Definitely easier said than done. I think it's impossible to trade without emotion. However, I think it's a lot easier when it's not your money, or you're reading virtual. Which is why virtual trading doesn't work for real world testing or to see how you'd do etc.

Gratz, good way to start a new for you

Oh not long so it's not surprising, I did a little in 2015, but I stopped. Last week part of it was 2k loss that was from me doubling down on an exp of the same day. Similar to my aapl call today where I doubled down, could've sold at .45 for greedy price continued to drop and sold. Now it's back where I wouldn't have lost as much, but VIX was continuing to increase then above 15 so I figured it was just going to go lower

Patience is important. I was down $3500 in Microsoft, only to come back to being positive 4.7k. That took two days and I wish I could do that every time but I don't. I think you get more numb to it and have confidence based on technicals.

I lost 4K last week so no gains hurt.

My pain.
SPY 246.5 PUT @.66, .83 + 17
SPY 246.0 CALL @.46, .50 +.04
VIX Sept 20 CALL @.55, .70 +.15
AAPL 160 CALL @.45, .34 -.11
Down $66.

Yeah mine either. I sold my sept 20 VIX 20 call at .70 from .55, now ask is $1.00. Ohh well was up, bought aapl calls at the wrong time while at work and now I'm down $66 for the day and done.

The VIX should've offset losses but I didn't hold long enough.

Well I couldn't hold, VIX is high as well and continuing to increase. Lost $66 for the day, I'll take it.

No happy for me have some calls although they're aapl

Pull up from here?

I bought too early 246.5 for .66 and sold too early at .83, was driving though and had nothing to go on. Oh well profit is profit.

Nice timing

I was looking at the wrong day, it wouldnt be watered down now. But, you're right, we don't really know.

Oh I was wrong, we gapped down last Thursday traded fairly flat, but down only to rally at the EOD. The following day would be Friday where we were down big, not sure I see that happening though.

I'm curious if today will be a watered down version of last Thursday given Wednesday was similar. We had the NK news last week which made it worse, but I almost wonder if the pattern would've been the same regardless, just not as dramatic.

Yeah I had 13 contracts for sept 6 @13 that I bought at 1.05 and sold at 1.15.

I'm hoping I have enough time to get back in, tomorrow morning is green, get filled at bid for .90. We'll see otherwise SPY puts it is.

Yeah looks that way, hope I didn't sell my VIX call too early. We'll see futures will probably be green in the AM

Good luck holding, at least now it's looking up, but as we all know, who knows what the morning will be like.

We'll see if I should regret selling my BABA 160 put from 2.39 to 2.74 +.35

Assuming gap up green followed by a push down to end the EOD red

Got my AAPL put, VIX 13 spy 6 call and a VXX 12 call just in case. Fingers crossed.

It'd be interesting if it repeated aug 8th or 9th maybe not as extreme though. Also news helped to fuel the downward spiral

No no crash into oblivion. My VIX calls would love it. Yeah figure we'll probably hit 248 today only to crash to idk something low tomorrow 246 maybe at least who knows. Or we rally to 250 throughout next week.

Anything think the FED minutes will really impact the market at all?

Up, up, up!

He meant 160

Sold aug 16 247 call at .48 from .39 +.09
spy aug 16 247 PUT from .29 to .32 +.03
QQQ aug p144 put from .66 to .59 -.07

I agree, It'd be nice for everyone to make money off this machine today.

I'm pretty curious to see what happens with BABA after earnings this morning.

Actually according to this link, a DIA put has the cheapest 30 day cost at .08%, SPY put is next at .09% cost.

https://marketchameleon.com/volReports/DownsidePutProtection

Think I'll buy a Sept VIX 15 CALL tomorrow around open, for about $1.00. Although it may go down I'm not sure we'll see 10 again for a little while. If skill just average down a little.

Realistically I should be doing a NOV CALL, but worst case I'll add again for NOV when SEPT expires.

It took a couple of days in Feb 2007 from the 10's to get into 20's before falling back into the 15's before we got to the 90, it was a very slow process which took a little less than ttwo years after that initial spike in Feb. so I think trying to shoot for a 60 or something just isn't realistic. The flash crash was more of an exception where it took days to go from 14's all the way to 50's.

From 1998-2002 we were in the 20's.

Well you were almost spot on with the closing price, good call.

Well if it makes anyone feel better I sold 146 contracts of aug 16 246.5 calls at .25. I doubled my position at .32 on accident (BOT instead of STC).

Sucks now down 600 oh well panic sold because I overbought.

From what I'm reading it looks as though with a 2008 style crash we could expect a 15x return on TVIX. I believe the return on VIX would be much greater or the potential. Although that isn't yearly but months or so, thinking about maybe switching. Still needs more research though.

Yeah same with my QQQ calls , but you never know.

Yeah I already lost .75 per share, only $40 I'll add continuously to average down as you have too. I'll probably wait until Friday to buy more and lower it.

I know this will continue to drop back to $15 and lower. I still need to look into if a pit is better on VIX or an index compared to share of TVIX

Bought some TVIX, I know It'll continue to drop, but when do you enter...

Kills me, got out of my GS puts too early.

Got out of my 8/25 puts for a small .03 gain, don't want to risk a bigger bounce. Probably regret it tomorrow though.

Has to fall again today, maybe not far, but far enough.

Yes they would've been, I'm sure we all wish we loaded up, wish that QQQ call was for this week instead of next, sold too early but took profits so w/e.