The $8,000 Lunch
Bad timing strikes!....
Some traders lose big because they don’t know what they’re doing.
Others lose big because they do know what they’re doing—but lose focus.
Guess which category I fell into yesterday?
The morning trading session was a snooze-fest—like watching paint dry while waiting for a plot twist. Volume was dead, setups were scarce, and patience was being tested harder than a TSA agent on a Monday morning.
But finally, I saw something: SPY rejecting 610.80. That was my cue. I planned a downside move toward 607.50 and called the play—buy SPX 6100p for $0.80 and $1. The exits were mapped out at 2.55, 3.5, and 6.1 using Edge Trade Planner.
While the market was consolidating and I was waiting for my orders to fill, I did the one thing I shouldn’t have done—I stared at the charts like my eyeballs could influence the market instead of getting lunch. But no—I was chasing trade satisfaction instead of taking care of myself.
Two hours later… Boom. The SPX downside trade played out perfectly. SPY filled exactly at 0.8 and 1, then dumped, spiking the 6100p to 7. High of the day. Nailed it. 300-500% trade plan secured.
But…
I was starving.
Because I hadn’t found any A+ setups in the morning, even after executing a perfect trade, I still felt unsatisfied. I could’ve just stopped and grabbed food—but now the market was moving. I “needed” that next payout. I held off as long as I could, but eventually, my stomach won. I placed a late lunch order… delivery in 20 to 45 minutes.
And that decision cost me.
I was expecting another drop (not thinking clearly due to hunger), but experience gave me a nagging feeling we might rip into the close. Why? The 608.50 bounce felt like a possible failed breakdown reversal, and the option scanner volume confirmed it.
I told THT PRO members I will go long if SPY crossed VWAP. I was watching, waiting for the trigger… and then my food delivery arrived.
While I grabbed my overpriced $20 lunch, the market handed out a money printing Spectre Special. SPY crossed VWAP! SPX 6120c ran from 0.15 on the dip, 0.45 as it crossed VWAP—then exploded to 8.60.
Meanwhile, I had stopped out of 6125c at 0.40 earlier and didn’t reposition at 0.10 as a YOLO when I had the chance. Those contracts hit $4. On top of that, my tiny 6100p YOLO burned to 0, costing me $300.
So that lunch? Yeah, it didn’t cost $20.
It cost $8,000 in missed profits. While a 300-500% trade gain was nice, THT Pro members know I love these end of day 1000-2000% payers — my Spectre Special.
Ten SPX 6120c contracts for $450 turned into $8,600 in five minutes—but I was too busy getting my food to capitalize.
Lesson learned: Plan your trades—and your meals.
If you want to trade with precision, catch these plays in real time, and maybe avoid an obscenely expensive late lunch… you know where to find me.
Join my trading community here.
PS. I’d love to hear your war stories—drop them in the comments! Did you catch the short or the long in SPX?