Alpaca Options Agent

Paper trading · auto-refreshes every 30s

Competition result — 2026-08-31 to 2026-09-03 (judged window)

Final equity
$99,383
P&L
-617
Return
-0.62%
Closed
6
Win rate
33%

Official P&L window: 31 Aug 09:30 ET → 4 Sep 09:30 ET, scored on total account equity at the EOD 3 Sep snapshot. Started at $100,000.

Live now — since 2026-09-13

Equity
$96,275
Realised P&L
-4,587
Open
3
Closed
8
Win rate
0%

A fresh paper account, trading since 2026-09-13. Until 2026-09-19 it ran the competition strategy unchanged (multi-day holds); from 2026-09-19 it is intraday-only: entries 10:00–14:30 ET, everything closed by 15:45 ET. The database was reset for the account switch (audit tables cleared, market history kept), so everything below this line belongs to this account only.

Open positions

contractunderlyingrightqtyentrystoptargetexpirythesis
MSTR261016C00150000MSTRcall19.00136.49156.352026-10-16Momentum is present but not extreme (+0.86 ADR, RVOL 1.56), so a longer-dated 28 DTE contract gives the thesis room to play out while avoiding weekly theta decay risk; this contract has the tightest spread (1.1%), solid delta (0.47) and best liquidity of the group, offering the best risk/reward entry.
AVGO261016C00370000AVGOcall111.05351.36383.962026-10-16Strong momentum (RVOL 2.29, +1.26 ADR) supports a call entry, and this contract has by far the best liquidity/spread (0.3%, 2292 prior-day volume) with a reasonable 0.45 delta, giving the most room to manage the trade without slippage eating the edge; the extra DTE also buffers against short-term chop versus the 5-7 DTE contracts that are more exposed to rapid theta/gamma risk if momentum stalls.
COIN261016C00200000COINcall110.25178.28217.022026-10-16Moderate momentum (+1.32 ADR, RVOL 1.55) supports a call entry, but move is not extreme enough to chase a near-dated tight-delta contract; the 28 DTE 200 strike offers the tightest spread (1.2%), solid delta (0.44) and gives the move room to develop without theta pressure of the 7 DTE options.

Closed positions — competition window (frozen)

contractqtyentryexitP&Lreason
TSLA260911C0037000028.254.80-690premium -42% at or below -40%
AAPL260909C0032000035.259.40+1,245premium +85% at or above 80%
TSLA260918C00365000111.706.95-475premium -41% at or below -40%
IWM260918P0029000063.282.18-660underlying 295.81 broke stop 295.34
AVGO260918P0034500019.956.05-390underlying 353.64 broke stop 353.51
MSTR260918C0014000028.759.95+240underlying 142.72 reached target 142.69

Closed positions — since 2026-09-13

contractqtyentryexitP&Lreason
SMCI261016C0004200062.931.70-738premium -40% at or below -40%
AMD260925C00550000114.5012.95-155underlying 543.19 broke stop 543.76
AMD260925C00550000117.9514.15-380underlying 544.86 broke stop 544.87
TSLA260925C0038000027.054.15-580premium -40% at or below -40%
GOOGL261016C00350000111.208.40-280underlying 341.89 broke stop 342.35
COIN260918P0016500053.601.98-810premium -45% at or below -40%
COIN260918C0019250035.252.35-870premium -53% at or below -40%
NFLX260925C0008000092.041.18-774premium -41% at or below -40%

