Options Boot Camp

Options Boot Camp Episode 373 explores two major themes shaping today's options market: the rapid rise of IBIT options volume and the most misunderstood options trading strategies . Hosts Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli break down why strategies like cash-secured puts, long puts, straddles, butterflies, and iron condors are frequently misused by traders, often due to poor education and unrealistic e...

Kick off the new year with a fresh set of options trading resolutions on this episode of Options Boot Camp . Hosts Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli dive into what traders should be focusing on in 2026 — from expanding your options strategy toolbox to managing risk, sizing trades properly, and knowing when not to trade at all. With many traders coming off years of strong equity performance, the hosts...

What a year it was for the options market! From the "unprecedented" volatility of April to a record-breaking 15 billion contracts traded, 2025 was anything but boring. In this special year-end extravaganza, your drill instructors Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli (Market Taker Mentoring) look back at the  Top 10 Episodes of 2025 to see what resonated most with traders during this historic year. Mark a...

In this episode of Options Boot Camp , your drill instructors Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli dive back into the trenches to tackle a recurring nightmare for retail traders: why "perfect" vertical spreads sometimes result in losses. Following up on a "horror story" from a previous episode involving Marvell (MRV), the team breaks down the mechanics of spread books, broker liquidations, and the hidden...

In this episode of Options Boot Camp , hosts Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli (Market Taker Mentoring) dive deep into the mechanics of the  Wheel Strategy —one of the most popular frameworks for generating consistent options income . Whether you are selling cash-secured puts or managing covered calls , the "Wheel" is a powerful tool for any trader's playbook, but what happens when the market moves ag...

In this vital Options Bootcamp episode, host Mark Longo from The Options Insider provides an in-depth tutorial on butterfly spread strategies alongside guest Brian Overby from OptionsPlaybook.com. They explore both traditional and advanced butterfly strategies —including the Open Wing Butterfly (often known as a Broken Wing Butterfly) and the Intrinsic Value Butterfly —explaining their practical o...

In this episode of Options Boot Camp, hosted by Mark Longo (The Options Insider) and Dan Passarelli (Market Taker Mentoring), the discussion covers a variety of topics ranging from the importance of implied volatility and the concept of IV crush, to the future of premium selling in zero-day options, and the growing trend of prediction markets. The hosts also tackle listener questions about trading...

This episode of Options Boot Camp delves deeply into various aspects of binary options trading. The hosts discuss the pros and cons of different types of binary contracts, including $1 to $100 and penny to $1 variations, and explore complications like last-minute fluctuations and liquidity issues. Listeners' questions are addressed, covering topics such as arbitrage opportunities for retail trader...

HOST: Mark Longo, The Options Insider Radio Network CO-HOST: Dan Passarelli, Market Taker Mentoring In this episode, Mark and Dan delve into the latest developments in the options trading market, with AI-generated insights on trends, margin changes, retail shifts, and the growth of extended trading hours. They discuss Cboe's launch of the 'Magnificent 10' index options, OCC's margin rule adjustmen...

HOST: Mark Longo, The Options Insider CO-HOST: Dan Passarelli, Market Taker Mentoring This episode provides an in-depth exploration of binary options and event contracts. The hosts discuss various platforms like Kalshi, ForecastEx, Polymarket, Nadex, and CME Group, comparing their models and fee structures. The episode highlights the recent rise in popularity of event contracts, differences betwee...

HOST: Mark Longo, The Options Insider Media Group CO-HOST: Dan Passarelli, Market Taker Mentoring   In this episode, hosts Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli delve into the origin and history of binary options, exploring their initial launch with Head Street, subsequent rebranding under Nadex, and their evolution into more widely accessible and diversified financial products. They discuss the intuitive...

HOST: Mark Longo, The Options Insider Radio Network CO-HOST: Dan Passarelli, Market Taker Mentoring   This episode covers listener questions about trading futures and the impact of recent Fed cuts on markets. Other topics include insights into fundamental vs. technical analysis, the lofty PE ratios of the S&P 500 and whether they signal market concerns, and a debate on whether we'll see more warra...

