Good morning, traders…

Ever wondered why Wall Street builds algorithms (robots) to trade the markets?

The answer is simple:

Machines don’t have emotions. 

They don’t panic when stocks fall. They don’t get overly excited when charts rally. They don’t get greedy, or nervous, or overconfident. 

The robots make decisions based on raw data. They follow strict rules. They’re completely free from the psychological traps that plague human traders.

Ideally, you want to trade like a hedge fund robot. 

Think of yourself as The Terminator of Trading…

You have one mission and one mission only: to make money in the options market. 

No FOMO, no panic selling, no hesitation. Just cold, calculated decisions aimed at making the most money possible.

But of course, you aren’t a robot. You’re a human being. 

And that’s why trading is so difficult for most people.  

No matter how disciplined you think you are, there will come a moment when the market puts your emotions to the test. 

At that moment, the question becomes: Will you let emotions drive your decisions? Or will you trade like an unstoppable machine? 

Let me show you how to say “Hasta la vista, baby” to your pesky human emotions…

Start Trading Like The Terminator…

Respond, Don’t React.

To succeed as a trader, you have to learn the difference between a response and a reaction. 

Too many people react to what they see in the market, letting emotions (like fear or excitement) control their decisions. 

But a reaction is just that — instinctual, fast, and often wrong — while a well-planned response is methodical, surgical, and precise. 

The market is designed to elicit the incorrect reaction from you, the trader. 

When a stock price suddenly drops, the instinctual human reaction is to sell, get out, and protect yourself from further losses. 

When a chart moves higher, the reaction is to jump in, fearing that you’ll miss out on the gains. 

These emotional reactions are exactly what the market wants (and exactly what your account doesn’t need). 

Market makers feed off your fear and greed, hoping traders make decisions that go against their best interests.

And most people walk directly into this trap. 

Here’s how to avoid it: 

• Identify your price targets and scale out once you hit them.
• Don’t react to every tick on a chart. Instead, respond to the price action. 
• Develop a trading plan (and stick to it). 
• Use my OMEN Scanner to follow the Smart Money. Trade the contracts they’re buying. No need to guess. 

Good Habits in Life = Bad Habits in Trading

To fight the natural instincts that work against you in trading, you need to be process-driven. Remember the systems and rules you’ve built that prevent emotions from taking over. 

Trading based on loyalty, faith, or gut feelings won’t get you very far. These traits that often serve us well in life are the very things that can hurt you as a trader.

As a father, I’m always telling my three sons to “make the best of a bad situation” or “never give up.” In everyday life, these are great pieces of advice…

But in trading, those same principles can lead to disaster. Trying to “make the best” of a bad trade can cost you. 

Maybe you bought a call option on a stock you were sure would go up, but now it’s sinking fast. 

Instead of admitting the mistake and exiting, you hold on, thinking it’ll turn around, and pay the price by taking a big loss. 

You’re loyal to the stock. You have faith that your original decision was right…

But as powerful as loyalty and faith can be in life, they actively work against you in trading.

I’m happily married to my wife. But I’ll never marry a stock (or a position). 

I know when to let go. If the price action proves my thesis wrong, I get out immediately.

Stubbornly holding on to a losing position will only dig you deeper into a hole. If a setup isn’t what you expected, don’t try to force it. Cut it and wait for a better opportunity.

Trading is less about how fast you can react to the market’s movements and more about how well you can control your emotions. 

Being calm, methodical, and prepared will put you ahead of those who let fear and greed dictate their actions. 

Next time you’re faced with a big decision: think like a robot, stick to your rules, and remember your strategy.

Speaking of big trading decisions, we’re reaching “peak earnings season…”

And if you’re looking to take advantage of this week’s earnings calendar…

There’s only one place to start.

Last season, my Earnings Edge system delivered 100 winning trades in a row.*

Because it #TrustsTheMath and identifies setups with algorithmic, robot-like precision. 

Tired of hearing about these wins after they happen?

Let’s fix that:

Sign up for our Earnings Edge Workshop TODAY at 10 a.m. EST.

Happy trading,

Ben Sturgill

*Past performance does not indicate future results