ChopRead — 0DTE Workflow Guide

Setup

First-Time Configuration

Step 0.1

Open Settings and add your API keys

Click the ⚙ Settings button (top-right of Ch0plife). Enter:

Key	Where to get it	Required for
Tradier API Key	tradier.com → sandbox or production account	Live options chain, real-time GEX for SPY/QQQ/IWM/stocks
Polygon.io Key	polygon.io → free Starter tier works	SPX GEX (real index chains), 5-min historical bars, flow scanner
ntfy Topic	Any string you choose — install ntfy app on phone	GEX flip alerts, ORB breakout push notifications

Note

Keys are stored locally in your browser only. They are never transmitted to any server outside Tradier and Polygon directly.

Step 0.2

Set your Tradier environment

In Settings, choose Sandbox (for testing with delayed data) or Production (real-time). Sandbox is safe to use while learning — production requires a funded Tradier account.

Tip

Start in Sandbox. The GEX regime signal (POS/NEG) and walls will still be accurate enough to learn the system. Switch to Production once you're confident.

Phase 1

Pre-Market Read

Phase 1

Context — Know the environment before the bell

8:00 AM – 9:29 AM ET

Step 1.1

Check the Risk Bar (top of page)

The three-panel risk bar loads automatically. Read it left to right:

[ SCREENSHOT: Risk bar showing VIX · SPY trend chip · Fear & Greed ]

risk bar — vix / trend / fear & greed

Reading	Meaning	Bias
VIX < 16	Low volatility, compressed premiums	Theta decay favors sellers
VIX 16–24	Normal market — balanced conditions	Neutral — scan both sides
VIX > 24	Elevated fear — wide spreads, fast moves	Reduce size, widen stops
SPY trend = ↑ GO	SPY 5-day trend is upward	Calls get tailwind
SPY trend = ↓ WAIT	SPY 5-day trend is downward	Puts get tailwind
F&G Extreme Greed	Euphoria — often a reversal signal	Fade upside — put bias
F&G Extreme Fear	Panic — often a bounce setup	Call bias — contrarian

Step 1.2

Read the Scout Report

Below the risk bar, the Scout Report shows each symbol's current directional bias:

[ SCREENSHOT: Scout Report rows for SPY / QQQ / IWM / SPX ]

scout report — directional bias grid

Signal	Read
↑ GO / CALL	Bullish bias — calls in play
↔ WAIT	No clear edge — skip or wait
↓ PUT	Bearish bias — puts in play

When 3 of 4 symbols agree (e.g., SPY / QQQ / IWM all show PUT), the macro environment is directionally aligned — higher-probability setups.

Step 1.3

Select your symbol for the day

Use the SYM bar in the CH0PLIFE ENGINE to load your primary focus symbol:

[ SCREENSHOT: SYM bar with SPY / QQQ / IWM / SPX / TSLA / NVDA / AMD buttons ]

symbol selector bar

SPX — highest volume 0DTE, widest GEX walls, best for scalps
SPY — liquid, smaller contract, easier sizing
QQQ — tech-heavy, higher beta, wider swings on tech news
IWM — small-cap beta, reacts to macro/rates data
Custom — type any ticker (TSLA, NVDA, MARA…) for single-stock 0DTE

Phase 2

Opening Range Watch

Phase 2

ORB Formation — Do not trade until the range is set

9:30 AM – 9:50 AM ET

Hard Rule

No 0DTE entries during the first 20 minutes. The Opening Range (ORB) is being established. Any trade before 9:50 AM is pure gambling — let the market show its hand.

Step 2.1

Watch the SPY / SPX chart

The price chart renders with these overlays once bars load:

[ SCREENSHOT: 5-min chart with ORB high/low band, VWAP line, GEX wall markers ]

5-min chart — orb · vwap · gex levels

Overlay	Color	Meaning
ORB High	Green band	Upper edge of the opening 20-min candle range
ORB Low	Red band	Lower edge of the opening 20-min candle range
VWAP	Cyan line	Volume-weighted average price — institutional anchor
Call Wall	Blue dot/line	Highest gamma call strike — overhead resistance magnet
Put Wall	Red dot/line	Highest gamma put strike — downside support magnet
Flip Zone	Purple ⬡	GEX polarity flip — market behavior changes here

Step 2.2

Note the GEX Regime

Find the GEX bar chart and regime banner in the CH0PLIFE ENGINE:

[ SCREENSHOT: GEX bi-directional bar chart with ▲ POS GEX or ▼ NEG GEX banner ]

gamma exposure chart — regime + walls

▲ POS GEX — Dealers absorb vol

Market tends to mean-revert
Fade breakouts that stall
Tighter stops — less follow-through
VWAP reclaims and rejections dominant

▼ NEG GEX — Dealers amplify moves

Trends can run hard and fast
Follow breakouts — momentum valid
Widen stops — overshoot likely
Walls become targets, not ceilings

Phase 3

Signal Identification

Phase 3

Find the Setup — ORB breakout + GEX confirmation

9:50 AM – 10:30 AM ET

Step 3.1

Wait for ORB breakout confirmation

[ SCREENSHOT: Ch0plife engine showing "↑ BULL — broke ORB HIGH $742.15" ]

orb breakout signal

The CH0PLIFE ENGINE will display:

↑ BULL — broke ORB HIGH $X.XX → calls in play
↓ BEAR — broke ORB LOW $X.XX → puts in play
→ Inside range — no signal yet → wait

The Only Rule for Entry Direction

Price direction at ORB breakout = your trade direction. Simple. If price breaks ORB High → calls. If it breaks ORB Low → puts. Don't fight it. Let the market decide.

