24 common candlestick patterns, each drawn with the move before it, what it means and what to check before you trust it. Print it or save it as a PDF.
Grey candles show the move before the pattern.
Before you trust any pattern, check:
Context: what came before it (a strong move, a sweep of an old high or low)?
Level: is it at a level that matters: an order block, a fair value gap, premium / discount, a daily high or low?
Volume: does volume support it (a rise on the turn, a fall on the pause)?
Time: did it form in a London or New York killzone rather than a quiet hour?
Confirmation: did the next candle close the right way, or did structure shift on a lower timeframe?
IndecisionDojiڈوجیOpen and close are almost the same: buyers and sellers ended even.Check: Only matters after a clear move into a level; on its own it says nothing about direction.Bullish reversalDragonfly dojiSellers pushed price far down, buyers brought it all the way back.Check: Best after a sweep of an old low or at a discount zone; wait for the next candle to close higher.Bearish reversalGravestone dojiBuyers pushed price far up, sellers brought it all the way back.Check: Best after a sweep of an old high or in premium; wait for a lower close next.IndecisionSpinning topA small body with wicks on both sides: neither side is in control.Check: Treat it as a pause; the trend before it and the next candle matter more.Bullish strengthBullish marubozuA full green body with almost no wicks: buyers in control the whole candle.Check: Strong if it breaks structure or leaves a fair value gap; weak if it runs straight into resistance.Bearish strengthBearish marubozuA full red body with almost no wicks: sellers in control the whole candle.Check: Strong if it breaks structure or leaves a fair value gap; weak if it runs straight into support.Bullish reversalHammerہیمرAfter a fall, a long lower wick and a small body near the top: buyers rejected lower prices.Check: Needs a level below (old low, order block, discount); a close above the hammer's high confirms it.Bullish reversalInverted hammerAfter a fall, a long upper wick: buyers tried to push up.Check: Weaker than a hammer; wait for the next candle to close above it.Bearish reversalHanging manA hammer shape after a rise: sellers pushed price down hard during the candle.Check: Only a warning; it needs a lower close next and a level above (old high, premium).Bearish reversalShooting starشوٹنگ اسٹارAfter a rise, a long upper wick: sellers rejected higher prices.Check: Best when the wick sweeps an old high; a close below the star's low confirms it.ReversalPin barپن بارA wick at least about two-thirds of the candle: a sharp rejection of one side.Check: The wick should poke through a clear level (a sweep) and the body close back inside.Bullish reversalBullish engulfingبُلش اینگلفنگA green body that covers the whole red body before it: buyers took over.Check: Stronger at support or after a sweep, and if volume rises; check the higher timeframe trend.Bearish reversalBearish engulfingبیئرش اینگلفنگA red body that covers the whole green body before it: sellers took over.Check: Stronger at resistance or after a sweep of an old high; check the higher timeframe trend.Bullish reversalBullish haramiA small green body inside the big red body before it: the selling is slowing.Check: Only a hint; wait for price to break above the big candle's high.Bearish reversalBearish haramiA small red body inside the big green body before it: the buying is slowing.Check: Only a hint; wait for price to break below the big candle's low.Pause / breakoutInside barانسائیڈ بارA candle whose high and low stay inside the candle before it: the market is coiling.Check: Trade the break of the mother candle in the trend direction; false breaks are common, so use a stop.Bullish reversalPiercing lineA green candle opens below the red one and closes above its middle.Check: Needs support below; a close above the red candle's open would be stronger (engulfing).Bearish reversalDark cloud coverA red candle opens above the green one and closes below its middle.Check: Needs resistance above; a close below the green candle's open would be stronger (engulfing).Bullish reversalMorning starمارننگ اسٹارA big red candle, a small pause candle, then a big green candle: a turn from down to up.Check: Best when the middle candle sweeps a low at a discount level; the third candle should close well into the first.Bearish reversalEvening starایوننگ اسٹارA big green candle, a small pause candle, then a big red candle: a turn from up to down.Check: Best when the middle candle sweeps a high in premium; the third candle should close well into the first.Bullish continuationThree white soldiersThree green candles in a row, each closing higher: steady buying.Check: Late in a long rise it can mean the move is tired; look for a pull-back into a gap or block.Bearish continuationThree black crowsThree red candles in a row, each closing lower: steady selling.Check: Late in a long fall it can mean the move is tired; look for a pull-back into a gap or block.Bearish reversalTweezer topTwo candles with almost the same high: price failed twice at the same place.Check: Equal highs are also liquidity: price may sweep them before it falls. Wait for a lower close.Bullish reversalTweezer bottomTwo candles with almost the same low: price held twice at the same place.Check: Equal lows are also liquidity: price may sweep them before it rises. Wait for a higher close.
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Patterns are not signals on their own
A hammer in the middle of nowhere means little. Candlestick patterns work best as the last piece of a plan: price
reaches a level that matters, takes liquidity, and then a pattern shows the turn. That is why every card above says what
to check. Many patterns fail, so always use a stop and size the trade with the
lot size calculator.
Patterns and ICT concepts
A pin bar or a shooting star whose wick runs through an old high is often a liquidity
sweep. An engulfing candle that breaks structure often leaves a fair value
gap and marks an order block. Learn the order in the
free ICT course.
Questions
Which candlestick pattern is the most reliable?
None works alone. Engulfing candles, pin bars and morning / evening stars are popular because they show a clear rejection, but they need a level, the right context and confirmation.
Which timeframe should I use?
Patterns on higher timeframes (1 hour and above) carry more weight; on low timeframes they appear all the time and fail more often.
Can I print the cheat sheet?
Yes. Press Print or save as PDF; the page prints the cards in three columns without the menu and buttons.
Practise and trade with a plan
See fair value gaps, order blocks and liquidity drawn for you on live charts in ICC Charts, or train your eye in the
free Chart Challenge game.
