jizaul wrote:So pins, reversal bars, and rail road tracks are pretty much the same thing? are they often located while banks are accumulating?
The pattern depends on the time frame. A perfect RRT will always be a pin at double the time period. The pins that occur during accumulation and distribution may tell the tale of MM intent, but you don't want to just trade them blindly. They will typically shakeout, pin it high and low and every which way to get their positions unloaded and start building for the next leg.
In zone 1/3 we look for confusion and aggressive moves. You will see pins, and all kinds of patterns to trade, likely MA crosses, hit the pivots, you name it. These areas are designed to suck you in the wrong way especially if you jump to a low timeframe.
What we want to see is them hit the stops high, hit the stops low, and then shift the zone ever so slightly so a large group gets stuck. They may hit them high, just to grab liquidity for a false breakout down, so they can build down there and then jam it up. Price WILL consolidate, and they will show their hand.
They can either fake out (FO/LO stop hunt) and break opposite, or just tap the top or bottom of the range and run it straight through (straightaway). Those taps and the volume building during consolidation are subtle, tricky, and generally designed to confuse in realtime. Not hard to see the moves after the fact. Usually level two is where we are looking for that straightaway trade, it is rare that they break back towards the peak formation high or low as there is too much volume and buying/selling pressure there that they wish to utilize. They have to leave those guys trapped to burn later.
When the levels aren't muddled, it is really easy to see these moves. Even just scrolling back a few days on the 1H, and you will see some nice examples. Just pick a weekly peak high or low and watch the waves. Hit em high hit em low. Paint the W or M, then move for the day... Leg 2, tap it in asia high, low, straightaway. Leg 3, fake or don't.... make the move for the day, Pin it to slam on the brakes, consolidate back into the range.... start the shakeout and building positions for the next major (4H+) move.
Good Luck,
Mike
Reading the dark heart.
I'll let him do his work then jump on the big ride. 
