus a couple of mega-caps, futures for linear exposure, and options dated appropriately—so a single tape type or headline can’t nuke the day. Mechanics beat predictions: mark PDH/PDL and ONH/ONL, respect VWAP and AVWAP confluence, and wait for clean triggers like break–retest–go or LVN reversals with real participation. Defined vs. undefined risk is a conscious choice, not a vibe—use futures/shares with technical exits when the structure is clean, switch to options to cap risk when decay or gaps matter.
Process discipline ties it all together. Classify the day early (trend, balance, transition) and switch fast when evidence flips. Trade the best two hours with intention, throttle down during chop, and let market internals nudge conviction instead of dictate trades. Standardize execution—tight spreads, mid-price limits, one auto-increment—and only add from open profits. Journal by setup and day type, cull the bottom performers, and size up the top ones inside strict guardrails. That’s the shared “secret sauce” from Dylan O’Neill, Carmine Rosato, and Vincent Desiano: a small set of repeatable mechanics, enforced risk, and a review loop that compounds edge long after the forecast du jour fades.
