A candlestick patterns cheat sheet is a quick-reference table of the common candle patterns: what each one looks like, what it suggests, where it has to form to count, and what confirms it. Below you get all three groups, single, double and triple candle, in compact tables, followed by a bullish, bearish and neutral sort.
Each row links to the full guide for that pattern when you need the detail. Use the sheet to name what you see, then check the two columns most cheat sheets skip: location and confirmation.
Key Findings
- Three questions per pattern: shape, location, and confirmation. A shape without the other two is only a drawing.
- Trend names the candle: identical shapes get opposite names depending on the move that came before them.
- Levels beat patterns: a pattern at a tested price carries weight; the same pattern in open space is mostly noise.
- Closed bars only: a pattern is not real until its last candle closes, which is where scanners can repaint.
What goes on a candlestick patterns cheat sheet?
A good candlestick pattern cheat sheet answers three questions for every pattern: what shape it has, where it must form, and what confirms it. Most image sheets only answer the first, which is why traders recognize patterns correctly and still lose on them.
A quick refresher on the parts. The body is the block between the open and the close. The wick (or shadow) is the thin line showing how far price traveled beyond the body before coming back. A long wick is a rejected move; a long body is a move that held.
The vocabulary comes from Japanese rice traders and reached Western charts through Steve Nison’s Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques (1991), as the history of the candlestick chart records. The names are old, but the job has not changed. A candle describes who won the session, and the pattern around it hints at whether that matters.
Single-candle patterns cheat sheet
Single candles are the fastest to spot and the easiest to misread, because one bar carries very little information. Treat each one as a question the next candle answers.
| Pattern | Shape | What it suggests | Valid where | Confirmation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hammer | Small body at the top, long lower wick | Sellers pushed down and lost | After a decline, at support | Next candle closes higher |
| Inverted hammer | Small body at the bottom, long upper wick | Buyers tested higher | After a decline | Next candle closes above its body |
| Hanging man | Same shape as the hammer | Sellers could hit price mid-rally | After an advance, at resistance | Next candle closes lower |
| Shooting star | Small body at the bottom, long upper wick | Buyers pushed up and lost | After an advance | Next candle closes lower |
| Doji | Open and close almost equal | Balance, the move is pausing | After an extended move | Direction of the next close |
| Dragonfly doji | Doji with a long lower wick | Lows rejected | At the bottom of a slide | Bullish close next |
| Gravestone doji | Doji with a long upper wick | Highs rejected | At the top of a climb | Bearish close next |
| Spinning top | Small central body, wicks on both sides | Indecision, momentum fading | After a strong run | Break of its high or low |
| Marubozu | Full body, little or no wick | One side controlled the whole session | Breakouts, trend starts | Follow-through, no immediate reversal |
- Shape
- Small body at the top, long lower wick
- What it suggests
- Sellers pushed down and lost
- Valid where
- After a decline, at support
- Confirmation
- Next candle closes higher
- Shape
- Small body at the bottom, long upper wick
- What it suggests
- Buyers tested higher
- Valid where
- After a decline
- Confirmation
- Next candle closes above its body
- Shape
- Same shape as the hammer
- What it suggests
- Sellers could hit price mid-rally
- Valid where
- After an advance, at resistance
- Confirmation
- Next candle closes lower
- Shape
- Small body at the bottom, long upper wick
- What it suggests
- Buyers pushed up and lost
- Valid where
- After an advance
- Confirmation
- Next candle closes lower
- Shape
- Open and close almost equal
- What it suggests
- Balance, the move is pausing
- Valid where
- After an extended move
- Confirmation
- Direction of the next close
- Shape
- Doji with a long lower wick
- What it suggests
- Lows rejected
- Valid where
- At the bottom of a slide
- Confirmation
- Bullish close next
- Shape
- Doji with a long upper wick
- What it suggests
- Highs rejected
- Valid where
- At the top of a climb
- Confirmation
- Bearish close next
- Shape
- Small central body, wicks on both sides
- What it suggests
- Indecision, momentum fading
- Valid where
- After a strong run
- Confirmation
- Break of its high or low
- Shape
- Full body, little or no wick
- What it suggests
- One side controlled the whole session
- Valid where
- Breakouts, trend starts
- Confirmation
- Follow-through, no immediate reversal
The hammer and hanging man rows matter most. They are the same candle. The prior trend decides which name applies, and it flips the expected direction.
