The Opening Gap Almost Everyone Overlooks
The regular-session opening gap almost everyone overlooks.
Before you start: No prior concept needed — same idea as NDOG, different session window.
Part of the My Edge Official framework — refined through thousands of hours of chart study.
While everyone watches the 9:30 New York open, most traders completely overlook the gap that forms between the previous day's regular session close and today's open. The RTH Opening Gap is an intraday reference specific to the New York session that can influence price delivery throughout the entire day.
- Theory
- Context
- Confirmation
- Execution
Everyone watches what happens at the official New York open at 9:30, but few people notice the small gap that forms between yesterday's regular-session close and today's regular-session open. That's the RTH Opening Gap.
Similar to NDOG, price likes to come back to this gap — usually within the first 30 minutes after the open — before continuing on its path. That's why it's one of the first references we mark every day at the New York open.
Advanced explanation⌄
Theory
The RTH Opening Gap forms when the current RTH session opens at a different price than the previous RTH session closed — a visible price gap forms between the two RTH sessions.
Premium RTH Opening Gap — the current RTH open is above the previous RTH close. Discount RTH Opening Gap — the current RTH open is below the previous RTH close.
Context
The first RTH hourly candle spans 9:30–10:30 New York time. The following ones: 10:30–11:30, 11:30–12:30, 12:30–1:30, 1:30–2:30, 2:30–3:30, 3:30–4:00.
The first 1-minute fair value gap that forms after the 9:30 RTH open is the first FVG after the market open, and it must be assessed within the current market context.
Confirmation
Before treating it as meaningful context, confirm: higher-timeframe context, draw on liquidity, market structure, session, timeframe, and nearby PD Arrays.
Execution
💡 Price often retraces to the 50% level of the RTH Opening Gap within the first 30 minutes after the RTH open. The first 1-minute FVG after the 9:30 open carries greater importance than later intraday FVGs, since it is the first imbalance after the regular session opens.
How to Use It
In practice:
- Right after 9:30 New York time, mark the RTH Opening Gap and classify it as Premium or Discount — this becomes part of your intraday context for the New York session.
- Track whether price actually reaches the gap's 50% level within the first 30 minutes — if it does, this confirms the observation and provides additional context for the rest of the session.
- Treat the first 1-minute FVG after 9:30 with higher priority than other intraday FVGs (see also Fair Value Gap for general priority rules) — and always pair it with the New York Kill Zone.
Don't stop here — see how this fits with the rest of the framework.
Continue to Asia Session →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the RTH Opening Gap?⌄
The RTH Opening Gap is the price gap between the previous regular trading session's close and today's RTH open — an intraday New York session reference that most traders overlook while focused on the 9:30 open itself.
How do I use the RTH Opening Gap during the session?⌄
Mark and classify it (Premium or Discount) right after 9:30 New York time, then track whether price retraces to its 50% level within the first 30 minutes, which is a commonly observed behavior.
How is the RTH Opening Gap different from NDOG?⌄
NDOG is the gap between the prior day's close and today's overnight open, formed around 4:59-6:00 PM; the RTH Opening Gap is specific to the regular trading session, formed at the 9:30 New York open against the previous RTH close.
Does the first FVG after the RTH open matter more than others?⌄
Yes — the first 1-minute fair value gap that forms after the 9:30 RTH open carries greater importance than later intraday FVGs, since it's the first imbalance after the regular session opens.