SPX · 1DTE · Put Spreads · Defined Risk

Trade with
precision.
Not prediction.

A rules-based SPX put spread system — 1DTE, $5-wide, built on 28 years of military discipline. Daily trade alerts, live education, and a process you can actually follow.

Join The Spread Room See How It Works
Instrument: SPX
DTE: 1DTE Mon–Thu
Spread: $5 Wide
Premium: $0.15 – $0.30
Sizing: 1 Contract / $1K
SPX   ▲ LIVE TRADES 1DTE PUT SPREAD   DEFINED RISK PREMIUM TARGET: $0.15 – $0.30   PER SHARE MAX LOSS: SPREAD WIDTH – CREDIT RECEIVED ENTRY WINDOW: 10:30 – 11:00 AM ET   MON–THU SECTION 1256   60/40 TAX TREATMENT 2× IV DISTANCE RULE   NO EARLY ASSIGNMENT SPX   ▲ LIVE TRADES 1DTE PUT SPREAD   DEFINED RISK PREMIUM TARGET: $0.15 – $0.30   PER SHARE MAX LOSS: SPREAD WIDTH – CREDIT RECEIVED ENTRY WINDOW: 10:30 – 11:00 AM ET   MON–THU SECTION 1256   60/40 TAX TREATMENT 2× IV DISTANCE RULE   NO EARLY ASSIGNMENT

The Process

Simple. Repeatable. Disciplined.


Every trade follows the same process. No guessing. No improvising. The system decides — you execute.

01
Wait for the Window

60–90 minutes after open (10:30–11:00 AM ET). Let the market establish direction and implied volatility settle. No chasing the open.

02
Read the IV

Check SPX price and current IV in ThinkorSwim. Multiply IV × 2 to get your minimum distance. That's how far below SPX your short strike must be.

03
Find the Strike

Open tomorrow's (1DTE) options chain. Find a put at or below your minimum distance with a bid of $0.15 – $0.30. If it doesn't meet criteria, you don't trade.

04
Size the Position

Divide available capital by $1,000. That's your contract count. One contract per thousand — no more, no less, regardless of conviction.

05
Enter the Spread

Sell the short strike, buy the long strike $5 below it. Enter as a net credit limit order. Log the trade immediately. Walk away.

06
Manage or Let Expire

If premium stays below $0.10 at close, both legs expire worthless. You keep the full credit. If premium reaches $0.80–$1.00, close or roll. That's it.

The 10 Rules

The System Has No Opinions.


Every parameter is defined. There is nothing left to interpret in the heat of the moment.

RULE 01
Instrument
SPX options only
RULE 02
Strategy
Bull Put Spread
RULE 03
Spread Width
$5 wide — always
RULE 04
Premium Target
$0.15 – $0.30 net credit
RULE 05
Expiration
1DTE (next day)
RULE 06
Trading Days
Monday – Thursday
RULE 07
Entry Window
10:30 – 11:00 AM ET
RULE 08
Distance Rule
Short strike ≥ IV × 2
RULE 09
Position Sizing
1 contract per $1,000
RULE 10
Exit / Roll Trigger
Premium reaches $0.80–$1.00

Live Performance

A Real Track Record.


Live trades, real money, documented results. Track record started April 15, 2026.

Wins (1DTE trades expired worthless)
Total 1DTE Trades (Mon–Thu)
Apr 15
Live track record start date
Each trade logged in real time. 1DTE (Monday–Thursday) trades only. Friday 0DTE trades tracked separately. No backtests. No simulated results. Wins = spread expired worthless; full credit kept. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Getting Started

Supported Brokers


Members use any of these four platforms. Setup guides for each are included with your membership.

Schwab / ThinkorSwim
Recommended

The Spread Room's primary platform. ThinkorSwim is the gold standard for options analysis — IV readings, chain navigation, and multi-leg spread entry are all excellent.

SPX Available ✓
tastytrade
Options-Focused

Built by the founders of ThinkorSwim. Options-first interface with probability of profit, buying power reduction, and clean spread order entry. Strong for active traders.

SPX Available ✓
E*TRADE / Power E*TRADE
Established

Solid options platform with Power E*TRADE web and mobile. Good options chain, spread order entry, and probability tools. Now part of Morgan Stanley.

SPX Available ✓
Robinhood
Note: SPY Only

Mobile-first and easy to use. Robinhood supports spread trading (Level 3) but does not offer SPX. Members using Robinhood trade SPY — a scaled equivalent. No Section 1256 tax benefit.

SPY (not SPX)

Membership

Join The Spread Room


Choose the level of access that fits where you are in your journey.

Tier 1
Observer
$47
per month
  • Daily trade alerts (entry, strikes, sizing)
  • Live trade log access
  • Strategy document — all 10 rules
  • Broker setup guides (all 4 platforms)
  • Community access
Get Started
Tier 3
Mentorship
$247
per month
  • Everything in Active Trader
  • Monthly 1-on-1 review session
  • Personal trade log review and feedback
  • Account setup guidance (broker, approval)
  • Priority access and response
Apply

The Founder

28 Years of Discipline.
Applied to the Market.


TSR
Lt. Col. (Ret.)
U.S. Army · Founder

I started trading in 1998 with a Wade Cook book and a VHS tape. My first profitable trade — a 4× return — happened in Kosovo in 2002. The seed money came from a Bose speaker system that wouldn't work on German 220V power. I returned it and put the $1,000 into the market.

I've traded through deployments to Bosnia and Kosovo, through tours in Korea and Germany, and through 28 years of Army service that taught me one thing above all: discipline isn't a personality trait. It's a system.

The Spread Room exists because people kept asking me how I trade. I built the system first. The community came after. Every rule you'll learn here is something I follow with real money, every trading day.

I'm currently studying for my Series 65 to register as an Investment Advisor Representative. Everything here is educational — my goal is to teach the methodology, not manage your money.

  • Retired Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (28 years)
  • Active SPX options trader since 2002
  • Series 65 candidate (exam: June 2026)
  • Founder, The Spread Room
⚠ Important Risk Disclosure The Spread Room is an educational community. Nothing published here constitutes financial advice, investment advice, or a solicitation to trade options. Options trading involves substantial risk of loss and is not appropriate for all investors. You can lose the full premium paid or the full width of any spread. Past performance — including any win streaks referenced — does not guarantee future results. Always conduct your own due diligence and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before trading. The Spread Room and its founder are not responsible for trading decisions made based on information shared in this community.