Build the two gap lists
James’s time · PT4:45 AMYour timeYour selected timezone
Time to build the Gap Up and Gap Down lists. Start with the broader universe, then narrow the candidates for the open.
Open this routine stepPrepare · trade · review
A day with structure.
Follow the routine James describes in My Trading Routine, from starting the PC at 4:30 AM to reviewing the gap list at 1:30 PM. Explore each step, then see the preparation behind it.
In his own wordsMy Trading Routine
One trading day. 13 moments.
Step 01 / 13
James’s time · PT4:30 AMYour time...Drag or use arrow keysJames’s time · PT1:30 PMYour time...
Before the openJames’s time · PT4:30 AMYour time...Until open2h
Start the day
James starts at 4:30 AM on the West Coast. The first job is simple: turn on the PC.
- ↳Spin up the trading PC.
- ↳Begin the preparation window, two hours before the open.
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Our reading of the process
Preparation gets its own time before trading begins.
Before the openJames’s time · PT4:45 AMYour time...Until open1h 45m
Build the two gap lists
He builds a Gap Up list and a Gap Down list, with roughly 60 tickers in each. He combines his list with a worksheet shared with two other people who use different scanners.
- ↳Separate gap ups from gap downs.
- ↳Combine the shared lists to catch names another scanner may miss.
- ↳Start with a broad pool, then narrow it.
Watchlist connection
His watchlist video explains the stock universe behind the morning lists, then shows how he sorts and organises the candidates.
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Our reading of the process
The gap lists are candidates for review, not a list of trades to take.
Before the openJames’s time · PT5:00 AMYour time...Until open1h 30m
Refine the ultimate watchlist
James sorts the tickers by favourites and priority, creates thumbnail charts, and checks what is behind each gap.
- ↳Prioritise the names worth a closer look on the daily charts.
- ↳Check news and filter out secondary offerings and ex-dividend gaps.
- ↳Filter out buyouts while reviewing what caused each gap.
Watchlist connection
His watchlist video explains the stock universe behind the morning lists, then shows how he sorts and organises the candidates.
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Our reading of the process
The reason for a gap matters alongside its size.
Before the openJames’s time · PT5:05 AM to 5:35 AMYour time...Until open1h 25m
Organise the thumbnail charts
He spends roughly 30 minutes arranging the remaining watchlist into thumbnail charts he can monitor throughout the day.
- ↳Arrange the remaining names across the chart workspace.
- ↳In the watchlist video, related sectors sit together.
- ↳Keep the charts ready for the next review.
Watchlist connection
His watchlist video explains the stock universe behind the morning lists, then shows how he sorts and organises the candidates.
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Our reading of the process
Grouping related names makes sector moves easier to notice.
Before the openJames’s time · PT~5:35 AMYour time...Until open~55m
Print the daily trading journal
He also prints his daily trading journal during the chart-organisation window. Around 5:35 AM is an approximate placement in this timeline.
- ↳Print the journal for the session.
- ↳Have it ready alongside the prepared charts.
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Our reading of the process
Recording the day is part of the preparation, too.
Before the openJames’s time · PT6:00 AMYour time...Until open30m
Choose the top watches
James goes through the stocks once more before the open to identify his top watches for the day.
- ↳Revisit the remaining watchlist.
- ↳Decide which stocks deserve attention at the open.
- ↳The separate pre-market video shows an example of this kind of review.
Pre-market connection
The separate pre-market video adds a worked example: broader market first, then gap location, liquidity and related stocks.
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Our reading of the process
A gap becomes more useful when you know its chart location and market context.
Before the openJames’s time · PT6:00 AM to 6:25 AMYour time...Until open30m
Prepare the trading setup
In the final preparation window, he gets everything ready for the open. Around 6:25 AM he populates order boxes and sets up or reviews Level 2.
- ↳Prepare the order boxes.
- ↳Set up and review Level 2.
- ↳Be ready before the opening session starts.
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Our reading of the process
The last minutes before the bell are for getting the workspace ready.
