AM Briefing — Thursday, August 20, 2026 | ES & MES Futures

5 Lessons From Today's AM Briefing There was no briefing this morning. Price had already dropped into Battle Plan 3 and the whole session came down to one number… would 87 hold. It did, longs paid, and it happened the day before OPEX when most traders had no business being aggressive. Here is what today was actually teaching. Lesson 1: Trade the chart, not the script The briefing prepares you the night before. When price is already sitting on a mapped level at the open, stop narrating and execute what you planned. Lesson 2: Respect the day before OPEX Treat the day before Option Expiration like a Friday. Size down, stay counter, and demand a perfect entry. Traders who ignore it have not been hurt by it yet. Lesson 3: The first ladder gives you a clean stop When price makes a new low then bounces, that first ladder entry puts your stop right under the low. Defined risk you can see beats a prettier entry you cannot manage. Lesson 4: Cheaper price or more confirmation You rarely get both. The 82 ladder was cheap with a tight stop. The 86.25 entry cost more but confirmed the level was holding. Pick your style before the trade. Lesson 5: Take profits and hold a runner You do not know how far a move travels. Bank the sure points into strength and keep a small runner on for the move you cannot predict. Watch the briefing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4gcQbLwJL0 Full breakdown: https://microstrader.com/am-briefing-837-defending-87-at-battle-plan-3-the-day-before-opex/ Blogger: https://microstrader.blogspot.com/2026/08/am-briefing-837-defending-87-at-battle.html Tomorrow's AM Briefing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjmKfOaG3tE Tomorrow's Live Stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzI73zV7PIE Full show notes, charts & timeline: https://microstrader.com/am-briefing-837-defending-87-at-battle-plan-3-the-day-before-opex/ The Trading Library — 140 free lessons from 1,000+ live sessions: https://microstrader.com/library/ Get today's ES/MES Battle Plan: https://microstrader.com/battleplan/ Watch the live stream — current session plus the AM Briefing and archive playlists: https://academy.microstrader.com/livestream/