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In this interview, day trader Andrew Aziz sits down to talk candidly about how he trades, why he’s still in the game after more than a decade, and what truly moves the needle for retail traders. He shares how he balances a globe-trotting lifestyle (yes, including summiting Everest) with consistent execution, why he sticks to stocks, and how his Bear Bull Traders community keeps standards high without overcomplicating the craft. You’ll hear how a larger account hasn’t changed its core playbook: trade momentum, respect risk, and keep rules simple.
What you’ll learn here is practical and immediately usable: why simulators come first, how Andrew uses VWAP for both entries and stop placement, the psychology that sabotages traders (fear, greed, FOMO), and the small life habits that compound into trading discipline. He unpacks the most common failure—overtrading—and explains his one-hour trading window, plus how to keep what you make by structuring hard boundaries. If you’re tempted to chase new markets or shiny instruments, Andrew shows why sticking to what you know—and refining a repeatable momentum framework—is how traders actually last.
Andrew Aziz Playbook & Strategy: How He Actually Trades
The Core Edge: Opening Momentum Around VWAP
Andrew Aziz focuses on the first hour when volume, volatility, and clean momentum give the best odds. He uses VWAP as his “fair value magnet” and builds most decisions around how price behaves relative to it. This section lays out the simple playbook he repeats daily.
- Trade 9:30–10:30 a.m. ET; shut it down if A+ setups don’t appear by then.
- Only trade tickers with fresh news/catalyst and >1.5× average volume premarket.
- Require clean premarket structure: clear levels, no “bar-code” chop, and tight spreads (<5 cents on large caps, <0.2% on price).
- Treat VWAP as your bias line: long above, short below, flat when price chops around it.
- First, look for 1-minute or 5-minute Opening Range Breakouts (ORB) in the direction of the premarket trend and VWAP alignment.
- Skip symbols with overlapping higher-timeframe levels directly above/below the ORB trigger.
Watchlist & Preparation: Fewer, Better Names
He doesn’t need 20 tickers—just 2–4 with clear catalysts and liquidity. Here’s how he builds a high-quality list before the bell.
- Pre-scan for large caps with earnings, guidance, FDA, product launches, or major analyst actions.
- Minimum float: mid/large caps preferred; avoid low-float unless liquidity is exceptional and risk is sized down.
- Average true range (ATR) ≥ 2% of price; if ATR is tiny, skip the name.
- Put prior day high/low, premarket high/low, VWAP, and whole/half-dollar levels on your chart.
- Create a primary and secondary list; if the primary doesn’t trigger cleanly by 9:45, move on—do not “force” it.
Risk First: Fixed Dollars, Mechanical Sizing
Andrew keeps risk in dollars per trade, then sizes shares from the stop distance. This keeps emotions out and consistency in.
- Define a fixed risk per trade (e.g., $100). Never exceed it intraday.
- Shares = (Risk $) ÷ (entry price − stop price) for longs; reverse for shorts.
- Set a hard daily max loss (e.g., 3R) and stop trading for the day if hit—no exceptions.
- Slash size by 50% on non-A+ setups or late entries; size up slightly only on your best patterns.
- Use hard stops in Platform Plus, a mental “catastrophe” stop at the next HTF level.
Entries: ORB, ABCD, and Reversal Triggers
He keeps the playbook tight: ORB for the open, ABCD for mid-morning continuation, and structured reversals when momentum fades.
- 1-min ORB: Wait for the first candle to close; enter on the break of its high/low with VWAP alignment.
- 5-min ORB: More selective; requires tight first five minutes and a catalyst-backed trend.
- ABCD long: A = impulse, B = pullback to VWAP/MA, C = higher low, D = break of B with volume.
- Reversal: Only after an extended trend into a key level (daily H/L, multi-day level, or far from VWAP); requires a clear reversal candle and volume shift.
- No “anticipation” entries—let price prove it with a trigger and tape confirmation.
Exits: Scale Like a Professional
Andrew scales out to de-risk and then lets a runner work only if the tape supports it. These rules protect winners and cut losers.
- Target first partial at +1R; move stop to break-even after the first partial.
- Take an additional 25–33% at the next whole/half-dollar or prior day level.
- Trail remainder using the 1-min/2-min higher low (for longs) or lower high (for shorts) until a decisive break.
- If price reclaims VWAP against your position, exit remaining shares—momentum likely rotated.
- If volume dies and range compresses, ring the register; don’t “pray” for the trend to resume.
Tape & Volume: Trust the Flow
He reads Time & Sales and the ladder for real-time intent. When volume confirms your level, you have permission to press; when it doesn’t, you stand down.
- Require a volume burst on trigger; if the break is on weak volume, pass.
- Watch for stacked bids above VWAP for longs or stacked offers below VWAP for shorts.
- If big prints hit the tape against your position at your level, exit partial or all—respect the tape.
- Avoid thin names with sporadic prints; slippage will wreck R multiples.
