Trading Traps

Counter-Trend

Trading against the prevailing market direction

Counter-trend trading means taking positions opposite to the dominant market direction. While advanced traders can profit from counter-trend setups, beginners often lose money fighting the trend.

How to Recognize

  • Your trade direction opposes the higher timeframe trend
  • Pattern suggests reversal against strong trend
  • Weekly bias is opposite to your entry
  • Multiple timeframes disagree

How to Avoid

  • Trade with the trend, not against it
  • Wait for trend exhaustion signals
  • Require stronger confirmation for counter-trend trades
  • Use smaller position sizes if trading counter-trend