Core Concepts

POI Stacking (Confluence)

When multiple confluence factors align at the same zone — extreme location, liquidity, multi-timeframe alignment, freshness

POI stacking is the process of evaluating how many quality factors are present at a single zone. The four primary POI types form a hierarchy: extreme zones (structure boundaries, highest priority), chain zones (multi-timeframe alignment), flip zones (former support turned resistance or vice versa), and decisional zones (mid-structure turning points, lowest priority). Beyond the zone type itself, additional confluence factors include: liquidity sitting above or below the zone (equal highs/lows, trendlines), the zone being fresh (first test), alignment with a higher-timeframe level, and the zone being in the direction of the established trend. Not every factor needs to be present, but more stacking equals higher quality. A decisional zone with multiple confluence factors can be as strong as a standalone extreme zone.

How to Recognize

  • Zone hierarchy: extreme > chain > flip > decisional
  • Additional confluence: liquidity nearby, fresh zone, HTF alignment, trend direction
  • Multiple factors at one level = high-quality setup
  • More stacking allows less confirmation (direct entry vs mid-TF confirmation)

How to Avoid

  • Trading decisional zones without any additional confluence
  • Ignoring the zone hierarchy and treating all zones as equal
  • Requiring every confluence factor to be present (too strict, few setups)
  • Not classifying zones before the session (should be part of your morning markup)