Options Boot Camp 396: SPCX Options and Rogue Iron Condors

What happens when paper trading meets the real world? On this episode of Options Boot Camp, Mark Longo is joined by Dan Passarelli (Market Taker Mentoring) and Matt Amberson (ORATS) to tackle one of the biggest challenges for premium sellers: why a single losing iron condor can wipe out weeks of steady gains.

The discussion covers practical risk management techniques for credit spreads, when to take profits, how to manage losing trades, and why backtesting is just as important as paper trading. The panel also dives into the explosive launch of SPCX (SpaceX) options, including record-breaking volume, sky-high implied volatility, and why experienced traders approached the frenzy very differently.

Finally, the crew answers listener questions about zero-DTE options, VIX term structure, calendar spreads, and whether the options market has fundamentally changed over the past few years.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why paper trading can create unrealistic expectations
• Managing iron condors before one trade wipes out multiple winners
• Profit-taking vs. stop-loss rules for credit spreads
• How backtesting can improve trading discipline
• What made the SPCX options launch historic
• Trading ultra-high implied volatility
• Have 0DTE options changed options trading forever?
• Managing calendar spreads during volatility spikes
• Why you still can't trade spot VIX