POC, VPOC, and Market Profile Magnets

Mike at +50F. Tests POC at +80F. Bounces.

Later at +120F. Drops back to POC at +80F. Bounces again.

POC = magnet.

Mike keeps testing it. Support/resistance.

Nose (👃🏽) shows you where.

🧲 Market Profile Magnets (POC/VPOC)

Market Profile tracks WHERE price spends TIME.

Not just high/low. Time distribution.

TPO (Time Price Opportunity):

Each 15-minute period = one letter.

• A = 09:30-09:45
• B = 09:45-10:00
• C = 10:00-10:15
• D = 10:15-10:30
• Continue...

At each price level, count the letters.

More letters = more time spent = more acceptance.

POC (Point of Control):

The price level with the MOST letters (most TPOs).

Example:

• +80F has letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G (7 letters)
• +70F has letters: A, B, C (3 letters)
• +90F has letters: D, E (2 letters)

POC = +80F (most time spent there)

On Terminal: Nose (👃🏽)

VPOC (Volume Point of Control):

The price level with the MOST volume.

Example:

• +80F had 50,000 shares traded
• +70F had 20,000 shares
• +90F had 15,000 shares

VPOC = +80F (most volume there)

On Terminal: Ear (🦻🏼)

Both are magnets.

Mike gravitates toward them. Tests them repeatedly.

👃 POC (The Nose) - Acceptance Level

POC = where Mike spent the most time.

Why it's a magnet:

If Mike spent 7 TPOs (1 hour 45 minutes) at +80F:

• Buyers and sellers agreed this is fair value
• Both sides transacted heavily here
• Acceptance level

When Mike moves away from POC:

• It pulls Mike back (like gravity)
• Tests POC as support/resistance

POC as Support:

Mike at +120F, drops.

Tests POC at +80F from above.

Bounces to +95F.

Translation: POC held as support. Acceptance level defended.

POC as Resistance:

Mike at +50F, rallies.

Tests POC at +80F from below.

Rejects to +65F.

Translation: POC held as resistance. Can't break acceptance level.

POC = the fair value anchor.

Mike tests it. Often holds.

🦻 VPOC (The Ear) - Liquidity Magnet

VPOC = where the most volume traded.

Why it's a magnet:

If 50,000 shares traded at +80F:

• Massive liquidity absorbed here
• Institutional orders filled
• Liquidity vacuum created

When Mike moves away from VPOC:

• Unfilled orders remain (limit orders stacked)
• Mike gets pulled back to fill them
• Liquidity magnet

VPOC vs POC (Different Jobs):

POC (Time):

• Where Mike spent most time
• Acceptance level
• Psychological anchor

VPOC (Volume):

• Where most volume traded
• Liquidity pool
• Institutional anchor

Often POC and VPOC are at the same level.

But not always.

Example:

• POC = +80F (7 letters, most time)
• VPOC = +75F (highest volume, big institutional order there)

Both are magnets. Different reasons.

🎯 How to Use POC/VPOC

As support/resistance beyond TD lines:

TD Lines = Structural:

• TD Supply/Demand built from swing points
• Real-time, session-specific
• Primary support/resistance

POC/VPOC = Acceptance/Liquidity:

• Built from time/volume distribution
• Secondary support/resistance
• Where Mike gravitates

Use together:

Mike at +120F, dropping:

Check:

1. TD Demand at +100F? (structural support)
2. POC at +80F? (acceptance level)
3. VPOC at +75F? (liquidity pool)

Translation: Three layers of support. +100F first, then +80F, then +75F.

Example: Multiple Magnets

Mike drops from +150F:

• +120F: Tests TD Demand, bounces to +130F
• Drops again
• +100F: Tests POC (nose 👃🏽), bounces to +110F
• Drops again
• +85F: Tests VPOC (ear 🦻🏼), holds

Three magnets. Three tests. Three bounces.

This is how magnets work.

✅ Value Area (70% TPO Zone)

Value Area = the price range containing 70% of TPOs.

What it represents:

Where most trading occurred.

Not the entire range (high to low). The fair value zone.

How it's calculated:

1. Find POC (most TPOs)
2. Expand outward (up and down) until 70% of TPOs captured
3. VA High = upper edge of 70% zone
4. VA Low = lower edge of 70% zone

Example:

Session TPO distribution:

• +90F: 2 TPOs
• +80F: 7 TPOs ← POC
• +70F: 5 TPOs
• +60F: 4 TPOs
• +50F: 2 TPOs

Total: 20 TPOs

70% = 14 TPOs

Starting from POC (+80F, 7 TPOs):

• Add +70F (5 TPOs) = 12 total
• Add +60F (4 TPOs) = 16 total (≥ 14)

Value Area: +60F to +80F (contains 16 TPOs = 80% actually)

VA Low = +60F

VA High = +80F

What it means:

Most trading occurred between +60F and +80F.

This is the fair value zone.

Above VA High (+80F): Overvalued, might fade back.

