I used to think charting was bullshit for day and swing trading. Because on paper it sure seems to be, but in reality so many other players are also charting that it becomes useful and somewhat predictive. Largely because you’re all using the same signals. Sure it’s impossible difficult to time things perfectly, but perfect is the enemy of profit. You don’t need to catch the absolute bottom and you don’t need to catch the absolute top.

Specific to Black-Sholes the best option plays, when going long, are the ones which have incorrect assumptions about the volatility of the underlying. You can have far outta the money options, absolutely print, with a sufficient spike in the underlying. Even if the strike price will never be met (though you’ll also give that back if you ride them to expiration or let things settle down).