Hi there,
Just wanted to chime in quickly, even after the pm. I know someone at an ADM-subsidiary IB who works mostly with (up-coming) CTAs... ADM fees are probably going to be higher, but obviously they're huge in ags. If you want to talk to him, let me know, and I'll be happy to send you a reference.
For most casual retail customers though, RCG is probably the way to go. You'll have to go through the trade-desk for anything that's "deep" OTM, assuming you can't trade through it just globex.
But if there's one thing I've learned about the pits: don't expect a narrow spread, ever. It's not pretty out there. I do *all* of my CME group (NYMEX/COMEX/CME/CBOT) options electronically, because the pits are just not a very competitive option... at least not for my trades.
Thanks for thinking of me, Ross.
- Edit: actually, depending on the day, NYMEX:CL pits are still barely okay.