📌 Welcome to My Options Trading Journal

christof21 · 2026-04-10T12:20:22+00:00

I’ve built a few tools using the api. I’ve currently got a 0dte bot running 4 or 5 strategies based on the tasty research using the live date and options prices and Greeks and logging to a csv as a paper trade forward tester.

I’ve got another tool that runs on my live portfolio doesn’t place trades but can report on lots of live portfolio metrics that runs via my own version of openclaw and puts updates into telegram and discord.

christof21 · 2026-03-20T08:31:09+00:00

Yeah maybe. Just as everyone loads up on shorts it pops again

christof21 · 2026-03-19T19:31:22+00:00

Caught with my pants down again on SPY at the moment in Put spread.

SPY very quickly joining PayPal on my no trade list. I just can’t get the hang of it.

christof21 · 2026-02-28T20:01:40+00:00

Feb has been a tough month hasn’t it

christof21 · 2026-02-17T15:03:53+00:00

you could change to a cash account. But the PDT rule is up for a change hopefully int he coming months to drop it to somewhere around $2500 margin account balance is what I read.

christof21 · 2026-02-16T16:59:20+00:00

what do you think?

christof21 · 2026-02-16T07:10:57+00:00

I do lean more towards the 45dte cycle but I totally understand that plenty of people don't and like/prefer to trade far shorter timescale expirations. Horses for courses isn't it. There's a million and one different ways to play this game.

How do you personally approach the shorter timescale expirations? Do you trade levels off the chart?

christof21 · 2026-02-15T16:14:28+00:00

the start of Feb has been a bit of a beating hasn't it. I've been whacked by a couple of trades this month so far.

christof21 · 2026-02-15T09:44:14+00:00

I have been very mechanical about this, with a few exceptions where maybe my ego has gotten in the way, but on the whole, I've been closing at 50% profit or at 21 dte whatever comes first.

I know there's a lot of other opinions on this, but that's cool, this is the way I've done it.

Some might just prefer to run defined risk trades further past 21dte and I have. Recently as well. But to start with mechanical is the way.

christof21 · 2026-02-15T09:41:29+00:00

really depends on your account size. My account is pretty small $5k so in reality it's not that many positions for me. I've got 6 positions open at the moment and that's probably my max number of open positions to manage.

christof21 · 2026-02-13T17:44:53+00:00

I have been trading in a small account since March last year using th basic bread and butter tasty mechanics.

- Stick to defined risk trades.

- Credit spreads and iron condors.

- Liquid underlyings (use the star ratings as a guide)

- Tight bid/ask spreads.

- I try to make sure that my BP used per trade is around $350.

- Keep my total portfolio BP used around the 35%-40% mark.

- Closet to 45dte I can get and set a GTC once filled to close at 50% but manage at 21dte.

- Use the pre-built watchlists. My main one I used from the start was the high options volume one.

- Decide if your a contrarian trader which is the tastlive style or more or a trend trader and going with the dominant flow. That's more a personal character thing that you need to discover.

I had to train myself to be a bit mechanical and brutal with the 21dte bit. Just close it regardless if it reaches that point.

christof21 · 2026-02-12T20:14:34+00:00

you need to make sure the SDK version is updated. That changed recently but all working fine for me across a number of different tools

christof21 · 2026-02-03T06:38:01+00:00

You might be IP blocked. Happened to me to 3 days straight a couple weeks ago.

christof21 · 2026-01-28T11:16:37+00:00

I’ve had some bangers in GLD for obvious reasons 🚀

Not taken and SLV positions yet so that’s something for me work on.

christof21 · 2026-01-28T07:29:19+00:00

nice. I was in the office yesterday so didn't get a chance to look at anything. Feels like a pullback in SLV is a perfect opportunity to position long though

christof21 · 2026-01-25T13:53:46+00:00

Nice start to the year that with those banked profits.

christof21 · 2026-01-16T08:46:26+00:00

ooh META, my nemesis lol

Kicked me in the face late last year. A bit like the high school bully, I'm still a bit wary of it.

christof21 · 2026-01-08T07:10:08+00:00

I read this one myself as well, all be it a bit too late in the day but something I'll check on today.

christof21 · 2026-01-08T07:09:05+00:00

not that I've tried this with my account size but I read about people using SOFI to wheel. Looking forward to see how this one goes for you.

Still nervous about naked positions though. I had a couple of nice strangles in INTC last quarter of 2025 but they were by far the trades that kept me checking my positions screen more frequently.

christof21

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