Quote from Algorithm:
Look, I agree that many people get hurt trading options out of ignorance, but with that being said, you don't need to know any of the more complex strategies or greeks for that matter to trade/utilize them successfully. Everyone uses options for different reasons, and hey it's a free country! But for the love of Jesus, people there's a hell of a lot of options 'masturbation' going on in the ET options forums.
Knowing the theory behind options, incl. synthetics and greeks, makes you a more efficient trader as you don't waste time devising a super-smart strategy, which in the end is just a synthetic vertical or a simple long call. You would also know that buying an ITM vertical can be substituted with selling an OTM vertical, which is likely to be more efficient due to the tighter bid/ask spreads. Knowing the greeks and their dynamics helps you understand why and how options move and what is the best strategy given your outlook. And so on and so forth.
