Intermediate track
Plan a Trade
The Greeks, implied volatility and expected move, how GEX is estimated, Strength Zones and Build-up, dark pool prints, defined-risk structures, trade plans and expectancy.
- 9 lessons
- 67 minutes
- 2 modules
- Free
What you’ll learn
- Use delta, gamma, theta and vega as dials
- Estimate an expected move and anticipate volatility crush
- Explain how GEX is estimated and where it can mislead
- Read Strength Zones and their Build-up
- Write a trade plan with a trigger, invalidation and size
Module 1 Greeks, Volatility and GEX
The Greeks as dials, implied volatility and expected move, how GEX is estimated, and regimes in practice.
- Lesson 1: The Greeks as DialsDelta, gamma, theta and vega are four dials on one option. Learn what each one measures, how they push on each other, and why gamma peaks at the money near expiration.7 min Completed
- Lesson 2: Implied Volatility, IV Rank and the Expected MoveTurn implied volatility into a dollar range, estimate the expected move from the straddle, judge whether IV is high for a stock, and see how IV crush can sink a trade that was right on direction.8 min Completed
- Lesson 3: How GEX Is EstimatedFollow the math behind the positioning map: gamma × open interest × 100 × spot, the sign assumption that turns it into dealer exposure, and the shortcuts and limits built into every level.7 min Completed
- Lesson 4: Regimes in PracticeWhat calm and volatile regimes tend to look like on a chart, how transitions between them unfold, why the regime has a buffer state, and how to read a regime-change alert as data.7 min Completed
Module 2 From Map to Plan
Strength Zones and Build-up, dark pool prints, defined-risk structures, trade plans and expectancy.
- Lesson 5: Strength Zones and Build-upWhy StratosHedge draws key levels as bands, how a zone’s height and thickness are set, and how to read a Build-up percentage without over-reading it.8 min Completed
- Lesson 6: Dark Pool PrintsWhat off-exchange prints record, why they arrive after the fact, why size never reveals direction, and how dark pool levels fit next to Strength Zones as context.7 min Completed
- Lesson 7: Defined-Risk StructuresVertical spreads and iron condors: how they are built, how to calculate maximum loss, maximum profit and break-evens, and how traders sometimes sketch a range structure on the positioning map.8 min Completed
- Lesson 8: Writing a Trade PlanThe six parts of a written plan — thesis, trigger, invalidation, size, exits and review — with a worked practice plan and a simulated replay that scores process, not profit.8 min Completed
- Lesson 9: Journaling and ExpectancyWhy win rate alone misleads, how to calculate expectancy, how many trades a result needs, and a weekly review loop that grades process separately from profit.7 min Completed
Educational content, not investment advice. Lessons describe how markets and models tend to behave. They don’t tell anyone what to buy, sell or hold. Interactive examples use illustrative sample data, and simulator results are simulated — not actual trading. Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors.
Risk disclosureCharacteristics and Risks of Standardized Options (OCC) (opens in a new tab)
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