Went from -76% down to almost breakeven

So I took a trade on ELF through earnings—on paper, everything lined up. But, like any trade, we can only make educated hypothesis. We can't predict the future.

I got a leap contract, and as soon as the market opened after ELF's earning, it tanked 20%. I thought the lowest was going to be $75, and I was mentally prepared to be down 50% max.

But at open, I was down 70%–and that hit hard.

Losing money isn't fun, and that shook my confidence as a trader.

January spoiled me–I pulled a 200% return that month. So this ELF trade was a punch in the gut. But here's the thing, you can't let one trade define you.

Inside TGE Max, we traded CRM and took 2 strikes:

✅ First contract: 134% return

✅ Second contract (further OTM): 227% return

We also grabbed a SNOW call, which I didn’t screenshot, but that was another 40% return.

Total return for today: ~400%. Almost recovered most of my ELF loss.

These were 0DTEs, so I couldn’t size as aggressively as usual. Risk management first—always. But even with that, I ended the day nearly flat despite a rough start.

How did I manage to pull through after ELF lost?

I have to stay sharp, be mechanical, define risk, and take action. If I let one trade make me hesitate, I'll miss the next opportunity.

This game is brutal, but you can't let them change your system.

This game isn't about winning every trade–it's about staying in the game long enough to win big.

/Ruben

17 comments