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L.5 · ADVANCED · 2 MIN

Options Risk Management: Position Sizing and Portfolio Greeks

Professional options traders manage risk at the portfolio level using net Greeks and strict position sizing. The goal is not to win every trade but to ensure no single trade can cause catastrophic loss.

Quiz · 5 questions ↓
§ 01
Risk RuleGuidelineWhy
Position sizeMax 2–5% of portfolio per tradeNo single trade should threaten the portfolio
Portfolio deltaKeep net delta within target rangePrevents accidental directional bet
Correlation riskAvoid concentrated sector exposure5 ‘different’ trades in the same sector = 1 big bet
Theta budgetKnow your daily theta income/costEnsures time decay works for, not against you
Tail riskDefine max loss for every positionSpreads > naked options for risk definition
§ 02

The #1 risk management rule: define max loss before entry. If you can’t state your max loss in dollars, you don’t understand your position. Use spreads instead of naked options to enforce defined risk.

§ 03
Review your current positions (if any). Calculate your net delta, total theta, and maximum loss per position. Are you comfortable with the worst-case scenario?
§ 04
You have 5 iron condors on 5 different stocks, each risking $500. A broad market selloff hits. What’s your actual risk?
§ 05

The most dangerous word in options trading is ‘diversified.’ Five correlated positions are one position in disguise. True diversification requires mixing strategies (long and short vol), timeframes, and uncorrelated underlyings.

§ 06
Portfolio manager has $5M allocated to options positions. Gamma exposure: +$200K per 1% move. Vega: +$50K per 1 IV point. What's the RISK concentration?
Five questions · AI feedback

Sit with the ideas.

Your options portfolio has: net delta +150, net theta -$50, net vega +$200. What market scenario hurts you the most?

Why:
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