Below VA Low (+60F): Undervalued, might rally back.

Value Area as Boundaries:

Mike at +95F (above VA High):

Translation: Overvalued. Might fade back into Value Area.

Action: Watch for fade to VA High (+80F).

Mike at +45F (below VA Low):

Translation: Undervalued. Might rally back into Value Area.

Action: Watch for rally to VA Low (+60F).

Value Area = the fair value container.

Like IB (Initial Balance), but based on time distribution, not first hour.

🪶 Tails (Single-Letter Rejections)

Tail = price level with only ONE letter.

What it signals:

Brief visit. Immediate rejection.

Mike touched this level for 15 minutes (one period), then left.

No acceptance. Pure rejection.

Example: Tail at High

Session:

• +90F: A (one letter) ← Tail 🪶
• +80F: A, B, C, D, E (5 letters)
• +70F: B, C, D (3 letters)

Translation: Mike spiked to +90F briefly (period A), then immediately dropped.

+90F rejected. Tail formed.

Action: +90F is strong resistance. Mike got rejected hard.

Example: Tail at Low

Session:

• +70F: C, D, E (3 letters)
• +60F: A, B, C, D (4 letters)
• +50F: A (one letter) ← Tail 🪶

Translation: Mike dropped to +50F briefly (period A), then immediately rallied.

+50F rejected. Tail formed.

Action: +50F is strong support. Mike got rejected hard.

Tails = extreme rejection zones.

One touch, immediate reversal.

Use as support/resistance.

💪🥀 Stamina (Post-IB Strength)

Stamina measures how much activity happened AFTER the first hour (post-IB).

Formula:

Stamina = (Post-IB TPOs / Total TPOs) × 100

Example:

• Total TPOs at +80F: 7 letters (A, B, C, D, E, F, G)
• IB TPOs (A-D): 4 letters
• Post-IB TPOs (E-G): 3 letters
• Stamina = (3/7) × 100 = 42.9%

Stamina Signals:

💪 Strong Stamina (≥70%):

• Most TPOs happened after IB
• Sustained activity post-10:30 AM
• Level defended throughout session
• Strong support/resistance

🥀 Weak Stamina (0% post-IB):

• All TPOs happened in first hour (IB only)
• No activity post-10:30 AM
• Level abandoned
• Weak support/resistance

Example: Strong Stamina

+80F TPOs:

• IB: A, B, C (3 letters)
• Post-IB: E, F, G, H, I, J, K (7 letters)
• Total: 10 letters
• Stamina = (7/10) × 100 = 70% 💪

Translation: Level defended throughout session. Strong acceptance. Good support/resistance.

Example: Weak Stamina

+90F TPOs:

• IB: A, B, C, D (4 letters)
• Post-IB: (none)
• Total: 4 letters
• Stamina = (0/4) × 100 = 0% 🥀

Translation: Level only tested in first hour, then abandoned. Weak. Don't trust as support/resistance.

Stamina tells you if the level is sustained or just first-hour noise.

🎯 Nose vs Ear (When They Disagree)

Usually POC (nose) and VPOC (ear) are close or same level.

But sometimes they diverge:

Scenario 1: POC Higher Than VPOC

Example:

• POC = +80F (7 letters, most time)
• VPOC = +70F (highest volume)

Translation:

• Mike spent more time at +80F (acceptance)
• But most volume traded at +70F (institutional order)

Which magnet is stronger?

Depends on context:

• Intraday: POC stronger (time acceptance)
• Institutional: VPOC stronger (liquidity pool)

Watch both. Mike will test both levels.

Scenario 2: VPOC Higher Than POC

Example:

• POC = +70F (8 letters)
• VPOC = +85F (volume spike, big order)

Translation:

• Mike spent more time at +70F
• But a massive volume spike occurred at +85F

VPOC = institutional level. Likely a big order filled there.

Watch +85F closely. Liquidity magnet.

When nose and ear disagree, you have TWO magnets.

Mike will test both.

🔥 Real Example: AVGO Feb 6

From the chart screenshot:

Market Profile:

POC = +320F (near IB Low at +331F)

Translation: Most time spent near the low of IB. Acceptance level there.

Session Flow:

10:00-11:00 AM:

• Mike tests POC at +320F multiple times
• Bounces each time
• POC holding as support

11:00 AM:

• Mike breaks IB High at +516F (Entry 3)
• Extends to +730F

14:00-15:00 PM:

• Mike pulls back from +730F
• Tests... where?
• Not back to POC (+320F) - too far
• But tests halfway levels

POC at +320F was the magnet in the first half of the day.

After IB break, new acceptance levels form (new POC higher).

Magnets shift with the auction.

🧠 POC/VPOC vs TD Lines (Which to Trust?)

