👉 Read the Trend Spread Engine article here:

https://www.alphacrunching.com/blog/spx-0dte-options-trading-using-the-trend-spread-engine-to-find-high-probability-intraday-windows

In this episode, I expand on a concept Brian Terry shared in Episode 174 about entering iron condors one side at a time — waiting for rallies to sell calls and pullbacks to sell puts.

That idea of patience and better positioning really resonated with me… and I’ve started applying it directly to my SPX 0DTE trading.

After launching the Trend Spread Engine in Episodes 172 and 173, we’ve been tracking every 0DTE credit spread posted throughout the day and compiling weekly performance reports. We’re seeing certain morning time blocks show 90%+ expiration win rates.

But here’s the key:

High probability doesn’t mean you need to enter immediately.

Instead of chasing the alert the moment it posts, I’m marking those statistically backed strike levels on my chart and waiting for volatility to give me a better entry — either higher strikes or better credit.

In today’s volatile market, patience can mean:

1. Better distance from price
2. Higher probability positioning
3. Improved risk/reward structure
4. Less emotional trading

This applies whether you’re trading 0DTE, 7DTE, or 30+ days to expiration.

If you trade credit spreads, this episode will help you think differently about execution and timing — especially in fast-moving markets.

Referenced Episodes:

1. Episode 174 – Brian Terry’s Breakeven Iron Condor Strategy
2. Episodes 172 & 173 – Introduction to the Trend Spread Engine

As always, trade smart and manage risk.

In this episode, I’m joined by Brian Terry to break down a breakeven iron condor strategy he’s actively trading right now.

Brian walks through how he enters the call side and put side separately, targeting equal credits on each side with 7 days to expiration. The key twist? He uses a 200% stop on each side, which means if one side gets stopped out, the trade is designed to be roughly breakeven overall.

We talk through:

1. Why separating entries can improve flexibility
2. How the 200% stop changes the risk profile
3. Why this works well on SPX, and how newer traders can adapt it to SPY for smaller size
4. The mindset behind trading income strategies defensively, not emotionally

Brian runs the Conservative Options Income Network (COIN) over at https://stockmarketoptionstrading.net, where you can start a 14-day free trial and see his real trades, including the strategy discussed in this episode.

If you’re interested in structured, rules-based options income strategies, this is a great one to study.

Earnings season can be one of the biggest drivers of volatility in the stock market—and understanding how stocks behave around earnings is critical for options traders.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dan to talk about trading earnings and a tool he uses called Earnings Watcher. We break down the basics of volatility around earnings announcements, common patterns traders look for, and how Earnings Watcher helps stay organized while analyzing historical price and volatility behavior around earnings events.

Whether you actively trade earnings or just want a better understanding of how earnings impact the broader market, this conversation will help put the process into context.

🔗 Earnings Watcher: https://earnings-watcher.com/pricing_smot

In this episode, we review some early backtest results from AlphaCrunching.com's newly launched 0DTe Trend Spread Engine (TSE).

We're only 3 weeks into the stats but taking 0DTE trend spreads during the lunch hour at 12pm over the past 3 weeks has won 100% of the time. We're not expecting this type of performance to last forever but seeing this hot spots of high performance based on time of day entry is revealing some edge most traders are missing.

We would love you to join Alpha Crunching as we continue this build in public approach for SPX 0DTE Options Trading.

👉 Explore Alpha Crunching and get a discount:

https://alphacrunching.com

Discount code: SPX50 for 50% off first month or year.

🔗 Connect with Eric on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jericorourke/

In this episode, Eric breaks down the core ideas behind the 0DTE Trend Spread Engine (TSE) and how it fits into the broader Alpha Crunching philosophy of trading probabilities, not predictions.

The TSE is built to systematically identify high-probability SPX credit spread ideas by combining intraday trend, time-based structure, and defined risk. Rather than reacting to every move, the focus is on stacking small statistical edges and letting data—not emotions—drive decisions.

This episode also explains why strike selection and credits can vary, why these are trade ideas (not alerts), and how Alpha Crunching approaches options trading like an insurance business built on consistency and process.

👉 Explore Alpha Crunching and get a discount:

https://alphacrunching.com

Discount code: SPX50 for 50% off first month or year.

🔗 Connect with Eric on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jericorourke/

In this episode, we'll cover the key levels based on options positioning and the large range the S&P500 has been in since October.

We'll review the Fed's dual mandate and why so much attention is paid economic reports involving jobs, inflation, and rate cuts.

We've got some major economic events happening this week that will likely decide the next leg of the market.

In this episode, I’m walking through an SPX Iron Condor setup I’m pricing out as volatility continues to rise and the market dips below key moving averages.

Here's the link the video version: https://youtu.be/0NAAbb6bbcI

When volatility spikes, option premiums expand — and that’s when I like to sell Iron Condors on SPX for wider ranges and better credits. I’ll break down:

✅ How I’m positioning this Iron Condor between recent highs and lows

✅ Entry criteria and credit received (~$3.25 on 10-wide wings)

✅ How to calculate max profit and max loss

✅ My profit-taking plan (~30%) and adjustment ideas if SPX moves sharply

✅ Why higher VIX levels can offer better Iron Condor setups

Whether you’re learning to trade index options or refining your Iron Condor strategy, this walkthrough gives you a practical framework to plan your trades in higher volatility environments.

📊 Tools Mentioned: AlphaCrunching.com — data-driven SPX options setups and backtested strategies.

🎯 Related Topics:

SPX Iron Condor strategy for volatile markets

SPX options trading explained

Selling premium when VIX spikes

Managing Iron Condors and rolling spreads

#SPX #IronCondor #OptionsTrading #Volatility #SPXOptions #AlphaCrunching #SPXStrategies #TradingSPX #VIX #OptionsIncome

In this episode, Brian shares his LEAP call strategy — a flexible options approach that uses long-dated calls as a stock substitute while selling weekly calls for steady income. He breaks down real trade examples on NVIDIA, Google, and other names, showing how the strategy can generate solid returns with less capital than owning shares outright.

You’ll hear how Brian manages exits, adjusts when short calls get breached, and keeps risk in check even when the market moves against him.

👉 Follow Brian over at stockmarketoptionstrading.net

💬 You can also get his trade alerts inside Alpha Traders Club to see this strategy in action.