What it looks like
Five swing points X, A, B, C, D. AB pulls back 88.6% of XA, almost all the way to X. BC moves back towards A. CD then drives far beyond X, so D completes at 161.8% of XA from A. Bullish: XA rises and D is a deep low. Bearish: XA falls and D is a high well above X.
What it means
The swings have reached the point where the Deep Crab says the move should end, known as point D. It is a forecast made from proportions, not a sign that price has turned. Harmonic traders believe moves often stall at these Fibonacci proportions because many orders and profit targets gather there. Point D gives a precise place to act and a tight place to be proved wrong, which is the appeal of the pattern.
Bullish and bearish versions
How to trade it
- 1
Label X, A, B, C and D and check the ratios fit the Deep Crab.
- 2
Confirmation (optional but common): a candle that turns at D, such as a close back up from D for the bullish version.
- 3
Entry: buy near D for the bullish version, sell near D for the bearish.
- 4
Stop: just beyond D. Example on gold (bullish): X 4,000, A 4,100, B 4,011 (88.6%), C 4,070, D 3,938 (161.8%). Buy near 3,939 with a stop at 3,929, a 10 point risk. The last leg is about 132 points, so targets are about 3,988 (38%) and 4,020 (62%).
- 5
Targets: 38% and then 62% of the last leg (C to D), measured back from D.
A close beyond D: below D for the bullish version, above D for the bearish version.
Where it works best
After deep, volatile swings on 1 hour to daily charts, where D lands near a major support or resistance level.
WickSpeak finds bullish and bearish Deep Crab patterns automatically, measures the ratios for you and names the pattern on the candles that made it. The note says what it is, how to trade it near D and that a close beyond D proves it wrong. In Playbook you can use it as a condition in a play, alone or alongside other patterns and indicators (any of the 146 patterns can be a condition), and backtest it on past candles with your own costs.
Common mistakes
- Labelling a normal Crab as a Deep Crab when B is only around 50%.
- Buying when B nearly reaches X as if that were D; the pattern is not complete until the 161.8% extension.
- Sizing as normal when D is far away and the move into it is fast.
Related patterns
Questions traders ask
What is the difference between a Crab and a Deep Crab?
Both complete D at 161.8% of XA. In a Crab B retraces 38 to 62% of XA; in a Deep Crab B retraces a deep 88.6%.
What are the Deep Crab ratios?
B at 88.6% of XA, then D at 161.8% of XA.
Where is the stop on a Deep Crab?
Just beyond D. A close beyond D proves it wrong.
Are harmonic patterns reliable?
A harmonic pattern is a forecast made from proportions, not a sign that price has turned. That is why many traders wait for a candle to turn at D before entering. We do not quote win rates; backtest the pattern on your own market first.