| name | pax-trade-loop |
| description | Use when the operator asks to run, resume, continue, or check the live pax_algo_v1 sim trading loop on NQ (ETH or RTH session), or when picking a trading session back up after a reboot / fresh Claude session. Triggers include "trade ETH", "run the loop", "start trading the sim", "what's the loop doing", "pick up where we left off", "you trade this". |
pax-trade-loop — run/resume the pax_algo_v1 sim trading loop
Core principle
Read the documented rules, then REACT — never reinvent. A reboot wipes
the live session context; do not guess to fill the gap. The Pax OR strategy is
already specified and the dashboard already computes the decision. You execute
it; you do not re-derive thresholds. "We get paid to react, not analyze." Sim
(paper) only.
STEP 0 — On a fresh/rebooted session, READ THESE FIRST (do not skip)
skills/pax-or/SKILL.md — the authoritative Pax OR ruleset (entries at
OR-H/OR-L only, confirmation, stretch gate, rungs, stops, scale-out).- Memory:
eth_sim_loop_operating_model, feedback_read_records_dont_reinvent.
_session_snapshots/eth_trade_loop_spec.md — the active loop spec._session_snapshots/eth_loop_tick.py — the pure-function tick executor.
If the rule's exact logic is unclear, recover it from the prior session
transcript (C:\Users\autop\.claude\projects\C--Bookmap-addons-MCP-Bookmap\*.jsonl)
— do NOT fabricate a substitute.
The rule (pax_algo_v1, v3 — documented)
REACT to snap.or_levels (the dashboard already resolved FOLLOW/FADE +
confirmation into a per-level decision):
| Field | Use |
|---|
middleLock | true -> SIT (inside OR, no position) |
inProximity | false -> SIT (not within ~50 ticks of a level = stretch gate s2.4) |
levels[].decision | ENTER_LONG_* / ENTER_SHORT_* / WAIT |
levels[].confidence | must be >= floor |
levels[].proximity | only the proximate level is actionable |
- Entry only at OR-H / OR-L boundary, FOLLOW only,
confidence >= floor,
rotation not against (ps_rot). Place a RESTING order AT the level and let
price come to it — never chase (operator rule 2026-05-28):
- LONG (OR-H break): buy STOP-LIMIT, trigger = orHigh, limit = orHigh+2tk.
- SHORT (OR-L break): sell STOP-LIMIT, trigger = orLow, limit = orLow-2tk.
- FADE + rung (+N/-N) entries are DEFERRED (v4 marks ARMED).
- Stop = OR midpoint +/- breathing room (3pt testing value): a break that
fails back through the OR middle is stopped ("middle forbidden"). TP1 =
level +/- 10pt, TP2 = level +/- 65pt rung. Order = 2 units via
pax_manual ... --entry-stop <trigger>.
- Governor (v4): verify the place subprocess succeeded before claiming a
fill; never stack a 2nd entry while one is WORKING (HOLD it, cancel only on
invalidation); 5-min post-trade cooldown; daily stop from sim
losers_today;
in-position management runs before the entry gates.
- In position: resting entry triggers -> brackets manage TP/stop; flatten if
price falls back inside the OR (failed break, s2.3 "middle forbidden").
- Daily stop: 2 losers -> stand down (s5.4), wired to sim
losers_today.
- Testing:
python eth_loop_tick.py --dry-run reads live data + logs the
decision but places NO order. decide() is a pure function pinned by
_session_snapshots/test_eth_loop_tick.py.
ETH vs RTH (they differ — do not forget)
Same OR mechanics; tuning is keyed to or_day_ledger.session_type. Confidence
floor: ETH 0.35, RTH 0.50. The full ETH threshold/weight profile is still
being calibrated — treat ETH floor as tunable and confirm with operator before
changing it (do not invent thresholds).
Running stack (all local; sim/paper only)
- Dashboard
:18888 (snapshot source), overview :18890, tick-only daemon
(pax_daemon --no-auto-decide — fills orders + journals, does NOT auto-trade),
watcher loop 60s -> D:\BookmapLogs\watcher_ps_log.jsonl.
- Sim CLI:
python -m bookmap_mcp.pax_manual {long|short|flatten|status} with
BOOKMAP_ALLOW_TRADING= cleared. Sim DB D:\BookmapLogs\pax-daemon-trades.db.
Start / run / stop the loop
- Loop =
CronCreate */1 * * * * firing a prompt that runs
python _session_snapshots\eth_loop_tick.py each minute and logs one JSON
line to D:\BookmapLogs\eth_claude_loop.jsonl. Session-local: dies if the
Claude session closes; the daemon/dashboard/watcher keep running.
- Each tick reply = ONE line:
state | action | mid/levels | reason.
- Stop:
CronDelete <id>, then pax_manual flatten if a position is open.
- Auto session-stop is OFF by default (
STOP_CT_HOUR=None) — operator stops
manually. The old ct_h >= 24.0 branch was dead code (hour never reaches 24).
OPEN RULE: does ETH trade right up to the RTH 08:30 open, or stop at midnight?
Set STOP_CT_HOUR once decided. Until then, operator "stop trading" is the cut.
Resume-after-reboot checklist
- Read STEP 0 files. 2. Verify processes: dashboard owns
:18888
(/api/snapshot returns health:ok), one tick-only daemon, watcher running.
pax_manual status -> note position / realized / losers. 4. CronList ->
is the loop already scheduled? 5. Resume or re-create the cron. Do not flip the
daemon between auto-decide/tick-only repeatedly — tick-only is correct when
Claude drives.
Known issues (carry forward, fix deliberately)
- Sim fills at NQ $20/pt, not MNQ —
qty 2 = 2 NQ (~10x intended MNQ risk).
Confirm multiplier before sizing.
- Thin ETH tape -> low confidence + DEAD lt; eligibility-style gates over-block
(v3 bypasses lt/eligibility, gates on or_levels decision instead).
- Tiny ETH ORs (~14pt) are fakeout-prone; the break may not hold (live-observed
2026-05-28: OR-L FOLLOW short conf 0.48 was a fakeout, scratched -1 unit).
Communication
Terse one-line ticks. Talk like a person, own mistakes plainly, surface real
findings instead of burying them. Don't over-explain routine SIT/ARMED ticks.
What NOT to do
- Don't invent entry rules or thresholds — read
pax-or + or_levels.
- Don't chase a break already past proximity (stretch gate).
- Don't trade inside the OR. Don't flip mid-trade without a fresh confirmed break.
- Don't place live orders — sim only; live routing stays gated in
server.py.
- Don't reinvent the setup each session — this skill + the memory ARE the setup.