Two-candle patterns cheat sheet
Two-candle patterns compare a session with the one before it, so they say more than a single bar. The key detail is always how the second body relates to the first.
| Pattern | Shape | What it suggests | Valid where | Confirmation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullish engulfing | Bullish body fully covers the prior bearish body | Buyers took back the whole prior session | After a decline, at support | Next candle holds above the engulfing low |
| Bearish engulfing | Bearish body fully covers the prior bullish body | Sellers took back the whole prior session | After an advance, at resistance | Next candle holds below the engulfing high |
| Bullish harami | Small bullish body inside a large bearish body | Selling stalled | After a decline | Close above the first candle’s body |
| Bearish harami | Small bearish body inside a large bullish body | Buying stalled | After an advance | Close below the first candle’s body |
| Harami cross | Doji inside the prior large body | Stronger stall than a plain harami | After an extended move | Close beyond the mother candle |
| Piercing line | Bullish candle closes above the midpoint of a prior bearish body | Buyers recovered more than half | After a decline | Next close stays above that midpoint |
| Dark cloud cover | Bearish candle closes below the midpoint of a prior bullish body | Sellers took back more than half | After an advance | Next close stays below that midpoint |
| Tweezer bottom | Two candles with matching lows | A low tested twice and held | At support | Bullish close after the second low |
| Tweezer top | Two candles with matching highs | A high tested twice and held | At resistance | Bearish close after the second high |
- Shape
- Bullish body fully covers the prior bearish body
- What it suggests
- Buyers took back the whole prior session
- Valid where
- After a decline, at support
- Confirmation
- Next candle holds above the engulfing low
- Shape
- Bearish body fully covers the prior bullish body
- What it suggests
- Sellers took back the whole prior session
- Valid where
- After an advance, at resistance
- Confirmation
- Next candle holds below the engulfing high
- Shape
- Small bullish body inside a large bearish body
- What it suggests
- Selling stalled
- Valid where
- After a decline
- Confirmation
- Close above the first candle’s body
- Shape
- Small bearish body inside a large bullish body
- What it suggests
- Buying stalled
- Valid where
- After an advance
- Confirmation
- Close below the first candle’s body
- Shape
- Doji inside the prior large body
- What it suggests
- Stronger stall than a plain harami
- Valid where
- After an extended move
- Confirmation
- Close beyond the mother candle
- Shape
- Bullish candle closes above the midpoint of a prior bearish body
- What it suggests
- Buyers recovered more than half
- Valid where
- After a decline
- Confirmation
- Next close stays above that midpoint
- Shape
- Bearish candle closes below the midpoint of a prior bullish body
- What it suggests
- Sellers took back more than half
- Valid where
- After an advance
- Confirmation
- Next close stays below that midpoint
- Shape
- Two candles with matching lows
- What it suggests
- A low tested twice and held
- Valid where
- At support
- Confirmation
- Bullish close after the second low
- Shape
- Two candles with matching highs
- What it suggests
- A high tested twice and held
- Valid where
- At resistance
- Confirmation
- Bearish close after the second high
A harami is structurally an inside bar measured on bodies. That is why it reads as a pause, while an engulfing candle reads as a takeover.
