Module 3 · The Core Setups

Setup 2 — Stacked-Imbalance Continuation

Going with acceptance through an LVN.

In this lesson you'll

Build the breakout/continuation setup
Confirm acceptance (not rejection)
Manage a go-with trade

The trend/continuation counterpart — used when the regime is trending or a balance is breaking.

Context: price breaks a value edge or pushes into an LVN (a fast zone) heading toward the next HVN / naked level.
Confirmation (acceptance): footprint prints a stacked imbalance in the breakout direction; CVD expands with price; on the heatmap, opposing liquidity is consumed or pulls (not a holding wall); fresh volume builds at the new prices.
Trigger: the breakout itself, or the first shallow pullback into the stacked-imbalance zone / LVN edge that holds.

Bid — aggressive sellersAsk — aggressive buyersBuy imbalanceSell imbalancePOC (most volume)Candle = bar direction

Confirmation: three stacked BUY imbalances (4500.25 → 4500.75) drive through the level — aggressive buyers dominating each price. With CVD expanding and the LVN above, this is a continuation long; the stacked zone becomes support on a pullback.

Execution: enter on the breakout or the first pullback into the stacked-imbalance zone; stop below that zone — losing it means the aggressive buyers failed to defend their level; target the next HVN / naked level. Crucially, confirm acceptance (new volume building), not a one-bar poke that snaps back (which would be Setup 3).

The deadly mistake is fading this in a trend, or chasing it in balance. Regime first: go-with setups need acceptance and a trending/breaking context; otherwise you're trading the wrong playbook.

Key takeaways

Use when trending or a balance is breaking, through an LVN toward the next node.
Confirm acceptance: stacked imbalance + CVD expansion + opposing liquidity consumed/pulled.
Enter on breakout or first pullback into the stacked zone; stop below it.
Target the next HVN/naked level; confirm acceptance, not a snap-back poke.

Check your understanding

Pick an answer to reveal instant feedback. Answer every question to complete the lesson.

Question 1 of 2

What confirms ACCEPTANCE (continuation) rather than a failed poke in this setup?

Acceptance shows the market building new value beyond the level: stacked imbalances driving through, CVD expanding with price, and fresh volume at the new prices. The opposite signs would mean rejection (Setup 3).

Question 2 of 2

Where does the stop go on a stacked-imbalance continuation long?

The stacked-imbalance zone is the aggressive buyers' footprint; if price falls back below it, they've failed to hold and the thesis is invalid — so the stop sits just below that zone.

Educational content only. Nothing here is financial or trading advice. Order-flow and options patterns shift probabilities; they never guarantee outcomes.

Setup 2 — Stacked-Imbalance Continuation

In this lesson you'll

Key takeaways

Check your understanding

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