Yesterday I met a buddy, and his face turned green.

He caught a hot coin, went all-in with 10x leverage. After placing the order, the price skyrocketed, and that long bullish candle was thick and long. He grinned from ear to ear: "I'm going to get rich this time!"

Less than ten minutes later. It crashed. His account balance hit zero.

He slumped in his chair and asked me, "I clearly saw the right direction, so why did it blow through?"

I lit a cigarette and said, "You think you're trading, but you're actually playing a game for others."

Retail traders desperately study candlestick patterns, MACD golden crosses, but don't realize there's someone on the other end who knows exactly when you'll panic and when you'll be greedy. The loss isn't just technical; it's the manipulated mindset.

Here are some tactics that big players love to use. Understand them, and you can at least avoid getting slaughtered a few times.

**First, fake breakouts to trap you in.**
When a key level is broken, do you think the trend has started? Check the volume—if there's no volume, it's a trap. They push the price up first to lure you into chasing the rally, then they turn around and smash it down. When it breaks support, you're too late to escape.

**Next, the raid after accumulating on the sideways.**
The price consolidates so long that you start doubting everything. Occasionally, it pulls a little to make you think it's about to move, but then a sharp plunge breaks your psychological defense. You sell off, and the low-position chips all go into someone else's pocket.

**Then, the double kill of bulls and bears.**
First, they trigger a squeeze on the shorts, then they suddenly turn around and crush the longs. A double slap—retailers suffer heavy losses, and they profit from your fees.

**On-chain data can also be faked.**
Whale wallets transferring large amounts, big deposits and withdrawals—creating a false impression of "main players entering." You rush in to buy, and they just exit smoothly.

**The sneakiest is the low-vol sideways accumulation that drains you.**
The price looks steady, but the order book keeps buying high and selling low, slowly eating away at your margin and patience. When you can't hold on and close your position, the market suddenly moves.

**And the shadow needle on futures to sweep the order book.**
Futures prices suddenly diverge from spot prices, a long wick sweeps through, and everyone gets liquidated—no chance to even take a screenshot.

Their tactics are simple: create illusions, manipulate emotions, control the rhythm.

You watch the chart, but they watch your reactions. The highest activity often signals their retreat.

Remember this: understanding the chart isn't as important as understanding the game. Don't become someone else's pawn.