If you want to make you living as a trader on IB or any other retail platform you cannot trade US (SEC regulated) equity options. If you get a fill you have paid the gatekeeper to get it. With all their rules;open orders on one side only, cancel fees, no one but designated market makers are to act as market makers, the pattern day trader rule, you do not have a chance unless you have paid the fees and become a member or seat holder or whatever. The exchanges are using there influence to create pseudo monopoly. It is very unfair and is a classic example of American crony capitalism.
For most people on ET who want to trade options futures on options are the way to go. The KOSPI is the best but maybe too exotic for some people. The S&P mini futures options volume is picking up nicely and could be a good place to trade. In these futures markets the playing field is much closer to level for the retail trader.
Some people on here are really squareheaded about futures. I can just hear someone saying to themselves "but I don't trade futures because I'm "smart" enough to know there too risky". instead they think "I'll just keep selling covered calls, it's a low risk strategy". Well there are enough hedge funds and retail investors keen to sell options that the price of them has become extremely low. Any rational analysis of looking a chart versus what an option is worth will tell you this. Only complicated mathematical formulae could squareheadedly justify current options prices. The blind leading the blind.
There is no more risk in future than in stocks. If you want to use crazy leverage in anything it will lead to disaster, don't blame futures on that.