Stock Market Options Trading

📊 Trade These SPX Setups With Us
The strategies discussed in this episode are part of the Alpha Crunching Trade Setups, where we use backtesting and market data to build a portfolio of mechanical SPX strategies.
Members get access to:
Weekly rules-based SPX Trade Setups
Live trade alerts in the Alpha Crunching Discord
SPX trading tools and market statistics
Strategy discussion and live trading chat
Automation options for select strategies

The goal is simple: data-driven SPX trading with repeatable rules and less time watching charts.
👉 Learn more and join at AlphaCrunching.com

What happens when you stop looking for the “best” SPX trading strategy and start thinking in terms of a portfolio of strategies?
In Episode 196, I break down four mechanical SPX strategies based purely on the math — without focusing on the actual strategy or setup.
We compare:
Trade frequency
Win rate
Average winner
Average loser
Expectancy
Risk/reward

The differences are significant. One strategy wins just 35% of the time, while others win more than 70%. But higher win rates come with their own trade-offs, including larger average losses.
The interesting part comes when we combine all four.
Instead of relying on one strategy that might go weeks without a trade or experience a losing streak, the different mathematical profiles can complement each other and produce a much smoother overall P&L curve.
The goal isn't necessarily to find the highest win rate or the perfect strategy. It's to build a collection of positive-expectancy trades that can work together over time.
Would you trade a strategy with only a 35% win rate if it improved the overall portfolio?

In this week's Stock Market Options Trading Podcast, we're looking at an interesting SPX pattern: Mondays have produced the strongest average S&P 500 returns so far in 2026.
Here's the video version: https://youtu.be/mM8y3koyL5A
That lines up with a rules-based strategy I've recently added back into the Alpha Crunching trade setups — a Friday 3DTE SPX put credit spread designed to take advantage of bullish market conditions heading into the weekend.
In this episode:
The Friday 3DTE SPX put credit spread and its 4-year backtest
Why a simple 3-day moving average filter matters
The surprising strength of Mondays in 2026
How the strategy fits into a diversified SPX options portfolio
FOMC Minutes and this week's economic calendar
Why markets are already looking ahead to Jackson Hole
SPX gamma levels, including the 7900 call wall
The employment data I'm watching this week

The goal isn't to predict where SPX goes next. It's to use data, backtesting and market statistics to identify potential edges and build repeatable trading strategies around them.
Alpha Crunching:
https://alphacrunching.com
Follow me on X:
@OptionAssassin
New episodes every Monday.
#SPX #OptionsTrading #SP500 #0DTE #OptionsStrategy #StockMarket #Trading

In Episode 194 of the Stock Market Options Trading Podcast, we take a data-driven look at the S&P 500, SPX options, gamma levels, opening range breakouts, and a mechanical 0DTE Iron Condor strategy.
We start with lumber prices after an 11-day losing streak and discuss what falling lumber prices may—or may not—be signaling about housing and the broader economy.
Then we turn to SPX and an important question for options traders: Do gamma levels lead the market, or does price lead gamma? We look at call walls, put walls, the gamma flip, and why I view gamma levels as useful context rather than a standalone prediction of where the S&P 500 is headed.
We also review some interesting SPX 0DTE Opening Range Breakout (ORB) data. Tuesday's 30-minute opening range has recently shown strong historical results following both upside and downside breakouts, creating some interesting possibilities for credit spreads and other intraday options strategies.
Finally, I share a mechanical 0DTE SPX Iron Condor strategy we've been trading and tracking at Alpha Crunching, including how the setup works and where you can review the backtest and strategy details.
📊 0DTE Iron Condor Strategy & Backtest:
https://www.alphacrunching.com/blog/end-of-day-iron-condor-a-simple-mechanical-strategy-for-spx-0dte
In this episode:
• Lumber prices and the economic outlook
• SPX near all-time highs
• SPX gamma levels, call walls and put walls
• Does gamma lead price or react to price?
• 0DTE Opening Range Breakout statistics
• Tuesday's 30-minute SPX ORB setup
• Mechanical 0DTE Iron Condor strategy
• Using historical data to improve options trading decisions
The Stock Market Options Trading Podcast is a weekly show focused on data-driven options trading, SPX strategies, backtesting, mechanical trading systems, and practical ideas designed to help traders become more consistent.
New episodes are posted Mondays around the market close.
Subscribe on YouTube or follow the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to catch each week's episode.
#SPX #OptionsTrading #0DTE #SPXOptions #Gamma #IronCondor #OpeningRangeBreakout #StockMarket #TradingStrategies