Three-candle patterns cheat sheet
Three-candle patterns carry their own confirmation. The third candle does the job you would otherwise wait for, which is why they tend to be cleaner than single candles.
| Pattern | Shape | What it suggests | Valid where | Confirmation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning star | Long bearish, small pause candle, strong bullish close deep into candle one | Selling exhausted, buyers took over | After a decline, at support | Built in: the third close |
| Evening star | Long bullish, small pause candle, strong bearish close deep into candle one | Buying exhausted, sellers took over | After an advance, at resistance | Built in: the third close |
| Morning or evening doji star | Star pattern with a doji in the middle | A sharper pause before the turn | Same as the star it belongs to | Built in: the third close |
| Three white soldiers | Three long bullish candles, each closing higher near its high | Steady, sustained buying | Coming off a completed decline | Shallow pullbacks afterward |
| Three black crows | Three long bearish candles, each closing lower near its low | Steady, sustained selling | Coming off a completed advance | Weak bounces afterward |
| Three inside up | Bullish harami, then a close above the first candle | A stall that became a turn | After a decline | Built in: the third close |
| Three inside down | Bearish harami, then a close below the first candle | A stall that became a turn | After an advance | Built in: the third close |
| Three outside up | Bullish engulfing, then a higher close | A takeover that held | After a decline | Built in: the third close |
| Three outside down | Bearish engulfing, then a lower close | A takeover that held | After an advance | Built in: the third close |
- Shape
- Long bearish, small pause candle, strong bullish close deep into candle one
- What it suggests
- Selling exhausted, buyers took over
- Valid where
- After a decline, at support
- Confirmation
- Built in: the third close
- Shape
- Long bullish, small pause candle, strong bearish close deep into candle one
- What it suggests
- Buying exhausted, sellers took over
- Valid where
- After an advance, at resistance
- Confirmation
- Built in: the third close
- Shape
- Star pattern with a doji in the middle
- What it suggests
- A sharper pause before the turn
- Valid where
- Same as the star it belongs to
- Confirmation
- Built in: the third close
- Shape
- Three long bullish candles, each closing higher near its high
- What it suggests
- Steady, sustained buying
- Valid where
- Coming off a completed decline
- Confirmation
- Shallow pullbacks afterward
- Shape
- Three long bearish candles, each closing lower near its low
- What it suggests
- Steady, sustained selling
- Valid where
- Coming off a completed advance
- Confirmation
- Weak bounces afterward
- Shape
- Bullish harami, then a close above the first candle
- What it suggests
- A stall that became a turn
- Valid where
- After a decline
- Confirmation
- Built in: the third close
- Shape
- Bearish harami, then a close below the first candle
- What it suggests
- A stall that became a turn
- Valid where
- After an advance
- Confirmation
- Built in: the third close
- Shape
- Bullish engulfing, then a higher close
- What it suggests
- A takeover that held
- Valid where
- After a decline
- Confirmation
- Built in: the third close
- Shape
- Bearish engulfing, then a lower close
- What it suggests
- A takeover that held
- Valid where
- After an advance
- Confirmation
- Built in: the third close
One forex note. Classic definitions of the star and piercing patterns mention gaps between candles. Currency pairs trade around the clock and rarely gap except over weekends, so on forex charts traders judge these patterns by body size and close position instead.
All candlestick patterns sorted by bias
If you think in direction first, here is the same set grouped by what each pattern suggests when it forms in the right place. For a deeper walk through the long side, see the full guide to bullish candlestick patterns.
| Bias | Patterns |
|---|---|
| Bullish | Hammer, inverted hammer, dragonfly doji, bullish marubozu, bullish engulfing, bullish harami, piercing line, tweezer bottom, morning star, morning doji star, three white soldiers, three inside up, three outside up |
| Bearish | Hanging man, shooting star, gravestone doji, bearish marubozu, bearish engulfing, bearish harami, dark cloud cover, tweezer top, evening star, evening doji star, three black crows, three inside down, three outside down |
| Neutral | Standard doji, long-legged doji, spinning top, harami cross before it resolves |
- Bullish
- Hammer, inverted hammer, dragonfly doji, bullish marubozu, bullish engulfing, bullish harami, piercing line, tweezer bottom, morning star, morning doji star, three white soldiers, three inside up, three outside up
- Bearish
- Hanging man, shooting star, gravestone doji, bearish marubozu, bearish engulfing, bearish harami, dark cloud cover, tweezer top, evening star, evening doji star, three black crows, three inside down, three outside down
- Neutral
- Standard doji, long-legged doji, spinning top, harami cross before it resolves
“Neutral” does not mean useless. A doji or spinning top after a long run is often the first sign that momentum is fading. It does not tell you which way the next move goes.
