Day 1 of my options trading journey $272 gross in my first session
I work afternoons so I have 9–11 AM free every morning. About a week ago I decided to use that time to learn options trading properly rather than just jump in blind. Before placing a single trade I spent time building a system with clear rules. Here’s what I’m working with and how day one went.
The strategy
Long calls/puts on SPY and QQQ
Simple directional plays on the most liquid ETFs in the market. The rules are non-negotiable:
• Trading window: 9:35 AM – 10:45 AM only.
• Wait for the 9:35 AM candle.
• Strike selection: 0.40–0.45 delta, 0DTE or 1DTE
• Max premium per trade: $150 (2% of account)
• Exit automation: 1st Triggers OCO: limit sell at +100%, stop sell at −50%
• Hard daily loss limit: −3% of account
Entry checklist
All 5 must be true before touching an order:
1. Clock shows 9:35 AM or later
2. Price above VWAP (calls) or below VWAP (puts)
3. 9 EMA above 20 EMA (calls) or below (puts)
4. Green candle closing above prior high (calls) or red below prior low (puts)
5. Volume above the 5-candle average
No checklist = no trade. Simple.
Day one results
I traded SPY calls and QQQ calls between 9:35 and 9:59 AM.
• QQQ call × 1: bought at $1.46, sold at $2.97. +$151
• SPY call × 3: bought at $1.03–$1.08, sold at $1.47. +$121
• Total gross: $272
• Tax reserve set aside (30%): $82
• Take-home: $190
Both trades followed the checklist. Both used OCO orders. Both were closed before 10 AM. Grading myself: A on execution, B overall because I entered SPY at 9:35 which is the earliest allowed and I could have waited for a cleaner setup.
Why I’m posting
Accountability.