Published June 15, 2026

Overview

This article summarizes an educational interview between Gary Knight, Chief Options Expert at Tanuki Trade, and Chris Creamer, a futures trader identified in the title as a RobinCup champion. Creamer uses Tanuki Trade in his intraday process. The interview covers his market structure framework, his daily preparation, how he reads gamma levels with order flow, and four trade case studies from May and June 2026.

Disclosure: Creamer is a Tanuki Trade ambassador. The content is educational only. It is not financial advice or a recommendation to trade futures or any other instrument. Creamer's results are individual, not typical, and should not be expected, relied upon, or assumed to be repeatable.

Trader Background

• Instruments: Creamer trades intraday, not swing. He primarily trades NASDAQ futures. He sometimes trades metals and commodities such as gold.
• Experience: He has traded futures daily for almost four years.
• Capital: He trades his own live capital and trades through prop firms using simulated funded accounts.
• Prior markets: He previously traded crypto and, to a lesser extent, forex.
• Session focus: He trades the first hour or first hour and a half of the New York open.

Defining Market Structure

Creamer uses market structure in a narrow sense. He reads highs and lows to determine whether price is bullish, bearish, consolidating, or compressing sideways.

He treats gamma and gamma exposure (GEX) differently. He views them as the regime or environment in which futures trade. He considers this context important because the options market is large and can influence futures behavior.

Daily Workflow

Creamer's framework is one part of a broader order flow approach. He uses footprint charts, Level 2 data, and resting limit orders. His morning sequence follows a fixed order.

1. Assess broader structure on lower timeframes. He determines whether the market is trending up, trending down, consolidating, rebalancing a prior move, or in price discovery.
2. Review the Tanuki Trade platform. He checks the distribution of gamma and GEX and identifies whether the market is in positive or negative gamma.
3. Map key levels against pre-market price. He tracks open interest, the put wall, the HVL (gamma flip level), and the call wall.
4. Plan scenarios for the New York open. He identifies where to watch the auction for buying and selling activity on his order flow platform.

Creamer completes this process before the session. He says he does not create new plans during the session. If the expected move plan does not play out, or does play out, he typically stops trading for the day.

Positive and Negative Gamma Regimes

Creamer uses gamma regimes to set baseline expectations for volatility. He does not use them to predict direction.

He notes three qualifications:

• A positive gamma regime does not require chop or compression.
• A negative gamma regime does not require expansion.
• Price location relative to key levels modifies the expectation. For example, acceptance above the call wall in a positive gamma regime changes how he treats that environment.

Creamer prefers negative gamma sessions. He states that volatility and movement create the conditions for larger trades. He adds that he sometimes lets trades run in negative gamma and that these sessions have produced decent wins.

Reading the Put Wall, Call Wall, and HVL

Call Walls and Put Walls

Creamer does not treat call walls or put walls as fixed lines. He treats them as location references and uses them for two decisions:

• Acceptance means price holds beyond the level. This can open further expansion.
• Rejection means price fails at the level and turns back.

He forms a daily bias first. The bias affects how he treats each wall. He gives an example. In a bullish scenario approaching a call wall, he is less likely to take a rejection because the higher and lower timeframes show bullish structure. He would look for acceptance above the call wall. In a bearish scenario approaching a put wall, he does not fade blindly. He looks for acceptance below the put wall to confirm continued downside.

He checks the following metrics on the platform at these levels:

• Put volume
• Absolute GEX
• Call open interest and net call open interest
• Put open interest and net put open interest
• Open interest and volume

Stacked Levels

Creamer calls a level "stacked" when open interest, volume, or other metrics sit at the same price as a wall. He gives these levels more weight. He states that stacked levels do not indicate direction. They signal that a level deserves closer attention. He then confirms the outcome with momentum.

Zones, Not Lines

Creamer treats key levels as zones. A small overshoot or extension past a level does not, on its own, confirm anything. He requires more context before he acts. He describes this as the difference between a zone and a single hard line.

