this thread is like so many before it... i've learned alot over the past year reading similar ones and researching from there..
i think there is sort of progression of trading that happens for the person coming into trading options...
you buy premium.. find out about what "theta is" lose money
you sell premium... either via naked puts or credit spreads..
you win alot.. then lose all your winnings back
you go back to the drawing board.. start reading about relative pricing, term structure, and just volatility arb in general.. .
being as it that you can't extract the implieds exactly from the realized when trading volatility you end up speculating in other risks..
i can not hide from risk... i can not get stuck just selling or just buying options because i limit my opportunity..
in essense you are always trading relative pricing... the implied volatility that you are buying or selling against what is realized.. being as it that you can not extract that purely like in a variance swap you are subject to hedging error. "Error" is just another source of risk and is speculated upon...
Hence the expression "gamma scalping"
i think there is sort of progression of trading that happens for the person coming into trading options...
you buy premium.. find out about what "theta is" lose money
you sell premium... either via naked puts or credit spreads..
you win alot.. then lose all your winnings back
you go back to the drawing board.. start reading about relative pricing, term structure, and just volatility arb in general.. .
being as it that you can't extract the implieds exactly from the realized when trading volatility you end up speculating in other risks..
i can not hide from risk... i can not get stuck just selling or just buying options because i limit my opportunity..
in essense you are always trading relative pricing... the implied volatility that you are buying or selling against what is realized.. being as it that you can not extract that purely like in a variance swap you are subject to hedging error. "Error" is just another source of risk and is speculated upon...
Hence the expression "gamma scalping"

