It's not the strategy. It's the checklist they skip.

I've reviewed hundreds of 0DTE trade logs. The same pattern repeats — traders enter SPY positions without checking:

1. The VIX regime

If VIX is above 20, your expected move widens. The same strike that hit last week is OTM today. Skipping this is the fastest way to lose a full position before 10:30 AM.

2. Pre-market options flow

Large block prints in SPY before the open often telegraph institutional positioning. They're not always right, but they shift the probability distribution. Ignoring them means trading blind.

3. Key technical levels

Not just the daily chart. The 5-min and 15-min opening range matter for 0DTE. Price respecting or rejecting the prior day's high/low in the first 30 minutes tells you whether to be a buyer or seller of premium.

4. Risk/reward before entry — not after

Most traders calculate their max gain. Almost none calculate their max loss before touching the order button. For 0DTE, this is fatal. You have hours, not days, to be right.

The traders I work with who show consistent results all share one habit: they run a pre-trade checklist before every single entry. It feels slow at first. After two months, it's faster than placing the trade without it.

If you want the exact checklist I use — it's inside the SPY 0DTE Playbook. 1-day free trial. No commitment.

Trade with a process — not a prayer.