trends
2
7
4
1. Tony Battista head and lucky Greek beads
6
2. tastyworks’ most liquid stocks list 3. Journal for notes
5
4. Main daily/weekly graphs and key indicators 5. Pen, iPhone SE, calculator and clock 6. Notes/preparation for trading week 7. Screen showing six time frames: Daily, 4-hour, hourly, 15-minute, 5-minute and 2-minute; and my four other most-used watchlists
MEET
DINO KARAHALIOS
3
Home/Office location
1
Wauconda, Illinois
How did you start trading?
I attended a presentation by Tom Sosnoff, who was then CEO of thinkorswim. He spent a very generous amount of time answering individual questions and sharing his trading knowledge. I was ready to take more control of our savings from a broker, so I moved money to thinkorswim and started learning to trade for myself. Favorite trading strategy for what you trade most?
FAVORITE TRADING BOOK The Most Important Thing Illuminated By Howard Marks $15.76, Hardcover 248 pages
48
Delta neutral trading with calendars or unbalanced (broken wing) butterflies, depending on where volatility (VIX) is relative to a 30-day range. If volatility is below its mean, then I like putting on index and ETF calendars of various durations. When volatility is above its relative range, I like unbalanced butterflies. When
Age
68
Years trading
16
VIX is around its range, I do both. I like to keep the trades as delta neutral as possible with adjustments and watch the theta grow as both premium decay (theta) and volatility (vega) work in my favor. Average number of trades per day?
Two
What percentage of your outcomes do you attribute to luck?
This is tough to answer because my goal as a delta neutral trader is to take luck and emotion out of my trading by maintaining good mechanics. I focus on planning my trades and using my mechanics to keep my deltas and other Greeks in line with my profit targets. This way, I can trade the trade, instead of the market. My market awareness mechanics include identify-
Luckbox | March 2022
2203_TRENDS_trader.indd 48
1/28/22 9:47 AM
