This has happened to almost all of us in our trading journey: we buy a call, the stock goes up but P&L stays red. That feels unfair, but it is not random. It is a result of strike/expiry mismatch.
Traders often assume that buying cheap deep OTM options can give big payoffs.
“A call option bought for ₹2 can easily become ₹4 doubling our money.”
However, deep OTM options can pay-off only if the market moves big and also fast. And on most days, the market isn’t in a hurry.
Here are the factors that you need to consider when selecting a strike:
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Reaction speed (delta): Delta tells you how quickly the option price changes when the stock moves. ATM/ITM options move sooner; far OTM hardly moves until the stock runs a lot. If your idea needs just a small push, pick something that actually moves i.e. ATM/ ITM strikes
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Time decay (theta): An option’s price has two parts - intrinsic value (how much it’s already in-the-money) and time value (extra you pay for the possibility of the move before the expiry). As days pass, the time value reduces. This reduction is faster near expiry.
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ATM options lose time value the fastest.
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Far OTM is mostly time value, so it can go to zero if the move doesn’t come.
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Small ITM has more intrinsic value, so the daily reduction is smaller.
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If you expect the move to take days, prefer small ITM or use a debit spread to limit the daily reduction.
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Market volatility (IV): IV is the market’s expectation of movement. High IV = expensive options, Low IV = cheaper options.
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If IV is high and you want to buy, consider a debit spread to reduce cost.
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If IV is low and you want to buy, a single ATM/ITM is fine
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If you sell options, high IV is more favourable, but keep risk defined
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Time to target (expiry): Match expiry to when you think the move will arrive.
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Intraday: use the nearest expiry.
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2 - 10 days: go 1-2 weekly expiries out.
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2 - 4 weeks: use the monthly expiry
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Liquidity & fills: Prefer popular strikes with tight bid–ask spreads. If the spread looks wide, shift to a more liquid strike. Good fills matter.
Checklist before you trade
1\. What’s my timeframe (today / few days / few weeks)?
2\. Does my strike hold up if the move takes that long (theta)?
3\. What’s IV like (high -> consider spread; low -> single is fine)?
4\. Is the strike liquid?
5\. What’s my max loss? Size to that.
Bottom line: Don’t chase “cheap.” Pick strikes that match how fast you expect the move and how long it might take.