Hikkake

Hikkake is the definitive clean implementation of the hikkake trap sequence. It finds an inside bar whose first break takes exactly one of its sides, then arms a setup in the opposite direction: a break above arms a bearish trap, a break below a bullish one. The setup draws the inside-bar zone, the trigger at the opposite extreme, dotted mother-bar reference levels and a dashed invalidation line, then waits: snap back through the trigger inside the window and the pattern fires; otherwise the setup is retired.

How to Trade the Hikkake?

• Armed setup: the false break just printed. Nothing to do but watch the trigger level.
• Trigger fires: price came back through the opposite extreme within the window; the label's tooltip reports the failed break's extreme and elapsed bars, and levels project forward.
• Invalidation: the conventional stop rides just past the false break's extreme; a return there re-asks the question the trap had answered.
• Expiry: a trigger arriving late has typically lost its trap logic; setups void after the window.

Direction follows the snap-back, not the bait: the side that broke first is the trapped side.

Hikkake Settings

• Trigger Window (Bars) (default 3): bars allowed between false break and trigger.
• Trigger Condition (default Wick): trade-through triggers, or a stricter close beyond the level.
• Max Inside Bar Size % (default 100): cap on the inside bar relative to the mother bar.
• Cancel On Close Beyond Mother Bar (default disabled): void setups whose break follows through instead of failing.
• Trend Alignment (default disabled) with SMA Length (default 50): only arm setups resolving with the trend.
• Invalidation Level (default False Break Extreme): or the conservative mother bar extreme.
• Levels & style: invalidation line on, projected target off, mother bar levels on, voided setups hidden, extension 10 bars.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Hikkake differ from a False Breakout tool?

Why is the signal direction opposite to the first break?

Should the trigger use Wick or Close?