Is there a candlestick patterns PDF?
There is no downloadable candlestick patterns PDF for this sheet. The tables are plain web content, so you can make your own copy: press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on a Mac) and pick Save as PDF as the printer. You get the whole reference, including the location and confirmation columns.
Most candlestick pattern PDF files floating around are image sheets with drawings and names only. They are fine for learning shapes. They are less useful at the chart, because the shape was never the hard part.
How do you use the cheat sheet without getting trapped?
Name the level first, then the pattern, then wait for the close. That order keeps you from trading a correct pattern in the wrong place, which is the most common way cheat-sheet knowledge loses money.
Location first. A pattern means something when it forms at a price the market already cared about: prior swing highs and lows, a tested zone, a round number. Get your support and resistance marked before you look for candles. A perfect engulfing candle in the middle of a range is usually noise.
Wait for the close. Every pattern on this sheet is defined by where candles close. Until the last candle of the pattern finishes, you are looking at a guess. For single candles, wait one more close for confirmation.
Clusters beat lone signals. When a hammer, then a bullish engulfing, print at the same support, the story repeats itself. Reading several patterned candles together is more useful than scoring any single one. Thomas Bulkowski’s catalogue of candle patterns makes the same point in its own way: behavior varies a lot by pattern and by the trend it appears in, so no row on a sheet is a standalone signal.
Watch the live bar, not the history. Scanners that label candle patterns can repaint. A bar that looks like a hammer with five minutes left can close as an ordinary bearish candle, and a tool that labeled it early may quietly move or drop the mark. The finished chart never shows the label that vanished. If you use automation, check that it only prints on closed candles; the guide to non-repaint indicators shows how to test that.
Where RelicusRoad Pro fits
A cheat sheet helps you name a pattern. It does not tell you whether the level under it is real. RelicusRoad Pro handles both halves: it maps the levels, and its Candle Patterns feature scans for 10 classic formations, including engulfing, star, harami and soldier patterns, and marks them as candles complete.
That saves you scanning every chart by eye. It does not make any pattern a guarantee, and it promises nothing about the result of a single trade. What it gives you is the pattern and the level on one chart, on MT4, MT5 and TradingView, so the checks in the section above take seconds instead of minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is a candlestick patterns cheat sheet?
It is a one-page reference that lists the common candlestick patterns side by side so you can check a shape on your chart against its name and meaning. A useful one goes further than drawings. For each pattern it tells you where the pattern has to form to be valid, usually after a clear trend or at a tested level, and what confirms it, usually a close in the new direction on the following candle.
How many candlestick patterns are there?
There is no fixed number. Reference books catalogue dozens of named patterns, many of them rare variations of the same idea. Most traders only need the core set on this sheet: the single-candle rejection and indecision shapes, the two-candle engulfing, harami, piercing and tweezer families, and the three-candle stars and soldier runs. Learning those well beats memorizing a long list you will rarely see.
Is there a candlestick patterns PDF I can download?
Not from this site. The tables here are plain web content, so you can print them or save the page as a PDF from your browser: press Ctrl+P, or Cmd+P on a Mac, and choose Save as PDF as the destination. That gives you a copy that matches the page, including the location and confirmation columns most image cheat sheets leave out.
Which candlestick patterns are the most reliable?
No pattern is reliable on its own, and a single reliability figure for any of them depends on the market, timeframe and sample it came from. Multi-candle patterns that include their own confirmation, such as the morning star or three inside up, tend to be cleaner than single candles because the follow-through is built in. What moves the odds most is location: a pattern that forms at a level price already reacted to is worth far more than the same pattern mid-range.
Can a candlestick pattern indicator repaint?
Yes, if it labels patterns on the live bar. A candle’s shape is not final until it closes, so a bar that looks like a hammer or an engulfing candle with minutes left can finish as something else. A scanner that marks the pattern early may move or remove the label once the bar closes. A tool that only prints patterns on closed candles cannot do this, because a finished candle no longer changes.
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