Traders obsess over entries and ignore the more important question: where do you take profit? Our NQ backtests point to a clear answer — the Meat Zone, from entry to the first 1R.
The probability decays fast
Across years of NQ data, the first 1R from entry is where the win probability concentrates. Each additional R you ask the market to deliver, the odds of getting there fall — often roughly halving as you stretch from 2R to 3R to 4R. Greedy targets quietly turn winners into round-trips.
Size the target to the move
The practical takeaway: bank the Meat Zone (scale or trail after 1R), and only let runners go when the regime is genuinely trending. "Match your target to the move, not your hope."
See it on your chart
Our Meat Zone indicator shades the Entry→TP1 zone (color-coded by direction) and plots SL/TP1–TP4 with probability context — the same logic, validated on 8 years of NQ. Pair it with BacktestAI to test your own TP rules.
Get the Meat Zone indicator →
Educational content only — not financial advice. Trading futures involves substantial risk of loss. Past backtested performance does not guarantee future results.