Options Cafe blog - options trading education and strategies

We like to explore, educate, and share ideas involving options trading. Come along with us on
our journey to demystify the complex yet rewarding world of options trading.

Education

  1. Options Premium Selling: The Theta Gang Playbook for Income
    Options Premium Selling: The Theta Gang Playbook for Income
    Why I stopped predicting markets and started selling options premium. The complete theta gang playbook—strategies ranked by difficulty, with my real results.
    Read More
  2. VIX Backwardation vs Contango: Buy the Relief
    VIX Backwardation vs Contango: Buy the Relief
    VIX backwardation inverts the term structure on just 7.7% of trading days. Across 17 years, buying the panic was a coin flip — but buying the relief won 88% of the time.
    Read More
  3. Options Trading for Beginners: Why I Sell Premium First
    Options Trading for Beginners: Why I Sell Premium First
    A beginner’s guide to options trading that teaches selling premium for income instead of buying calls—covering broker setup, your first trade, and realistic income.
    Read More
  4. Zero DTE SPX Iron Butterfly: 431% Returns and a Brutal 2025
    Zero DTE SPX Iron Butterfly: 431% Returns and a Brutal 2025
    The zero DTE SPX iron butterfly returned 431% in 2024 — then 2025 gave it all back. Here’s exactly how I trade it, why it failed, and who should run it.
    Read More
  5. Options Income Strategies: 3 Ways I Generate Monthly Cash Flow
    Options Income Strategies: 3 Ways I Generate Monthly Cash Flow
    A complete guide to selling options for monthly income, ranked by difficulty, capital, and real results from three strategies I trade publicly.
    Read More
  6. Options Trading Taxes: Complete Guide for Active Traders
    Options Trading Taxes: Complete Guide for Active Traders
    A complete guide to options trading taxes for active traders, covering short-term gains, Section 1256 60/40 rules, wash sales, and how each strategy is taxed.
    Read More
  7. Covered Call ETFs vs Selling Calls Yourself: I Compared Returns
    Covered Call ETFs vs Selling Calls Yourself: I Compared Returns
    A head-to-head comparison of covered call ETFs (QYLD, XYLD, JEPI) versus selling your own covered calls, using my real trade data and historical ETF performance.
    Read More
  8. SPY Put Credit Spreads Strategy: Rules and a 91% Win Rate
    SPY Put Credit Spreads Strategy: Rules and a 91% Win Rate
    A rules-based approach to trading SPY put credit spreads with a 91%+ win rate. Entry rules, exit targets, position sizing, and the 2025 drawdown-to-recovery story with real numbers.
    Read More
  9. Covered Call Strategy: How I Earn Monthly Income on Stocks I Own
    Covered Call Strategy: How I Earn Monthly Income on Stocks I Own
    A complete guide to selling covered calls for income, with real trade examples, strike selection rules, and how covered calls fit into the wheel strategy.
    Read More
  10. Best Options Trading Course 2026: An Honest Comparison
    Best Options Trading Course 2026: An Honest Comparison
    An honest, non-affiliate comparison of the top options trading courses in 2026 from a full-time trader with $31K+ in documented results.
    Read More
Prev
1 2 ... 6
Next