HOST: Mark Longo, The Options Insider Media Group CO-HOST: Dan Passarelli, Market Taker Mentoring GUEST: Russell Rhoads, Indiana University Kelley School of Business In this episode, Mark, Dan and Russell dive into the topic of financial warrants. They explain the differences and similarities between warrants and listed options, highlighting how warrants can be a tool for companies to raise capita...

Host: Mark Longo, The Options Insider Media Group Co-Host: Dan Passarelli, Market Taker Mentoring   In this episode of Options Bootcamp, our hosts discuss a range of topics, starting with an exploration of iron condors and their various applications. The show also delves into the intricacies of the options market structure, including the limitations of siloed spread books and potential improvement...

Host: Mark Longo, The Options Insider Radio Network Co-Host: Dan Passarelli, Market Taker Mentoring   In this episode, Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli delve into various topics revolving around options trading. They primarily discuss the recent changes to the pattern day trading rules by FINRA, which could potentially lower the $25,000 threshold to a more flexible intraday margin rule. They also ref...

In this episode, hosts Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli dive into a mix of educational and entertaining topics. Dan shares spooky season thoughts and discusses the scariest options strategies and moments in his trading career. Listener questions cover topics like the best fear gauge between gold and VIX, the appropriateness of corporate earnings cycles, hedging long positions, and the possibility of...

In this episode of Options Bootcamp, Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli break down the different types of chooser options including European, American, Bermuda, asymmetric, forward start, compound, and even rainbow chooser options. They discuss the use cases for each type, such as in pharmaceuticals, commodity hedging, and trading around significant financial events. Finally, the hosts take listener qu...

In this episode, hosts Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli discuss different options strategies such as covered calls, cash secured puts, and the wheel strategy. They also touch on the growing interest in exotic options and the role of flex options in recent volume spikes. Other topics include the importance of technical indicators for covered calls, the role of various options exchanges, and the potent...

In this episode, hosts Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli dive into the world of Asian options, a type of exotic option. They explain how these options differ from standard "vanilla" options by basing their payoff on the average price of an underlying asset over a specific period, rather than its price at a single expiration date. The hosts break down the two main types: fixed-strike and average-strike...

Join your hosts, Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli as they dive deep into the world of exotic options, tackling questions about their name, their role in the 2008 financial crisis, and whether they're just a marketing gimmick. They also tackle more fundamental questions on scaling into a trade and the practicality of making all options cash-settled. The episode concludes with a forward-looking discuss...

In this episode, our hosts Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli dive into listener questions and hot topics shaping the options market. They break down a recent VIX trade, discuss the fascinating and volatile world of a popular new options stock, and answer a question about the increasing prevalence of exotic "event markets" on brokerage platforms. Timestamps 4:21 Mailbag: A review of a recent VIX flash...

This episode discusses various exotic options strategies, particularly lookback and fixed strike options, and their potential advantages and costs. Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli also address listener questions and concerns about options trading in the current market climate, including the higher volatility seen in recent earnings reports. They dive into the specifics of how lookback options work,...

In this episode, hosts Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli (Market Taker Mentoring) delve into various listener-submitted questions and trading strategies. They talk about a listener's in-depth query on a put calendar trade with Johnson & Johnson and its associated risks, and another listener's covered call strategy dubbed 'Ultra Premium Harvesting.' The hosts also answer inquiries on the use case and r...

This episode dives deep into Long-Term Equity Anticipation Securities (LEAPS) and their strategic use, particularly in stock substitution strategies. Hosts Mark Longo and Dan Passarelli ( Market Taker Mentoring) discuss the fundamental aspects of LEAPS, focusing on their sensitivity to volatility (Vega) rather than gamma, and explain how they can offer a more capital-efficient alternative to outri...