Good morning, traders,
I’m just going to come right out and say it: Most people who trade options lose money, and about 90% of retail traders don’t last.
It’s just a fact.
Most people start out with the same dream to beat the market, make some cash, and maybe even change their lives.
But almost all of them hit the same wall.
It’s not a lack of intelligence, and it’s not about getting the right setup or buying another flashy charting software.
The thing that separates those who make it from those who keep funding their broker’s Christmas party is called edge.
Every legit trader I’ve ever met had one thing in common: They had an edge.
It was something they developed, and something that carried them through all kinds of market cycles.
And if you don’t have one, I don’t care how hard you work or how much you study, you’re playing someone else’s game with someone else’s tools.
Today, I’m going to show you what edge really means in trading, and why it’s the only thing that matters.
Your Weapon in an Indifferent Market
Let’s get one thing straight: If you’re trading with the same indicators, same platforms, same data as everyone else, you’re not trading.
You’re guessing.
Edge is what gives you repeatable results. It’s how you tilt the odds just enough in your favor to stop gambling and start trading.
And no, it doesn’t have to be some revolutionary secret formula.
It can be simple — a reliable pattern, a price behavior, a scanner, or a unique insight you pick up through repetition.
I teach these exact kinds of skills to the students in my Burn Notice Alliance.
Edge Is Not Gambling
Let’s compare this to blackjack.
In blackjack, you make your bet before you see your cards. You’ve got zero information. You just hope the dealer hands you something playable.
If you’re sitting on 16 and the dealer’s showing a face card, you already know you’re in trouble.
But you can’t pull your chips back.
That money’s gone.
Trading isn’t like that. In options, you’ve got flexibility. You can enter, exit, and size up or down.
You can define your risk down to the penny.
And because of how options are structured, you’ve got something else too — asymmetry.
That means you can risk $500 and potentially walk away with $2,500 or more.
Try doing that at the roulette table.
This is why options are so powerful. But only if you know how to use them.
The Best Traders Are Skilled
Every once in a while, you’ll hear someone say, “It’s better to be lucky than good.”
That’s nonsense.
Sure, anyone can get lucky once.
But if you’re trying to build something long-term — consistent profits, real growth — you need to be good.
Period.
And to get good, you need an edge.
The good news is, you can build one. It just takes time and work.
How to Build Your Edge Gradually
Start with what you’re good at.
Do you have a knack for spotting momentum early? Are you good at staying patient while trades develop? Do you think clearly under pressure?
Next, take a look at your trading stats. Where are you winning? Where are you consistently losing?
Some traders are great at scalping short-dated options. Others thrive on swing trades that last a few days.
Figure out what actually works for you, and not what some guru said on YouTube.
And stay sharp. Markets change. What worked last year might not work now.
You’ve got to keep learning, keep testing, and be willing to let go of what doesn’t serve you anymore.
Eventually, you’ll start to notice patterns.
You’ll start trusting your instincts. You’ll stop second-guessing every move because you’ll have something solid to fall back on — your edge.
That’s when trading starts to feel like something you control, instead of something that’s happening to you.
You can do this, and we can help.
Stay street smart,
Jeff Zananiri
P.S. Speaking of edge, Saturday at 4 p.m. ET, Aaron Hunziker will talk about the fastest-growing opportunities in the market right now:
These contracts move like lightning and hit big. Learn to trade them the right way.
👉 [Save your seat now — before space fills up.]