Both are valid. Different purposes:

TD Lines (Primary):

• Built from swing points (structural)
• Real-time, session-specific
• Works across all tickers (Mike-normalized)
• Use first

POC/VPOC (Secondary):

• Built from time/volume distribution (acceptance/liquidity)
• Session-specific
• Shows where Mike gravitates
• Use for additional confirmation

Hierarchy:

1. TD Supply/Demand (structural resistance/support)

2. IB High/Low (first hour extremes)

3. POC/VPOC (acceptance/liquidity magnets)

4. Value Area boundaries (fair value zone)

Example: All Four Layers

Mike dropping from +150F:

Resistance/Support Layers:

1. +120F: TD Demand (structural)
2. +100F: IB High (first hour extreme)
3. +85F: POC (nose 👃🏽, acceptance level)
4. +75F: VA Low (fair value boundary)

Mike tests them in order.

Each layer = potential bounce.

Don't replace TD lines with POC/VPOC.

Add them to your toolkit.

💀 When POC/VPOC Are Lying

POC/VPOC can be misleading:

Scenario 1: Stale POC (From Range Day)

Yesterday:

• POC at +80F (acceptance level)

Today:

• Gap opens at +120F
• POC still showing +80F (yesterday's data)

Translation: Yesterday's POC irrelevant. Mike won't test it.

Fix: Only use today's POC (current session).

Scenario 2: POC in LOFT/CELLAR

POC at +85F (in LOFT zone of IB):

Translation: POC near IB High. High rejection risk.

Don't blindly trust it as support.

Context matters. LOFT/CELLAR override POC.

Scenario 3: Low-Volume VPOC

Total session volume: 5,000 shares (very low).

VPOC at +75F.

Translation: Low liquidity session. VPOC not meaningful.

Need high volume for VPOC to matter.

POC/VPOC work best on liquid, active sessions.

🔱 The Complete Support/Resistance Stack

Resistance Layers (Mike Climbing)
├─ 1. TD Supply (structural, swing high)
├─ 2. IB High (first hour ceiling)
├─ 3. POC (👃🏽 acceptance level)
├─ 4. VPOC (🦻🏼 liquidity pool)
├─ 5. VA High (fair value upper boundary)
└─ 6. Tail 🪶 (rejection zone)

Support Layers (Mike Dropping)
├─ 1. TD Demand (structural, swing low)
├─ 2. IB Low (first hour floor)
├─ 3. POC (👃🏽 acceptance level)
├─ 4. VPOC (🦻🏼 liquidity pool)
├─ 5. VA Low (fair value lower boundary)
└─ 6. Tail 🪶 (rejection zone)

Mike tests these layers in order.

Not all hold. Some break.

The more layers aligned, the stronger the support/resistance.

❓ Questions

"Do I need to calculate POC/VPOC manually?"

No.

Terminal does it automatically.

Look for:

• 👃🏽 Nose = POC
• 🦻🏼 Ear = VPOC

Just watch for the symbols.

"What if POC and VPOC are far apart (20F+)?"

Then you have two separate magnets.

Mike will test both.

Strategy:

• Watch POC for time acceptance
• Watch VPOC for volume liquidity
• Both are valid support/resistance

"Should I enter at POC/VPOC?"

No.

POC/VPOC are not entry signals.

They're support/resistance levels.

Use for:

• Target projection (where Mike might test)
• Stop placement (below POC on long, above POC on short)
• Confluence with Entry 1/2/3

Don't enter just because Mike reached POC.

"What if Value Area is really wide (100F+)?"

Wide Value Area = choppy session.

70% of TPOs spread across large range.

Translation: No clear acceptance level. Range day.

Strategy: Be cautious. No clear fair value = unpredictable.

"Do Tails always hold as support/resistance?"

No. But often.

Tail = strong rejection (one touch, immediate reversal).

Most of the time, Mike respects Tails.

But not guaranteed.

Use with other confirmations (TD lines, IB, etc.).

🚀 See It Live

👉 Open SPY Terminal

What to look for:

1. Nose (👃🏽) = POC (most time spent)
2. Ear (🦻🏼) = VPOC (most volume)
3. Mike testing these levels repeatedly
4. Bounces at POC/VPOC (magnets working)
5. Tails (🪶) at extremes (rejection zones)
6. Stamina (💪/🥀) showing strength

Watch the magnets work.

🎯 The Bottom Line

POC (nose 👃🏽) = most time spent (acceptance level).

VPOC (ear 🦻🏼) = most volume (liquidity magnet).

Both are magnets. Mike tests them repeatedly.

Value Area = 70% TPO zone (fair value).

Tails (🪶) = single-letter rejection (strong support/resistance).

Stamina (💪 ≥70%, 🥀 weak) = post-IB strength.

Use as secondary support/resistance:

• Primary: TD Supply/Demand
• Secondary: IB High/Low
• Tertiary: POC/VPOC

The more layers aligned, the stronger the level.

Magnets pull Mike back. Watch for tests. Plan accordingly.

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All Market Profile concepts explained. Next: Complete Entry System Deep-Dive (Entry 1/2/3 with position sizing, stop management, real case studies from COIN, AVGO, SPY).