The HVL

Creamer watches the HVL and treats it as a transitional zone, not a switch.

• If the HVL sits close to the call wall or put wall, he looks for rotation back toward it when rejection appears.
• If the HVL sits far from the walls, he evaluates it differently. He notes that some days show wide spacing between the call wall, HVL, and put wall, and other days show narrow spacing.
• He watches for acceptance or rejection inside the transitional area. He does not treat the HVL as a bounce level only.
• When price accepts beyond the HVL, he believes the market may enter a different gamma environment. This affects how he manages trades, stops, targets, and open positions.

Expected Move Box

Creamer had the newly published expected move box enabled on his chart. He had not yet used it in his process. He had not read the related Tanuki Trade article at the time of the interview. He identified the pre-market calculation as the version he would use. Gary Knight stated that the expected move box is useful for intraday futures traders because it displays probability ranges during the session.

Trade Frequency, Holding Periods, and Risk

• Trade count: Creamer typically takes one to two trades per day. He trades more only when participation, volume, and opportunity are high.
• Stops and targets: He bases stops and targets on structure, not on a fixed risk-to-reward ratio.
• Minimum target: He does not take a trade with a target below 1R.
• Average result: His data shows an average target near 2R, or just below, around 1.9R.
• Outcomes: Some trades exceed 4R, 6R, or 10R. He notes that profit factor and risk management require attention to these outcomes.
• Negative-R trades: These are rare. They come from momentum scalps. He moves these positions to breakeven quickly.
• Duration: Trades range from under a minute to several hours. Some positions hold overnight into the New York open.
• Playbooks: He uses several playbooks within this framework.

Order Flow and Footprint Charts

Creamer's execution depends on footprint charts. A footprint chart shows bid and ask volume inside each candle, for any timeframe.

• Ask (right side): Aggressive buy executions. These represent buyers.
• Bid (left side): Aggressive sell executions. These represent sellers.

When price approaches a put wall, call wall, or HVL, Creamer measures effort versus result.

• Aggression with no price progression can indicate absorption. For example, buyers push into the ask at a call wall, but price does not advance.
• After absorption, he looks for the opposing side to enter.

He also uses Level 2 data. The resting limit orders on the depth of market show where liquidity sits. He checks whether price accepts beyond an area of interest or runs into it. He describes the time and sales display as a visual representation of the tape.

He states that the platform and order flow tools work together. He would not trade his framework without them. He notes that other traders can succeed without these tools.

Creamer was asked about free tools. He does not know of any free tool suitable for his order flow approach. He pays for his order flow platforms and considers them worth the cost.

Guidance for New Tanuki Trade Users

Creamer recommends the following sequence for beginners.

1. Learn gamma and GEX. Many futures traders have not used options or the Greeks. Understanding gamma explains why these platforms exist and what they show.
2. Check the regime every morning. Identify whether the market is in positive or negative gamma. Use the regime for daily context and planning.
3. Use levels as context. Do not trade lines directly.
4. Study advanced concepts gradually. After the basics, learn hedging mechanics. Later, study charm and vanna.
5. Use educational content. Creamer used Tanuki Trade articles when he started. Gary Knight stated that Tanuki Trade publishes deep dive articles about GEX on Medium.

Common Mistakes

Creamer identifies two frequent errors among new users.

• Guarantee thinking. Traders assume that a positive gamma regime guarantees chop or that a negative gamma regime guarantees expansion. Futures trading is probabilistic. Regimes set expectations, not outcomes.
• Blanket support and resistance. Traders mark every gamma level as support or resistance. Creamer recommends using levels for context and confirmation.

Gary Knight summarized the principle. A put wall does not guarantee support. A call wall does not guarantee rejection. Traders must watch price, confirm acceptance or rejection, and assess momentum before acting.

Case Study 1: May 6, 2026

Context: Overnight, NASDAQ rose about 388 points from the CME open to a high, then began to turn. Creamer assessed the structure as very bullish on every timeframe he reviewed. Price moved above the call wall and then returned below it. The market opened in a positive gamma environment.

