the ib trader

What is IB Trading & How to Master the IB50 Entry Method Ever see myself or other traders post “IB remains GOATED ” with clean wins on $ES, $NQ, $MYM, or forex pairs? That’s Initial Balance (IB) Trading — one of the highest-probability intraday strategies in futures and forex. What exactly is the Initial Balance (IB)? The IB is the high and low price range set in the first 60 minutes of the regular trading session (9:30–10:30 AM ET for U.S. futures/indices). IB High = highest price in that hour IB Low = lowest price in that hour IB50 = the exact 50% midpoint of that range (the “sweet spot” for entries) This range shows where big players first “balance” supply and demand after the open. It’s NOT random — it’s auction theory in action. Quick History Lesson IB trading comes straight from Market Profile, pioneered in the early 1980s by J. Peter Steidlmayer at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). Steidlmayer created a way to visualize price + time + volume as a bell curve (the “profile”). The first hour became known as the Initial Balance — the foundation institutions use to decide if the day will trend or rotate. What started as floor-trader wisdom in the 80s is now a core edge for modern day traders using futures, indices, and even London/NY forex sessions. The IB50 Entry Method This is the “IB by Rejection” setup — statistically one of the cleanest edges out there (~70-75% probability in many studies). How it works step-by-step: Wait for the full 9:30–10:30 ET IB to form (or London open for forex). Watch which extreme forms first (high or low). Look for a breakout + rejection of that extreme (price pokes out then snaps back). Enter at or near the IB50 (50% level) in the direction of the opposite side. Target: the opposite IB extreme (or 1.5–2x the IB range extension). You can even front-run the 50% slightly (e.g., enter 10:23–10:27) if the candle is closing near it Why IB50 Works So Well High win rate on single-direction days (67–75% of the time the market picks a side after the first hour and sticks with it). Built-in risk: stop usually just beyond the rejected extreme or opposite side of IB. Works across $ES, $NQ, $MYM, $RTY, $GC, $CL, and forex $USDJPY $GBPUSD $EURUSD (London IB too). Perfect for scalping micros or swinging bigger size. Pro tip: Respect the money. Take the 50–150 point winner instead of holding for the moon. Risk Management & Pro Tips Only trade when IB aligns Avoid choppy days or wide-range news days. Use limit orders near IB50 — don’t chase. Start small on a funded account use @edgeful to find IB stats easily $ES $SPY $SPX $MNQ $NQ $QQQ $RTY $IWM $MYM $YM $DJIA $BTC $BTCUSD $BTCUSDT $ETH $DOGE $XRP #trading #stocks #qqq #mnq #mq #es #mes #spy #spx #bitcoin #crypto #btc #djia #ym #mym #rty #wm #m2k #dxy #usdjpy #forex #eurusd #oil #mcl #cl #ethereum #xrp

@dancooketrades @edgeful simplicity is key in trading folks. also usually provide the best set ups the simpler they are

✅ 74% chance we break the IB high (IB By Rejection report) ✅ 87% chance we touch previous session high (Inside Bars Report) ✅ Right side of VWAP for most of the session Am I going to take the long using the @edgeful data? Absolutely!

@dancooketrades @edgeful runs straight to the ib algos 😂

@theibtrader @edgeful Yesssss finally!

I just did it..... trading powered by algos on @edgeful time to work out how it all connects and build some strategies. $ES $SPY $SPX $MNQ $NQ $QQQ $RTY $IWM $MYM $YM $DIA $BTC $BTCUSD $BTCUSDT $ETH $DOGE $XRP #trading #stocks #qqq #mnq #mq #es #mes #spy #spx #bitcoin #crypto #btc #djia #ym #mym #rty #wm #m2k #dxy #usdjpy #forex #eurusd #oil #mcl #cl #ethereum #xrp #daytrading #propfirm #trading #stocks

@steak129 @edgeful it looks insanely in depth. somewhat overwhelmed

@theibtrader @edgeful Exciting. Can’t wait to hear about your experience.

@ZamcoCapital @Tradeify

Another $25,000 payout submitted with @Tradeify 🚀 Futures propfirms are GOATED

@NickDoesFutures i like the chart colour combo and that is a very valid and intriguing question with explanation too

Reduce risk" doesn't mean go breakeven. It means cut your stop in half. Take partials. Manage the trade. Ask yourself: what would make you more mad? Getting stopped out at breakeven then watching it run — or taking a ¾ loss at your actual invalidation point? Answer that question honestly. That's your risk management style. It has to be personal.

@_Ash_Trades_ use the money to create memories is the best thing

Back to back weeks of 3x payouts within the week💰 No better way to start the weekend than some traveling and another payout. I hope everyone has a phenomenal weekend🌞

@dancooketrades only took the forex trade this pm for this reason. more chop than a sushi kitchen

Ooooofffffff $MNQ you little tease!!! Pulled stop to break even as I can't be at the desk much longer. Stopped out at break even ⚪️ Protecting my mental capital going into the weekend is more important to me than catching a win in choppy price action. Happy weekend all!

@aw_trades_ @Tradeify

my most recent @Tradeify payouts cleared and we're officially over $100k in lifetime payouts :))

@str8tachat they are indeed very good

25k's are so underrated...

$USDJPY ny forex ib is goated! def my fav pair, think i will stick to just this for forex now. ib above midpoint at the 8.55/9am candle with a <0.2% size was 81% chance to close above high. powered by @edgeful $ES $SPY $SPX $MNQ $NQ $QQQ $RTY $IWM $MYM $YM $DIA $BTC $BTCUSD $BTCUSDT $ETH $DOGE $XRP #trading #stocks #qqq #mnq #mq #es #mes #spy #spx #bitcoin #crypto #btc #djia #ym #mym #rty #wm #m2k #dxy #usdjpy #forex #eurusd #oil #mcl #cl #ethereum #xrp #daytrading #propfirm #trading #stocks

@JD_Crypto_ thanks

@theibtrader Topone are decent

i’d like some new prop firm accounts. generally used tradeify, lucid, my funded futures. any amazing offers out there at minute? probably want some 50k ones. #daytrading #propfirm #proptrading #stocks #daytrader

@emre_millions @TradingLucid very consistent. nice work

Closing the week off here on my 25k pro accounts Next payout is Friday afternoon (today after market close) 2 rounds of payouts this week was exciting Pretty cool to request every 3 days Onto next week 🫡

@VClouette clean

Today’s IB Setup : - Edgeful shows 88% of hitting high. - At 10:25, Mark Fib from low to high - IB25 Aligns perfectly with 5min FVG - Wait for close above IB25 - Set limit at IB25 - Target hit in 5min ✅

@Jacobtradesz @Topstep love to see it

22.5K from @Topstep

@MrZincx @edgeful this content is what we love

I optimized the IB Entry cut out: 11:00 a.m. No shorting Tuesdays Smaller size on Thursdays Many more adjustments discussed on stream, but man do I have a lot of digging to do. Some new rules to monitor for the IB, thanks to @edgeful Algo optimizer. Over 780,000 results given in 2 minutes.

@JoshuaTrades @Tradeify just in time for the weekend

My $13,500 payout from @Tradeify has now hit Rise!

@t0mbfx f a c t s

The markets punish people who try to use it as a get rich quick scheme

@mTraderNDX excitement usually means dopamine which means gambling. trading is pretty boring in reality

📈 Day 67 — $50,000 Payout Challenge Discipline feels boring. Until you realize it prints money.