What it looks like
Three dojis in a row, each with a very small body compared with its full range. Bullish: after a fall, the middle doji sits lower than the first and third. Bearish: after a rise, the middle doji sits higher than the first and third. The pattern's high and low are the highest and lowest points of all three candles.
What it means
Three indecisive candles in a row at the end of a move tell you the side that was in control has stopped pressing. After a fall, sellers could not push the middle candle much lower and nobody followed through after it; after a rise, buyers stalled the same way. It is a hint the move is tiring and no more than that, which is why it needs a confirming close before you act.
Bullish and bearish versions
How to trade it
- 1
Do not trade the three dojis on their own. Mark the pattern's high and low.
- 2
Bullish: wait for a candle that closes above the pattern's high, then buy. Bearish: wait for a candle that closes below the pattern's low, then sell.
- 3
Put the stop just below the pattern's low (bullish) or just above its high (bearish).
- 4
Set a first target at one to two times the stop distance, or at the nearest level that already mattered.
- 5
Example: on the gold 15 minute chart a bullish tri-star forms after a fall with a 6 point range. A candle closes above its high, you buy with a stop about 7 points away and aim for roughly 7 to 14 points.
Bullish: a close below the pattern's low. Bearish: a close above the pattern's high.
Where it works best
At a clear floor or ceiling after an extended move, on 15 minute charts and higher where dojis are less likely to be noise.
WickSpeak finds the tri-star automatically on any chart and names it on the candles that made it. It writes what it is, how to trade it and what proves it wrong right on the chart. Playbook can use it, or any of the 146 patterns, as a condition alongside up to 12 conditions on any of 12 timeframes, and backtest the play on past candles with your costs.
Common mistakes
- Trading the dojis before a candle has closed beyond the pattern.
- Treating any three small candles in a quiet, sideways market as a tri-star.
- Placing the stop inside the pattern instead of beyond its far end.
Related patterns
Questions traders ask
Is the tri-star a strong reversal pattern?
No, it is one of the gentler signals. It tells you the move has stalled, not that it has turned. Wait for a close beyond the pattern before trading it.
What is the difference between a bullish and bearish tri-star?
A bullish tri-star forms after a fall with the middle doji lowest. A bearish tri-star forms after a rise with the middle doji highest. The trade direction and stop flip accordingly.
How rare is the tri-star pattern?
It is uncommon because it needs three true dojis in a row in the right shape. On fast markets like gold and US30 it shows up more on lower timeframes, where it is also less reliable.
Where should the stop go on a tri-star trade?
Just beyond the far end of the whole pattern: below the low for a bullish tri-star, above the high for a bearish one. A close past that point proves the pattern wrong.