Baseline expectation: Compression or rotation, unless price accepts cleanly beyond a key level.

Plan:

• C1 at 28,480: The key decision level. Reclaiming C1 would signal further expansion into price discovery.
• Pullback zone: If price fell to the current leg's discount area, where C2 sat with stacked levels, Creamer would examine footprint to determine whether buyers would step in.
• Below C2: He would watch the HVL and P1.

Execution:

1. Creamer entered long near C1 and sought acceptance above 480. He held that buyers could carry price back toward all-time highs.
2. Price rotated and compressed between C1 and C2 during the morning, consistent with the positive gamma baseline.
3. Buyers began to show pressure. Creamer observed absorption near C5. He moved his stop to breakeven.
4. After another leg higher, he moved the stop below the hourly low. He noted approaching net call volume on the platform. He trailed the stop below the current hourly candle.
5. Price moved higher with buyers stepping in. He trailed the stop below the 5-minute candle. He identified 580 as a level to hold and a level near 600 to 605 with net call volume. He wanted to avoid buyers becoming trapped above that area.
6. At about 110 points in profit from entry, price pulled back. He exited with about 89 points.

Result: About 89 points, approximately 1:1 relative to initial risk. The trade lasted about one hour and 30 minutes.

Creamer's assessment: The outcome followed the plan. He waited for a break of the call wall and a slower grind higher. The platform had indicated the type of day in advance.

Case Study 2: May 12, 2026

Context: Price opened in negative gamma after a pullback overnight during the Asia and London sessions. Creamer expected more volatility and cleaner directional expansion than in the prior sessions.

Key levels:

• HVL: Approximately 29,370
• Call wall: Above price, with C1 as the first upside target
• P2 and P1: P1 was the key downside level. Net put open interest, put open interest, and net put volume stacked at 28,875.

Plan:

• Holding above 29,370 with buyers reclaiming the level would target C1. A break of C1 could open a delayed expansion higher.
• Staying below the HVL would support a rotation lower and a deeper pullback. He would watch P2 and P1.

Execution:

1. Creamer watched buyers attempt to defend a level near the data lows. Sellers slowed. He saw aggression without price progression, then entered long. He also entered on his live account.
2. Buyers showed aggression. He placed the stop below the large trade and sought acceptance to continue higher. He noted large sell orders ahead.
3. He trailed the stop below a 5-minute candle to avoid rejection at the large sell orders. He exited.
4. He re-entered long on a retest of the level. He placed the stop below the large trade and planned to add above a specific point. He trailed the stop below the open of a 5-minute candle, because a strong push should not pass that open.
5. Price broke down through the original put wall. The put wall then shifted to 2980. Creamer identified acceptance below the put wall as the trigger for a continuation lower. He noted a new put wall with put open interest and net put open interest near 28,875. This became the draw for the day. Creamer said long positions were no longer appropriate after acceptance below the original level.
6. Price approached 2980. Buyers were absorbed there. Creamer took a short with a stop above, trailing the stop. He stated that he adds to winning positions in negative gamma. Speed can produce a winner larger than the combined losers. He continued to add to the short while price moved toward 28,915 and then 28,875.
7. Price reached P2 region. He trailed the stop tighter because P2 was a level with significant gamma. He exited.
8. He took a long on a reversal attempt. The attempt failed. He exited with about 40 points.

Results:

• Trade outcomes included about 40 points, 25 points, and 50 points on separate positions during the session.
• He traded a small live account. Creamer stated the account started at about $440 and rose to about$677. The session produced a gain of about $269.
• He traded one micro contract and occasionally two. He estimated about 500 ticks captured across the session.
• Creamer described the execution as imperfect. He wanted to avoid leaving profit on the table with a small account.

Case Study 3: May 18, 2026

Context: Price entered discount of the higher timeframe range overnight. It held above the 29,000 area and found support. Price sat near the transitional HVL zone before the New York open. Creamer assessed the higher timeframe as bullish.