Decision log

time (UTC)symbolactiondetailthesis
2026-09-18T14:42:42ZCOIN261016C00200000entry1x @ 10.37, delta 0.44Moderate momentum (+1.32 ADR, RVOL 1.55) supports a call entry, but move is not extreme enough to chase a near-dated tight-delta contract; the 28 DTE 200 strike offers the tightest spread (1.2%), solid delta (0.44) and gives the move room to develop without theta pressure of the 7 DTE options.
2026-09-18T14:12:14ZSMCI261016C00042000exitpremium -40% at or below -40%
2026-09-18T13:54:18ZAVGO261016C00370000entry1x @ 11.09, delta 0.45Strong momentum (RVOL 2.29, +1.26 ADR) supports a call entry, and this contract has by far the best liquidity/spread (0.3%, 2292 prior-day volume) with a reasonable 0.45 delta, giving the most room to manage the trade without slippage eating the edge; the extra DTE also buffers against short-term chop versus the 5-7 DTE contracts that are more exposed to rapid theta/gamma risk if momentum stalls.
2026-09-18T13:50:55ZAVGO261016C00370000canceledaoa-AVGO261016C00370000-buy-202609181350-r @ 11.09 unfilled, canceled
2026-09-18T13:50:54ZMSTR261016C00150000entry2x @ 9.07, delta 0.47Momentum is present but not extreme (+0.86 ADR, RVOL 1.56), so a longer-dated 28 DTE contract gives the thesis room to play out while avoiding weekly theta decay risk; this contract has the tightest spread (1.1%), solid delta (0.47) and best liquidity of the group, offering the best risk/reward entry.
2026-09-18T13:50:54ZAVGO261016C00370000canceledaoa-AVGO261016C00370000-buy-202609181350 @ 10.98 unfilled, canceled
2026-09-18T13:50:54ZAVGO261016C00370000abandoned1x @ 11.09, delta 0.44Strong momentum (RVOL 2.32, +1.25 ADR) supports a bullish continuation play, and the Oct16 370C offers the tightest spread (2.6%), solid delta (0.44), and highest liquidity of the group, giving the best risk/reward with enough time to work versus the tighter-dated contracts.
2026-09-17T19:55:03ZAMD260925C00550000exitunderlying 543.19 broke stop 543.76
2026-09-17T19:10:56ZAMD260925C00550000entry1x @ 14.53, delta 0.47Moderate momentum (+0.64 ADR, RVOL 1.53) supports a call entry without being overextended; this contract has the tightest spread (0.3%), solid delta (0.47) near ATM, highest liquidity of the near-dated options, and 8 DTE gives the move room to develop without excessive theta decay.
2026-09-17T19:09:50ZAMD261016C00550000rejectedquantity 0 is not tradeable
2026-09-17T19:08:44ZAMD261002C00555000rejectedquantity 0 is not tradeable
2026-09-17T19:05:38ZAMD260925C00550000canceledaoa-AMD260925C00550000-buy-202609171905-r @ 14.14 unfilled, canceled
2026-09-17T19:05:37ZAMD260925C00550000canceledaoa-AMD260925C00550000-buy-202609171905 @ 14.11 unfilled, canceled
2026-09-17T19:05:37ZAMD260925C00550000abandoned1x @ 14.14, delta 0.47Momentum is only moderate (+0.57 ADR, RVOL 1.53), so favor a tighter, high-liquidity contract with solid delta rather than chasing further OTM strikes; this contract has the tightest spread (0.6%), reasonable delta (0.47) for directional exposure, and decent volume within a short 8 DTE window to capture near-term follow-through.
2026-09-17T19:02:30ZAMD261002C00555000canceledaoa-AMD261002C00555000-buy-202609171902-r @ 18.48 unfilled, canceled
2026-09-17T19:02:29ZAMD261002C00555000canceledaoa-AMD261002C00555000-buy-202609171902 @ 18.39 unfilled, canceled
2026-09-17T19:02:29ZAMD261002C00555000abandoned1x @ 18.48, delta 0.45Momentum is moderate (+0.58 ADR, RVOL 1.53) rather than extreme, so favor a slightly OTM strike with more time (15 DTE) to let the move develop while keeping a tight 1.3% spread and reasonable delta (0.45) for good risk/reward and liquidity.
2026-09-17T19:01:23ZAMD261016C00550000rejectedquantity 0 is not tradeable
2026-09-17T18:37:18ZAMD261016C00570000rejectedquantity 0 is not tradeable
2026-09-17T18:31:00ZAMD260925C00550000exitunderlying 544.86 broke stop 544.87
2026-09-17T18:25:44ZAMD260925C00550000rejectedAMD already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T18:24:38ZAMD260925C00550000rejectedAMD already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T18:23:32ZAMD260921C00550000rejectedAMD already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T18:07:46ZAMD261016C00550000rejectedquantity 0 is not tradeable
2026-09-17T18:06:41ZAMD261002C00550000rejectedquantity 0 is not tradeable
2026-09-17T18:05:35ZAMD260925C00550000rejectedAMD already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T18:04:28ZAMD261002C00570000rejectedAMD already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T18:03:22ZAMD260925C00550000rejectedAMD already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:53:54ZAMD261002C00555000rejectedquantity 0 is not tradeable
2026-09-17T17:52:48ZAMD260925C00550000rejectedAMD already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:51:38ZAMD261016C00550000rejectedquantity 0 is not tradeable
2026-09-17T17:44:16ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:42:08ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:41:01ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:39:55ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:38:49ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:37:43ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:36:37ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:35:31ZSMCI260925C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:34:25ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:28:05ZSMCI260925C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:22:48ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:18:34ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:05:58ZSMCI260925C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:04:52ZSMCI260925C00041000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:01:41ZSMCI260925C00041000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T17:00:34ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T16:57:21ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T16:56:15ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T16:55:09ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T16:54:00ZSMCIskipconfidence 0.60Price has already extended +1.33 ADR with RVOL 3.13, meaning much of the momentum move is likely priced in and chasing here risks poor entry timing; none of the contracts offer a clearly superior risk/reward (short-dated ones have tight timeframes to reverse decay, longer-dated has wider absolute cost) to justify entering after such an extended move.
2026-09-17T16:52:53ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T16:51:47ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T16:50:40ZSMCI260925C00041000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T16:49:34ZSMCIskipconfidence 0.62Move is already extended at +1.29 ADR with elevated RVOL, meaning much of the momentum may be priced in and chasing here risks poor entry timing; none of the contracts offer a clearly superior risk/reward to justify entering into an already-stretched move.
2026-09-17T16:48:28ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T16:47:22ZSMCI260925C00041000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T16:46:13ZSMCI260925C00041000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T16:45:02ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)
2026-09-17T16:43:55ZSMCI261016C00042000rejectedSMCI already has 1 open position(s) (cap 1)