Pin Bar.
A Pin Bar (or "Pinocchio Bar") is a candle with a long wick and a small body at the opposite end — telling us price was rejected sharply from that level. It's the most powerful one-candle reversal signal in price action.
- Lower wick ≥ 2× body length
- Body sits in upper half of candle (close near high)
- Forms at swing low or demand zone
- Confirmed by next candle closing higher
- Upper wick ≥ 2× body length
- Body sits in lower half of candle (close near low)
- Forms at swing high or supply zone
- Confirmed by next candle closing lower
The safest Pin Bars form at key levels (S/R, supply/demand) — pin bars in the middle of a range without context are usually noise.
Engulfing.
A new candle swallows the entire body of the previous one — it's the clearest momentum shift signal on the chart, because the opposite side has just taken full control.
- Green candle's open ≤ prior red close
- Green candle's close ≥ prior red open
- Above-average volume on the green candle
- Forms at end of downtrend · near swing low
- Red candle's open ≥ prior green close
- Red candle's close ≤ prior green open
- Above-average volume on the red candle
- Forms at end of uptrend · near swing high
Doji
& Spinning Top.
When open ≈ close, the market is telling you it's undecided — that's the Doji or Spinning Top. By itself it's not a reversal, but spotted at an extreme after a long trend, it often marks the turning point.
- Body height ≤ 5% of total wick range
- Wicks fairly equal on both sides
- Always read context (trend / level)
- Wait for next-candle confirmation before trading
- Wick exists only on one side
- Open = Close = at the opposite extreme
- Only meaningful at key levels
- Confluence with S/R adds weight
Morning & Evening
Star.
A 3-candle pattern — large candle in the prior trend direction → small/Doji in the middle (decision pause) → large opposite candle for confirmation. This is the highest-win-rate pattern in the candlestick family.
- Candle 1: large bearish (≥ 70% body ratio)
- Candle 2: small body (gap down preferred)
- Candle 3: large bullish closing ≥ 50% into candle 1
- Forms at demand zone or swing low
- Candle 1: large bullish
- Candle 2: small body (gap up preferred)
- Candle 3: large bearish closing ≥ 50% into candle 1
- Forms at supply zone or swing high
Tweezer
Top & Bottom.
Two side-by-side candles with almost identical highs or lows — like "tweezers" pinching price at that level. It tells you the level matters: price tested it twice and held both times.
- Both lows at same level (within 1-2 pips)
- Candle 1: bearish · Candle 2: bullish
- Works best at demand zones
- Confirmed when price breaks the second candle's high
- Both highs at same level
- Candle 1: bullish · Candle 2: bearish
- Works best at supply zones
- Confirmed when price breaks the second candle's low
Combining
Patterns.
Single patterns can work, but stacking multiple patterns + structure at the same spot is what separates pros from beginners — this stack is called confluence.
- Structure: at swing high/low of the trend
- Zone: inside Supply / Demand / Order Block
- Pattern: 1-2 reversal candles back-to-back
- Volume: spike at the rejection point
- Higher Timeframe: alignment with the bigger TF
"Patterns are the words of the market.
Power of Price · Price Action Library
Context is their meaning."