Morning sessionJames’s time · PT6:30 AMYour time...Market openOpening bell
Trade the morning session
The market opens at 6:30 AM Pacific. His morning trading session begins.
- ↳Monitor the prepared top watches.
- ↳Watch how the opening action develops.
Pre-market connection
The separate pre-market video adds a worked example: broader market first, then gap location, liquidity and related stocks.
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Our reading of the process
Preparation supplies the watches. The opening action supplies new information.
Morning sessionJames’s time · PT9:00 AMYour time...After open2h 30m
Take a lunch break
Around 9:00 AM, James takes what he calls his lunch break. It is still morning on the West Coast.
- ↳Step away for a break between sessions.
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Our reading of the process
The day has a pause between the morning focus and the afternoon search.
Afternoon sessionJames’s time · PT10:00 AMYour time...After open3h 30m
Scan the broader universe
At 10:00 AM he starts what he considers his afternoon session, with heavy scanning beyond the morning gap list.
- ↳Go back through the broader stock universe.
- ↳Look beyond the names selected before the open.
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Our reading of the process
The morning list is a starting point. The afternoon search widens the field.
Afternoon sessionJames’s time · PT10:30 AMYour time...After open4h
Trade the afternoon session
The main afternoon trading session begins around 10:30 AM, after the broader scanning window.
- ↳Monitor the opportunities found in the broader scan.
- ↳Continue watching the chart workspace for setups.
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Our reading of the process
A second preparation window leads into the second trading session.
Review & resetJames’s time · PT1:00 PMYour time...After open6h 30m
Update the tracking sheet
At 1:00 PM, James records the day’s P&L and trading performance statistics.
- ↳Enter today’s P&L.
- ↳Update the performance and statistics tracking sheet.
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Our reading of the process
The session leaves a record that can be reviewed over time.
Review & resetJames’s time · PT1:30 PMYour time...After open7h
Review the gaps and shut down
Around 1:30 PM he reviews what the day’s gappers eventually did, a step he especially emphasises for traders starting out, then shuts down the PC.
- ↳Check how each gapper and its setups played out.
- ↳Review what worked and what did not.
- ↳Notice which patterns are performing well, then finish the day.
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Our reading of the process
Review includes the gap list, so it can teach more than the trades taken alone.
1 of 13
The work behind the schedule.
The routine gives the sequence. These videos help explain the preparation inside it.
How To Create A Gap Scanner For Beginners
Where the gap lists come from
His watchlist video explains the stock universe behind the morning lists, then shows how he sorts and organises the candidates.
- 01
Universe
He starts in Finviz with average volume above 500,000 and price above $1, removes ETFs in Excel, and refreshes the symbols roughly quarterly.
- 02
Gap lists
In Thinkorswim, he sorts that universe by mark percent change and separates moves greater than 2% up or down. He also checks Market Chameleon for other movers.
- 03
Workspace
The selected names become thumbnail charts, grouped by related sectors so he can watch them through the session.
Source contextThese are the settings and tools described in his watchlist video. The Finviz export in his example requires an Elite membership.
Pre-Market Gaps | How I Trade The Open
How he narrows the opening focus
The separate pre-market video adds a worked example: broader market first, then gap location, liquidity and related stocks.
- 01
Market
He begins with QQQ to frame the broader market before reviewing individual gap downs and gap ups.
- 02
Location
Netflix has the dramatic earnings gap, but lands at major monthly support. Disney and Paramount draw his attention because they clear recent support more cleanly.
- 03
Selection
He weighs volume and related names, skipping many ADRs or thin stocks. His review after the open includes mixed outcomes and an opportunity he missed.
Source contextThis is one historical session. Its connection to the 6:00 AM review is our editorial reading, not a confirmed minute-by-minute match.
Test your understanding
More than knowing the times.
The routine, the gap scanner and the pre-market read. 16 questions, including how he revisits the lists.
Try the routine quiz ↗4 chapters · About 7 minutes
The Rich Young Trading Floor
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