VWAP Mechanics: Bias, Stops, and Reclaims
VWAP is the anchor. It defines context for bias, gives a clean stop, and offers high-probability “reclaim” trades.
- Longs: enter on break + hold above VWAP with rising volume; stop just below VWAP or below the last swing low.
- Shorts: enter on breakdown + rejection under VWAP; stop just above VWAP or last swing high.
- Reclaim setup: failed breakdown that snaps back above VWAP with immediate follow-through—enter on the first higher low.
- Lose VWAP decisively? Tighten stops or exit—your thesis is wrong.
Special Conditions: SSR, Halts, and Trend Days
He adapts sizing and expectations to market rules and regimes so one odd day doesn’t nuke the month.
- SSR (short sale restriction): Expect weaker downside momentum; short via pops to VWAP/levels, not through bids. Reduce size by 25–50%.
- Halt plays: Only trade post-halt if spreads and liquidity normalize within 2–3 candles; risk half size and demand a clean reclaim of VWAP/level.
- Trend days: Favor pullbacks to rising MAs/VWAP; hold runners longer and widen trailing logic one timeframe.
- Chop days: Trade less or not at all; two scratches and you’re done—protect emotional capital.
Execution: Hotkeys, Slippage, and Platform Discipline
Speed matters at the open. Andrew relies on pre-built hotkeys and predefined orders, so thinking is saved for selection, not clicking.
- Build hotkeys for: entry at marketable limit, instant partials (25/33/50%), break-even stop, and all-out.
- Set default route and limit offset to control fills; widen offset slightly at 9:30–9:35 a.m. to avoid rejections.
- Never widen a stop after entry—only tighten.
- If spread >0.3% of price or flickers erratically, skip the trade.
Playbook Quality Control: A+, A, B Setups
He grades setups to protect focus and preserve risk budget for the best opportunities.
- A+ = catalyst + VWAP alignment + strong premarket structure + high relative volume + clean trigger.
- A = missing one element (usually slightly weaker RVOL or nearby level).
- B = two elements missing; cut size in half or skip.
- Only allow one B trade per day max, and only if you’re green and calm.
Journaling & Metrics: Turn Trades Into Data
Consistent review is where edges compound. Track everything and let numbers—not feelings—adjust the plan.
- Log ticker, setup type (1-min ORB, 5-min ORB, ABCD, reversal), R multiple, slippage, and adherence to rules.
- Tag emotional states (calm, rushed, FOMO) and correlate with outcomes weekly.
- If a setup’s 20-trade sample shows a win rate or expectancy below plan, remove it or tighten the criteria.
- Screenshot entries/exits with VWAP and mark the decisive candle and reason for exit.
Psychology: Guardrails That Keep You Green
Andrew’s consistency comes from strict boundaries that prevent tilt. Treat these as non-negotiables.
- Two losses in a row or −2R on the session? Step away for 20 minutes; if still off, end the day.
- No revenge trading, no adding back after you’ve declared the session “done.”
- Pre-commit to the maximum number of trades (e.g., 5). Quality over activity.
- Start each day with a one-line intention: “I only take A setups above/below VWAP with volume.” Read it before the bell.
Routine: Before, During, After the Bell
A simple routine removes randomness and keeps your attention on execution.
- Pre-market (8:45–9:20): Build watchlist, mark levels, write the primary/secondary plan.
- Open (9:30–10:30): Execute only on triggers; grade each setup in real time; stop after A+ opportunities are gone.
- Post-market (15 minutes): Journal trades, export metrics, and clip charts; one improvement note for tomorrow.
Scalability: When Account Size Grows
A bigger size magnifies slippage and emotion. He scales rules, not impulse.
- Increase size in 10–20% increments only after 20-trade green streaks with rule adherence >90%.
- Keep risk per trade constant while testing new size; widen share count only on A+ setups.
- Add symbols or strategies only after the core edge maintains positive expectancy for 60+ trades.
New Trader On-Ramp: Sim First, Then Go Live
Before risking real capital, he advocates building muscle memory in a simulator. Then transition with tight guardrails.
- Simulate the exact platform, hotkeys, and order types you’ll use live for at least 3–4 weeks.
- Go live with half risk for the first 40 trades; promote yourself to full risk only if you’re net positive and calm.
- Keep live trading to the first hour until you’ve proven profitability; avoid mid-day experimentation.
Size risk in dollars, not shares, then let volatility dictate.
Andrew Aziz starts with a fixed dollar risk per trade, then reverse-engineers share size from the stop distance. This keeps emotions in check because the loss is known before entry, regardless of a stock’s price. If a $0.50 stop fits the setup and your risk is $100, you take 200 shares; if the stop must be $1.00, you cut to 100 shares. Andrew Aziz treats the dollar risk as sacred—position size flexes, the cap doesn’t.
