While Market Profile is certainly a sound option for those who are unable to make the SLA work for them, it has nothing to do with the SLA. And since this is an SLA journal, I'd appreciate it if those who post to it keep that in mind.
That was a tongue-in-cheek answer from me with the gist that if you look hard and long enough you can come up with whatever reason for 57 being a "level". Or as I suggested, look at pre-market for an easier explanation (one that might be wrong, of course). Sorry for trying to be funny.
While Market Profile is certainly a sound option for those who are unable to make the SLA work for them, it has nothing to do with the SLA.
I don't know of anyone that has made SLA work for them yet, myself included ("work" as in "trade SLA live every day profitably over time"). It seems that with my current understanding I can trade about break even (after costs) on the IB simulator.
My current "problem" with SLA is to understand what exactly SLA
is? The definition is a little blurry (sometimes you take every retrace after a supply or demand line break and sometimes you don't, stay in and fan and so on). If I understand that I will know if I am "100% SLA compliant" or not.
In practice, I'm still backtesting with different "filters". I stopped pushing buttons (trading in sim) today and will probably hold off for the rest of the week as I don't know what I am doing.
You did mention that adding filters would make things worse. But the preparation one needs to do before the session - what is that but a "bias filter"?
I don't mind asking stupid questions that show my ignorance if I learn something in the process. I am a bit uncomfortable asking questions like these though because I'm worried that I'll be placed in the "troll category".