"The stock market is the only market where things go on sale and all the customers run out of the store."
| Cullen Roche
Listen up, Traders.
The stock market isn’t a fair game.. it’s a high-stakes poker table, and if you don’t know the rules, you’re the guy betting his rent money while the sharks clean you out.
Market makers?
They’re the house. And if you think you’re gonna roll up, slap the ask on an overpriced options contract, and waltz out with profits think again.
You see a stock ripping at the open - candles straight to the moon.
Your hearts racing.
This is your moment.
You load up an options chain and without hesitation buy a call at the ask.
Boom, you’re IN.
The stock keeps running.
You start calculating your yacht purchase.
But wait ... why is your option barely moving?
Because you just got Vegas’d.
Market makers have jacked up the ask price while keeping the bid on life support.
They let you think you;re winning, but the second the stock hesitates?
BAM!
IV crushes, the bid evaporates, and your P&L turns red faster than a blackjack table at 2 AM.
You’re left holding an overpriced contract with no one to sell it to, just another tourist getting fleeced by the house.
Sound familiar?
Let’s fix that before you end up comping the market maker’s next vacation.
A Market Maker is like that sneaky friend who offers to buy your old phone for $200 but sells the same model to someone else for $250—pocketing the $50 difference.
That’s the bid-ask spread, and they tweak it on the fly to squeeze every extra cent out of you.
Why?
Because their job isn’t to help you—it’s to profit off you.
They widen the spread when things get volatile, pull bids when they smell a big trade, and basically play keep-away with your money.
It’s like trying to buy a drink at a bar where the bartender keeps changing the price mid-order. 🍻💸
Moral of the story?
Trade smart, or the market makers will make you their market snack. 🦈
CHECK THE BID/ASK SPREAD ;
Before you buy!
Market makers play a sneaky little game—widening the bid-ask spread when it suits them, pocketing more profit while dodging risk.
They’re like casino dealers who change the odds mid-hand.
On top of that, they yank bids and asks like a magician pulling rabbits out of a hat, especially when they sense big, hidden orders (icebergs) or rare, market-shaking events (fat tails).
The result?
You pay more, they win more.
Think of it as Wall Street’s “convenience fee”—except you’re the one getting inconvenienced. 🏦💳
Want to beat market makers at their own game?
Meet IV Rush and IV Crush—the ultimate bait-and-switch of options trading. 🎭
First, market makers pump up Implied Volatility (IV) like a shady car dealer slapping a fresh coat of paint on a lemon—hello, IV Rush!
Traders pile in, paying top dollar for juiced-up premiums. Then, just when you think you’re riding the wave, BAM!—the event passes, and they pull the rug.
IV Crush hits, and those once-expensive options deflate faster than a popped balloon. 🎈💨
The trick?
Sell high-IV options before the pop
and
Buy low-IV options before the pump.
Play it right, and instead of getting squeezed, you’ll be the one cashing in while market makers scramble for their next victim. 🚀💰
Ever feel like the market is ghosting you with insane spreads? That’s because the bid-ask spread isn’t just some random number—it’s a sneaky little game influenced by several key factors.
Here’s why your trades might be getting the cold shoulder:
-
1️⃣ Market Volatility (AKA the Market’s Mood Swings)
When the market is calm, spreads stay tight. But when things get wild, market makers act like nervous exes—suddenly creating distance (widening the spread) to protect themselves.
High implied volatility means options traders are freaking out, so spreads get wider than a tourist’s eyes in Las Vegas.
-
2️⃣ Liquidity (AKA How Popular Your Trade Is)
If you’re trading a high-volume stock or option, you’ll get tighter spreads because more buyers and sellers are in the mix.
But if you’re trading something obscure, like deep out-of-the-money options on a Tuesday afternoon, good luck—spreads will be as wide as a canyon.
-
3️⃣ Trading Volume (The Life of the Party)
The underlying asset’s volume matters.
If the stock is popping with trades, market makers feel safe keeping spreads tight.
But if it's trading like a ghost town? Those spreads will be so wide you could drive a truck through them.
-
4️⃣ Asset Class (Because Some Markets Are Just Fancier Than Others)
Spreads on Stocks and ETFs? Usually tight.
Options and Futures? Wider, but manageable.
Crypto and low-liquidity junk? Spreads so ridiculous they make you question your life choices.
-
5️⃣ Market Maker Competition (How Many Dealers Want Your Business)
If lots of market makers are fighting for orders, they’ll keep spreads low just to stay in the game.
But if there's only one or two controlling the market, they’ll make you pay up—just like that overpriced drink at the airport bar.
- Avoid crazy volatility unless you love pain.
- Trade liquid assets.
- Stick to tight spreads so you don’t get robbed.
Because no one likes overpaying, whether it’s for a trade or a bad cocktail in Vegas. 🍸🎰
The house always wins.”
| Every casino owner ever!
1. Don’t Play With a Rigged Spread
Before you enter, check the bid-ask spread.
If it’s wider than your ex’s mood swings (more than 10-15%), you’re walking into a liquidity desert good luck getting out.
2. Avoid the Amateur Hour Scam (First 30 -45 Min)
Market makers love squeezing retail traders during the morning hype.
Let the market settle.
If you’re "chasing", you’re the liquidity.
3. NEVER Buy at the Ask - Use Limit Orders
Slapping the ask is like handing your wallet to a blackjack dealer and asking them to just take what’s fair.
Enter at a reasonable limit price make market makers work for it.
4. Watch for the “Silent Rug Pull” (The Evil Kienevel pop and drop for you old heads;- )
If the stock is climbing but your option price is flat or dropping, that’s a sign IV is deflating and market makers are cooking you alive.
Know the difference between a real move and a trap.
5. Sell Smart - Work the Midpoint
If you’re trying to sell and just hit the bid, you’re getting mugged.
Always start at the midpoint of the bid-ask spread and work down slowly -make the market maker pay you to leave the table.
If you’re tired of getting fleeced by market makers, it’s time to level up.
Join our
Coaching Cohort, where we teach traders how to:
- Enter trades without overpaying like a tourist
- Avoid market maker traps that kill your profits
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"Wall Street never changes. The pockets change, the suckers change, the stocks change, but Wall Street never changes, because human nature never changes."
- Jesse Livermore