Key levels:

• HVL: Approximately 29,270 early in the session. Creamer identified this as the most important level.
• Upside targets: The call wall and Friday's New York session highs. A break of the call wall would open a possible slower grind toward net call open interest, call open interest, and absolute open interest.
• Downside levels: P2 and the put wall at 28,860.

Plan:

• Breaking and holding above the HVL would target the call wall and Friday's New York session highs.
• Failing to reclaim the HVL and rotating lower would target P2 or the put wall at 28,860.

Execution:

1. Buyers attempted to reclaim the HVL and failed. Creamer shorted the failed retest. He noted a large trade and placed the stop accordingly.
2. Price approached the put wall. Creamer identified a large negative gamma node. He trailed the stop below that trade as price moved lower.
3. Price moved through the level and stopped out after a strong sell response. He noted a large seller that held.
4. He observed that the put wall had moved back to an earlier area. He watched for sellers to defend the position and buyers to fail. He shorted again with a stop above recent highs.
5. Buyers stepped in and failed. He trailed the stop tightly. He exited the second short for about 50 points.
6. Creamer noted that buyers had stepped into the same area once already. He did not want to risk another rebound. Volatility was high.
7. Creamer took two wins of about 50 points each. He observed a range of more than 100 points and waited for an approach to about 130.
8. At 130, buyers were absorbed and rejection appeared. He shorted with the stop at breakeven after 25 points in profit. Price snapped back, and he exited at breakeven.

Results:

• Two winning trades of about 50 points each.
• A third trade reached breakeven.
• Net result for the session: about 100 points.
• The live account traded smaller size because the 5-minute ATR was 81 points. Creamer described trading at that volatility with a live account as slightly dangerous and requiring small size.

Case Study 4: June 1, 2026

Pre-market context: About 45 minutes before the open, the market was in positive gamma and above the HVL. Overnight, price set new all-time highs, and London began to push lower.

Key levels:

• Call wall: 30,545. Creamer identified this as the key decision area. Acceptance above it would target all-time high at 30,595.
• HVL: About 30,380. Failure to hold above the HVL could lead to rotation toward the put wall.

Plan:

• Acceptance above 30,545 with buyers holding above the call wall would target the all-time high at 30,595.
• Rotation lower after failing at 545 would move price toward the HVL. Rejection at the HVL could lead to a move toward the put wall.

Execution:

1. Price held below the HVL. Creamer shorted as buyers struggled, using five micro contracts. He placed the stop above the HVL and targeted P1.
2. Price touched the HVL. He added to the position.
3. He moved the stop to breakeven. He wanted acceptance below the HVL.
4. Before the open, he exited. He had about 60 points in profit. He did not want to hold through the market open without a trailing stop in profit. He also noted that the position was in discount of the active range.
5. Price then accepted higher. Creamer looked for sellers to fail near a deeper retracement toward C2. He went long as sellers struggled.
6. He trailed the stop aggressively as price approached the call wall. He exited early with about 45 points.

Other account: Creamer also traded a second account. After news was released, price closed below the HVL. He wanted acceptance below the HVL. He shorted on a push back up and held toward the put wall. He moved his stop into profit as the market opened. He exited after a period of chop.

Results: Creamer reported about 45 points on the primary account trade. He noted the long could have reached a full target. He trailed the stop near the call wall because volume was low during much of the move higher. He wanted to avoid a rapid reversal.

Key Takeaways From Creamer's Process

• Plan before the session. Build the daily outlook from structure, gamma regime, and key levels.
• Use regime as context. Positive and negative gamma set expectations for volatility, not direction.
• Confirm at levels. Watch acceptance or rejection with order flow before acting.
• Read effort against result. Absorption and failed aggression are central signals in his process.
• Manage risk actively. Trail stops, move to breakeven, and reduce size in high-volatility conditions.
• Avoid certainty. Levels provide probabilities and zones, not guarantees.