Good morning, traders…
Jeff here.
It’s no secret: the market is going through a serious rough patch.
But as this tape develops, I’m noticing a lot of traders are looking at this market volatility the wrong way…
They’re freezing up, watching stocks tumble and the VIX surge, thinking this environment is too difficult to trade…
This is a mistake. You must balance confidence and caution.
If you can see the forest through the trees, you’ll realize the current volatility regime is actually a great environment for options traders.
Don’t believe me? Today, I’m gonna take you on a little journey through my trading past, rewinding all the way back to 2010.
On a particular day in May of that year, I profited over $1 million in mere seconds.*
And it wasn’t a bull market. A flash crash led to fast cash.
Now, anytime you make a million dollars in less than a minute, there’s gotta be some luck involved.
However, I’d like to show you how ultra-bearish conditions allowed me to nail one of the biggest wins of my career — and how you can approach today’s market similarly.
Let’s break down how a historic market crash allowed me to profit $1 million+ in mere seconds…*
May 6, 2010: “The Flash Crash”
Picture this: At the time, I was heavily into trading futures, specifically Asian ETFs, crafting hedged pair trades across different time zones.
I would be long US, short Japan, or the other way around.
Then, on May 6, 2010 … something crazy happened.
That day, the market was feeling really negative and bearish.
And since my ‘Burn Notice’ strategy revolves around the last hour of the day, I was net short into the ‘Burn Window.’
I had put on a long Japan position and I was short a few hundred S&P futures (over $20 million short).
Then came the flash crash — which provided me with an ideal, amazing entry point (because I was already leaning short).
The markets were buzzing along, and then — bam!
Out of nowhere, the market takes a nosedive into the abyss.
Now, this wasn’t your garden-variety dip. Rather, this was the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeting a hair-raising 1,000 points in minutes.
You heard that right — minutes. It was like watching a financial horror movie in fast-forward.
Stocks and indices were freefalling, and not just the small fries — we’re talking big names, blue chips, everything.
My S&P futures nosedived 7%, while my Nikkei futures, although hurting, dipped just 2.5%.
How I Executed My “Flash Crash” Trades
In that chaos, I didn’t pause to play analyst or get lost in the news…
I saw my P&L skyrocketing and I acted … fast.
Market orders, no second-guessing, just action.
I was closing out positions like there was no tomorrow, grabbing gains like a bank robber, not even bothering with limit prices.
I cleared my positions and flattened everything, not knowing or caring what was causing the turmoil.
My focus was on capitalizing on the opportunity and getting out.
This is crucial in trading — being able to act decisively, especially amid sudden market movements.
The ability to do so separates a seasoned trader from a novice. Many freeze up, overanalyze, and miss their golden profit window.
But not me, and hopefully, not you either.
By the time the dust settled, I was flat, out of all positions, and I had profited more than $1 million in mere seconds.*
My boss was astounded, asking me, “Did you just make a million dollars?”
But it wasn’t just about the money, it was about being primed to seize the moment.
Preparation Leads to Luck
My approach to Money Link trades has always been about leaning into the market direction.
And this was no different in 2010.
If the market was spiraling down and I aimed to be net flat by close, I’d short aggressively early on and more cautiously as the day wore on.
This tactic is key: you generally want to align with the overall trend, especially when planning your exit strategy. The trend is your friend.
Was I lucky to be in this position heading into one of the most historic market crashes of the generation? Of course.
But I was also prepared, experienced, and aware. I made my own luck that day.
That’s the essence of truly great trading — being ready to capitalize on opportunities, no matter how sudden or unexpected they come.
If you’re ready for anything, you might find yourself in some seemingly ‘lucky’ scenarios.
Remember this tale as we navigate this wildly volatile environment. Train yourself to be quick, decisive, and aligned with the market’s pulse.
The ability to act swiftly and smartly in the face of market upheavals will set you apart in this game.
Stay sharp, stay prepared, and most importantly — stay profitable.
Happy trading,
Jeff Zananiri
P.S. My brand-new, AI-powered trading system — which can detect algorithmic glitches in real-time with a 90% accuracy rate — has already led to explosive gains like 216% on CHWY calls in 24 hours* and 200% on QCOM puts in 48 hours!*
Click here now to be one of the first 500 people to claim a GAMMA CODE membership.
*Past performance does not indicate future results
