Mechanical options trading · for complete beginners
Rules, Not Feelings
Go from zero to your first rule-based options trade. A 140-page illustrated book plus a TradingView indicator that tells you each day whether the rules say trade or wait.
Most new traders don't lose to the market. They lose to themselves.
Options are not a casino by nature. They become one when every decision is made on a hunch. This book replaces the hunch with a written process you can check, repeat and measure.
Problem
Guessing direction
Trying to predict tomorrow's market is a contest nobody wins consistently. The book shows you how to build an edge without predictions.
Problem
Betting too big
One oversized trade can erase months of work. You will learn exactly how many contracts fit a $5,000 or $10,000 account.
Problem
Trading on emotion
Fear and greed rewrite the plan in the middle of a trade. A checklist decides before you feel anything.
How it works
A few minutes a day, the same way every day.
Open the chart at entry time
One fixed time in the US afternoon session. The book gives it in New York time and Central European time.
Read one answer: green or grey
The indicator checks the system's entry conditions for you. Grey means no trade today, and that is a valid result.
Place one defined-risk spread
If the rules say trade, you place a single spread whose maximum loss you know to the cent before you click.
Let it expire and log it
No watching the screen all day. Write the result in your journal and close the platform.
What's inside
Five parts, from "what is an option?" to your first system.
Written for people who have never placed a trade. Every concept comes with a chart or a diagram, and every chapter ends with key takeaways.
PART I
Mindset first
Ch. 1–6
Trader vs. investor
Emotions, ego and the checklist
Why we don't predict the market
Edge and risk/reward
Costs, the second enemy
How account size changes the game
PART II
How the market works
Ch. 7–11
Five ways to trade the S&P 500
Bid, ask, spread and liquidity
Long, short and order types
Reading a candlestick chart
Volatility, the VIX and implied volatility
PART III
The trader's toolkit
Ch. 12–14
Choosing a broker
Trading plan, journal and backtesting
Why you trade by hand before automating
PART IV
Options from zero
Ch. 15–21
Calls and puts, explained with everyday analogies
Strike, expiration, premium
Intrinsic and time value
Delta, theta and vega without the math
Exercise, assignment and settlement
The four basic positions
Your first spread
PART V
Your first mechanical system
Ch. 22–27
The indicators behind the rules
The exact entry rules
Reading a backtest: CAGR, drawdown, win rate
Position sizing for $5k and $10k accounts
From chart to order, step by step
Paper trading and what comes next
Look inside
Designed to be read, not endured.
Ch. 20 · The four basic positionsCh. 21 · A worked spread exampleCh. 25 · Position sizingBonus · One-page cheat sheet
Pricing
One payment. Yours to keep, with free updates.
Starter
$39 one-time
The book on its own.
Rules, Not Feelings, 140-page PDF
Printable checklist, journal and trading-plan templates
Or write to support@thechecklisttrader.com with the subject "Free sample". We reply with the PDF, usually within a day.
FAQ
Questions before you buy
Do I need any trading experience?
No. The book starts with what an exchange is and what an option is. Every term is explained when it first appears, and there is a glossary at the end.
What do I need to follow the system?
A computer, a TradingView account to run the indicator, and a broker that offers US index options. The book explains how to choose a broker and walks through Interactive Brokers as the example.
How much money do I need?
You can learn and paper trade with no money at all. For live trading, the book shows position sizing for $5,000 and $10,000 accounts and explains the rules that apply to smaller accounts.
I live outside the US. Does it work for me?
Yes, if your broker gives you access to US index options. All times are given in New York time with Central European equivalents.
Is this a signal service?
No. You get a book, a set of written rules and a tool that checks those rules. You decide and place every trade yourself.
Will I make money?
Nobody can promise that, and you should be wary of anyone who does. The book shows a historical backtest of the system together with its drawdowns and limits. Past and backtested results do not guarantee future results.
What format is it in?
PDF files you can read on any computer, tablet or phone, plus the indicator as a Pine Script file that you paste into TradingView. The guide shows every step with screenshots.
