ES / NQ HuntingFlow Playbook: Pre-Open to Close in One Thread
2026/06/02

ES / NQ HuntingFlow Playbook: Pre-Open to Close in One Thread

Connect Zero Gamma, wall velocity, and Confluence into an executable ES / NQ intraday workflow — pre-open script, live regime reads, and same-UI replay.

TL;DR — Hunting flow isn't another GEX screenshot. It's script pre-open → read regime live → replay in the same UI post-close. ES and NQ share one time axis so you catch lead/lag without alt-tabbing.

Why ES and NQ belong on one screen

S&P and Nasdaq futures share drivers, different tempo:

  • Macro shocks often hit NQ first, ES confirms later
  • Mega-cap days make NQ's Short Gamma leg steeper
  • Dual-pane crosshair beats losing half your divergences to window switching

The HuntingFlow terminal stacks ES and NQ DEX / GEX / gamma heat on one canvas — see the homepage dual-screen section.

Three-stage trading day

01 · Pre-open script

30 minutes before the bell:

CheckAction
Zero GammaAbove or below 0Γ? Default fade vs momentum bias
Call / Put wallsDistance to C1 / P1 — hard boundaries today
Confluence ★0Γ + walls + HVL overlap — defend list
Macro narrativePre-Market Prep text — widen stops on event days

Start here: What is Zero Gamma

02 · Intraday regime

Tactical HUD color = today's personality:

  • Long Gamma — fade extremes, tighter targets, fake-breakout aware
  • Short Gamma — trend with flow, wider stops, walls break → acceleration

Add wall velocity (thickening / melting / migrating) and the GEX structural alert bell (Pro & Ultra).

Read more: Long vs Short Gamma regime

Platform users: GEX plugins with the command-center HUD (order-flow toxicity) on MotiveWave.

03 · Post-close review

  • Replay — last 30 days, same UI (not static PNGs)
  • Journal — Confluence hits vs misses
  • Iterate — tomorrow's defend list

Two high-frequency setups

Setup A: Above 0Γ chop day

  • Fade toward Put Wall inside Long Gamma
  • Dual-screen: who tags the wall first, who diverges
  • Plugins: enter when wall + thick MBO bid align

Setup B: Below 0Γ trend day

  • Don't fade C1 breaks — Short Gamma accelerates
  • When NQ leads, wait for ES confirmation or trade spread logic
  • GEX structural alert bell surfaces gamma flips across the desk (Pro & Ultra)

vs "daily GEX screenshot" services

Static GEX siteHermēs hunting flow
Refreshminutes–hours~3 seconds
ES×NQmanual switchdual-screen
RegimeguessworkHUD color
Replayrare30 days
Terminalbrowser onlyfive plugins

Get started

  1. Register · code HERMES50 for 50% off month one
  2. Pro vs Ultra — Pro is enough for ES/NQ snipers
  3. Install desktop plugins for MotiveWave / NinjaTrader overlays

Options and futures involve substantial risk. Hermēs provides research tools, not investment advice. See disclaimer.

Frequently asked questions

Pro vs Ultra for ES / NQ hunting flow?

Pro ($49/mo) covers live ES / NQ plus core SPX / NDX indices and the real options chain. Ultra ($79/mo) adds all 62 tickers and the cross-ticker GEX correlation matrix. Dual-screen ES×NQ and the core analysis stack are on both tiers.

Do I need to read the options chain manually?

No — the terminal computes and visualizes Net GEX, 0Γ, walls, and the regime HUD. You follow the workflow: levels first, regime color second.

Web terminal or desktop plugins?

Web for dual-screen panorama and 30-day replay; plugins for GEX on MotiveWave / NinjaTrader where you execute. Many desks script on web, execute on platform.

What should I check pre-open?

Zero Gamma vs yesterday's close, distance to Call/Put walls, ★ Confluence levels, then the Pre-Market Prep narrative for today's defend lines.

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ES / NQ HuntingFlow Playbook: Pre-Open to Close in One Thread