Let me break down a losing trade you likely did. The one most people make. You buy a call on a great company. 3 weeks out. Paid $500. Week 1: stock drifts down 2%. Your call is down 30%. You're confused because 2% isn't much of a downward move for the shares. Week 2: stock recovers, closes higher than when you bought. Your call is still down 20%. Now you're really confused. Week 3: stock closes up 4% on the month. Your call expires worthless. You were RIGHT about the company. You were right about the direction. You lost 100%. Cause of the loss: the clock, not the call. Every day that passed, your contract bled value (theta). You needed the move to be big AND fast... This is why every option I touch is a year+ out so I have time for my thesis to actually play out... Short duration is gambling. One day you'll believe me.