How do you read options flow as a beginner?

Start with one alert rather than the whole feed. Read it in four parts: the contract (ticker, strike, expiry), the size (premium paid and volume against open interest), the execution (whether it hit the ask, the bid, or crossed as a block), and the context (earnings, the chart, dealer gamma). Only when several of those agree is the print worth acting on.

What is unusual options activity?

Unusual options activity is an options trade that is large or aggressive relative to that contract's own history: heavy premium, volume well above existing open interest, and an execution that suggests urgency. TraderMatrix scores every trade on volume-to-open-interest, premium size, bid-ask execution and days to expiration, and flags those scoring 85 or above.

What is the difference between a sweep and a block trade?

A sweep is one order split across several exchanges at once to fill immediately, which signals urgency. A block is a single large trade negotiated off the public order book, which signals size and planning. A golden sweep is a sweep that is also large enough to qualify as a block.

How long does it take to learn to read the tape?

The mechanics take about an afternoon: the four parts of an alert, what volume against open interest means, and which prints are ordinary hedging. Recognising the patterns quickly enough to use them takes weeks of watching. Watch the feed without trading first.

Do I need a subscription to learn on TraderMatrix?

No. The learning hub, the trading glossary and the tool guides are open to everyone without an account. A subscription unlocks the live scanners and screeners themselves, and it starts with a seven-day free trial.

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Glossary

Return on capital

Weekly premium collected divided by collateral at risk — the income metric for put sellers.

What it is

Return on Capital (ROC) for put selling: the premium collected divided by the capital at risk (strike × 100). A 1% weekly ROC means $1 earned per $100 of collateral held.

Why it matters

ROC/week is the core metric for the Wheel strategy because it tells you how efficiently your capital is working. A put that collects $100 premium on a $5,000 collateral requirement generates 2% ROC/week — much more useful than knowing the raw dollar premium.

How the screener uses it

The Cash-Secured Puts screener ranks results by weekly return on capital and flags 1%+ ROC/week as the target. Score formula: (ROC/Week × 20) − (RSI × 0.1). High ROC/wk = high income. The Wheel Tracker tracks cumulative premium versus a weekly income target so you can see whether your yield-per-capital is on track.

Where you will see it

Cash-Secured PutsPuts you would be happy to be assigned on, ranked by weekly return on capital with probability of profit and breakeven precalculated.
Wheel TrackerRun the wheel end-to-end: cash-secured put suggestions, assignment tracking, and covered-call income all in one place.
Reversal FinderOversold names showing the first signs of a bounce, ranked so the best mean-reversion setups float to the top.