Volatility then becomes your governor: wider ATR or choppier tape means smaller share size, calmer conditions allow more. He folds this into a daily max-loss so three losers at −1R end the session, not the account. When a setup is only “B-quality,” he halves the size automatically; when it’s A+, size can nudge up within the same fixed-risk cap. It’s a simple math habit that turns randomness into repeatability—and it’s the backbone of how Andrew Aziz survives the open.
Trade the first hour only: VWAP as bias, catalyst as fuel.
Andrew Aziz limits his day to the opening hour because that’s when liquidity, range, and clean reads converge. He grades tickers before the bell and only keeps names with real catalysts—earnings, guidance, upgrades, FDA—so the open isn’t random. VWAP becomes his on/off switch: above and holding with volume favors longs, below and rejecting favors shorts. If a name chops around VWAP or the catalyst is weak, Andrew Aziz skips it without hesitation.
He waits for a defined trigger—often a 1-min or 5-min ORB—aligned with VWAP and the premarket trend, then executes and scales quickly. If VWAP flips against the position or volume dries up, he pares or exits; the hour ends the session, not emotions. This tight window removes the slow-bleed of midday noise and forces discipline in selection and risk. Andrew Aziz treats the clock, VWAP, and catalyst as a three-part filter that keeps him focused and consistently green.
Diversify by setup and session, not tickers: ORB, ABCD, reversals.
Andrew Aziz diversifies by play and time, not by collecting a huge basket of symbols. He picks two to four liquid tickers, then rotates among ORB, ABCD, and structured reversals as conditions change. If the open is trending and clean, he leans ORB; if momentum pauses and coils, he waits for ABCD; if a push exhausts into a level, he hunts a reversal. This keeps him active without forcing trades that don’t fit the tape.
Andrew Aziz also varies his involvement by session quality: trend days invite continuation plays, chop days call for patience or passing. The point is controlled adaptability—same risk engine, different triggers based on market behavior. He logs which setup worked and when, so the next session starts with a bias grounded in data. The watchlist stays tight; the edge comes from switching gears, not switching symbols.
Mechanics overprediction: preplanned triggers, hard stops, partial profits
Andrew Aziz treats prediction as a distraction and mechanics as the edge. He shows up with a written plan: ORB or ABCD trigger, price level, stop, and first target before the bell rings. When the signal fires, he executes without second-guessing headlines or opinions. The hard stop is already placed, so the outcome is bounded, and emotions stay quiet.
Once in, Andrew Aziz thinks in R, not dollars—first partial at +1R to de-risk, then scale at nearby whole/half-dollar levels. If VWAP flips or a lower high forms against him, he’s out; if the tape keeps confirming, he trails behind higher lows and lets a runner work. No adding to losers, no moving stops “just to give it room,” and no guessing where news will land next. By enforcing these mechanics trade after trade, he turns a noisy open into a repeatable process that doesn’t depend on being right—only on executing right.
Protect the day: max-loss guardrails, no revenge trades, journal immediately.
Andrew Aziz protects his P&L with hard boundaries that end the session before emotions take over. He predetermines a daily max loss in R and stops trading the moment it’s hit—platform closed, fills disabled, day done. Two consecutive losses or a fast-2R triggers a mandatory cool-off timer, then either one last A+ setup or full shutdown. He also caps total trades to prevent death by a thousand cuts; activity is never a substitute for edge.
When green, Andrew Aziz locks gains by cutting size in half after a big winner and refusing to “give back” more than a set percentage of the session’s peak. If he feels a tilted racing heartbeat, chasing breakouts late, widening stops—he walks away for twenty minutes and resets. Journal entries happen immediately: screenshot, tag the setup, mark R multiple, and label the emotion so patterns can’t hide. The goal isn’t heroic comebacks; it’s living to trade tomorrow with a clear head and a full playbook.
Andrew Aziz’s throughline is simple: keep the fundamentals tight and let the market pay you for repetition, not novelty. He’s a momentum day trader who hasn’t needed to reinvent himself—bigger account, same core rules—because he builds every decision around clean opening flow, VWAP context, and disciplined risk. VWAP isn’t a decoration for him; it’s the real-time balance-of-power line he uses for entries and for the stop—loss VWAP, lose the trade, move on.
He insists new and struggling traders prove consistency in a simulator first, then carry those mechanics live. Once live, he time-boxes the work: roughly the first hour only, which cuts off overtrading and forces quality selection. The biggest failure he sees isn’t finding winners—it’s keeping them—so he wraps the day in guardrails: fixed R risk, hard daily max loss, and a literal walk-away when the window closes.
Aziz is candid that luck and life logistics matter—time zones, routines, even where you live—but he treats those as constraints to design around, not excuses. The edge comes from showing up with a plan, executing it quickly, and shutting the platform before the market drains your discipline. It’s mechanics over prediction, process over ego, and structure over screen time—precisely how Andrew Aziz turns volatile opens into a durable, repeatable trading business.
