Match the strategy to the market regime. A quick decision framework for picking from the 14 strategies covered in Module 5.
Picking the right options strategy is mostly about matching the strategy to current market regime. Same strategy can be brilliant in one regime and reckless in another. This chapter is the decision framework — 4 questions you ask before every trade.
The 14 strategies in Module 5 sound like a lot, but they cluster into 5 families. Match family to regime first; pick the specific strategy second.
Bullish (high conviction): long call, bull call spread.
Bearish (high conviction): long put, bear put spread.
Volatile but direction-uncertain: long straddle, long strangle.
Range-bound / sideways: iron condor, iron butterfly, short strangle, calendar spread.
Bullish-to-neutral with downside ownership willingness: jade lizard, covered call (if holding stock).
Low IV (bottom 30% percentile): favours BUYING premium — long calls, puts, straddles, strangles, calendars.
High IV (top 30% percentile): favours SELLING premium — short strangle, iron condor, iron butterfly, ratio spreads. Premium is rich — extract it.
Mid IV (middle 40%): defined-risk spreads dominate. Bull call spread, bear put spread, iron condor, jade lizard. Each leg's premium balances out.
Catalyst within 5 days: weekly options. Long straddle pre-event, short strangle post-event.
Catalyst 1-3 weeks out: monthly options. Bull/bear spreads for direction, calendars for IV expansion bets.
Longer-term thesis (multi-month): diagonal calendars, LEAPS-equivalent calls/puts on monthly cycles.
Under ₹2 lakh: long calls/puts only. Defined risk (premium), no margin requirements that block other trades.
₹2-5 lakh: add credit spreads (bull put, bear call), iron condor on weeklies.
₹5-10 lakh: short strangles, full multi-leg structures, ratio spreads cautiously.
Over ₹10 lakh: any strategy, but always size individual positions to <5% of account.
Long call or long put for tactical directional bets. Iron condor on weekly NIFTY for income. Master both before adding others. They cover the two main F&O playbooks (directional and income) with bounded risk.
Strota's option chain page shows current NIFTY IV with a percentile reference (e.g. '14% IV = 25th percentile of last 90 days'). Most broker terminals also display IV history. Compare today's number to the percentile distribution.
Yes for all premium-selling strategies (short strangle, short straddle, ratio spread). Optional but recommended for long premium (max loss is already capped at the premium paid).
Typically 1-3 for retail accounts under ₹5 lakh. More positions = more management overhead, more chances for one bad trade to compound. Start with one, add more as you gain comfort.
Less liquid than indices, wider spreads, but useful for stock-specific event trades (earnings, regulatory news). Most retail options activity should concentrate on NIFTY and BANK NIFTY where liquidity is best.