In this week's episode of the Stock Market Options Trading Podcast, Eric O'Rourke takes a data-driven look at the markets, reviews the latest SPX price action, discusses key economic events for the week, and shares insights from a high-probability options strategy currently being traded and tracked.
Whether you're an experienced options trader or looking to improve your trading process, this episode focuses on risk management, mechanical trading, backtesting, and consistency rather than predicting market direction.
In This Episode
Why even billion-dollar hedge funds can fail from excessive leverage
SPX market update following the latest geopolitical headlines
Gamma levels, put walls, call walls, and what they may signal
Key economic events this week:
JOLTS Job Openings
ADP Employment Report
Weekly Jobless Claims
Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP)
Why oil prices remain an important inflation indicator
A breakdown of a 14 DTE SPX Iron Butterfly strategy
How to evaluate options strategies using:
Win rate
Average winner vs. average loser
Expectancy
Position sizing
Why diversifying across multiple options strategies can reduce risk
A fun look at common trading myths from the "X Files" segment

Key Takeaway
Instead of chasing predictions, focus on building a portfolio of strategies with positive expectancy. A single strategy will experience losing streaks, but combining multiple backtested approaches with proper risk management can help create more consistent long-term results.
Resources Mentioned
Alpha Crunching – SPX research, reports, trading strategies, and Discord community: https://alphacrunching.com
Option Omega – Backtesting and options strategy development (use code SMOT for a discount)
Follow Eric on X: @OptionAssassin

Listen Every Week
New episodes are released weekly covering:
SPX market outlook
Options trading education
Mechanical trading strategies
Backtesting concepts
Risk management
Trading psychology
Data-driven market analysis

If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps the channel reach more traders looking for a systematic approach to options trading.
#OptionsTrading #SPX #StockMarket #OptionSelling #IronButterfly #OptionOmega #TradingStrategies #RiskManagement #Backtesting #MechanicalTrading #0DTE #SwingTrading #MarketAnalysis #GammaLevels #OptionsEducation

This week on Stock Market Options Trading, Eric O'Rourke and Brian Terry break down the latest market action following geopolitical headlines, discuss why the recent SPX rally continues to stall, and share several option trading ideas they're watching this week.
Topics covered include:
Why the latest SPX gap higher failed and what it says about market sentiment
Current gamma levels and key support/resistance zones
This week's major economic events, including the FOMC meeting, GDP, PCE, and Consumer Confidence
Why intraday trend trading has become more challenging in recent weeks
New research showing stronger end-of-day trading opportunities
Eric's updated 0DTE trading approach and end-of-day Iron Condor strategy
Brian's QQQ and Micron (MU) broken-wing put butterfly trades
Managing defined-risk option strategies during volatile markets

Whether you're trading SPX, QQQ, or individual stocks, this episode explores how current market conditions are changing the way we approach options trading and risk management.
Resources Mentioned
► Alpha Crunching: https://alphacrunching.com
► Stock Market Options Trading Podcast: https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net
If you enjoy systematic options trading, backtesting, and weekly market analysis, be sure to subscribe for new episodes every week.
#SPX #OptionsTrading #StockMarket #0DTE #SPXOptions #Gamma #FOMC #IronCondor #QQQ #Micron #TradingPodcast