Step 3.2

Read Tomorrow's Watchlist (pre-loaded signal data)

[ SCREENSHOT: Tomorrow's Watchlist showing ORB ZONE, CALL WALL, PUT WALL badges ]

tomorrow's watchlist — key price levels

The watchlist shows precalculated levels for today's 0DTE:

Badge	Meaning
ORB ZONE	Expected opening range based on prior close structure
CALL WALL $X	Primary upside target — highest gamma call concentration
PUT WALL $X	Primary downside target — highest gamma put concentration
⬡ FLIP $X	GEX flip zone — regime changes here, treat as hard invalidation
Alert	Click to set a browser price alert at that level

Step 3.3

Check GOOD BONES score

[ SCREENSHOT: Good Bones panel showing score 5/7 BULL with green bars ]

good bones signal grid — confluence score

The GOOD BONES panel aggregates 7 confluence factors. Each green bar = +1 point toward the directional case. The score and color tell you setup quality:

0–3

No edge

4–5

Developing

6–7

High Confluence

Minimum Threshold

Consider only setups scoring 5 or higher. A 4 is marginal — reduce size or skip. A 6–7 is the setup you want: multiple independent signals pointing the same direction.

Phase 4

Trade Setup Checklist

Phase 4

Pre-Entry Checklist — All boxes before touching a contract

Complete before entering any position

Step 4.1 — CALL setup checklist

Use when ORB broke HIGH

✓
ORB broke above the high — confirmed on a close, not just a wick
✓
Price is above VWAP — institutional alignment
✓
GEX regime is NEG (momentum) or POS with room to call wall
✓
CALL WALL is at least 0.5% above current price — worthwhile target
✓
GOOD BONES score ≥ 5 and pointing BULL
✓
Scout Report shows SPY + QQQ both GO (macro aligned)
✓
VIX is not spiking (rising VIX kills call premium fast)

Step 4.2 — PUT setup checklist

Use when ORB broke LOW

✓
ORB broke below the low — confirmed close below the level
✓
Price is below VWAP — sellers in control
✓
GEX regime is NEG or POS with room to PUT wall below
✓
PUT WALL is at least 0.5% below current price — room to run
✓
GOOD BONES score ≥ 5 and pointing BEAR
✓
Scout Report shows SPY + QQQ both PUT
✓
VIX not at an extreme high (mean-revert risk)

Step 4.3

Identify your levels before entry

Write these down before clicking buy:

Level	Source in Ch0plife	Purpose
Entry	Current bid/ask — enter on a pullback to VWAP or ORB level after confirmation	Where you get in
Target 1	Call Wall (for calls) / Put Wall (for puts)	First profit take — 50–70% of position
Target 2	Next GEX wall beyond T1	Remainder of position — let it run
Stop	ORB level opposite side (e.g., ORB Low for calls) or GEX Flip Zone	Hard exit — no negotiating

Phase 5

During the Trade

Phase 5

Trade Management — Watch, don't chase

Position is open

Step 5.1

Monitor the Fire Card

[ SCREENSHOT: Fire Card showing MOMENTUM-BULL with HOLD UNTIL 2:30 PM ]

fire card — live regime + hold signal

The Fire Card in the CH0PLIFE ENGINE updates with each data refresh. Key readings:

Fire Card State	Action
MOMENTUM-BULL	Hold calls — trend intact
MOMENTUM-BEAR	Hold puts — trend intact
CHOP / RANGE	Exits are more important — take profit at walls
REVERSAL SIGNAL	Trail stop aggressively — regime shift possible

Step 5.2

Watch for GEX Flip notification

If you set up ntfy alerts, you'll receive a push notification when price crosses the GEX flip zone. This is the single most important mid-trade signal:

GEX Flip Alert = Regime Change

When price crosses the ⬡ flip zone, market behavior switches. If you're in a trending trade (NEG GEX), the move may stall. If in a range trade (POS GEX), a new trend could begin. Treat the flip zone as your stop or at minimum a position-size reduction trigger.

Step 5.3

Time-of-day awareness

9:50 AM – 11:00 AM ET

Prime window

Maximum theta + directional momentum. Best entries and highest R:R. Most 0DTE profits made here.

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET

Chop zone

Institutional lunch hour. Low conviction. Avoid new entries unless a catalyst breaks the range. Manage existing positions.

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET

Secondary window

Second best window. Bond market closes at 3 PM driving equity flows. Watch for resumption of morning trend.

2:30 PM – 3:45 PM ET

Theta crush zone — danger

0DTE contracts lose 50–70% of remaining value in the last 90 minutes unless deep ITM. Hold only if highly confident. Most losses happen from holding too long.

3:45 PM – 4:00 PM ET

Close — no new entries

Gamma explosion territory. OTM contracts go to zero. Any remaining 0DTE position that isn't deep ITM should be closed.

Phase 6

Exit Protocol

Phase 6

Exits — Pre-planned, not reactive

While in a position

Step 6.1

Take profit at Call/Put Walls

GEX walls are the highest concentration of dealer hedging. Price often stalls, reverses, or consolidates at these levels. They are targets, not ceilings.

At Target 1 (first wall): Close 50–70% of position
Move stop to breakeven on remainder
At Target 2 (next wall or time-based): Close remainder

Step 6.2

Stop-loss triggers

Exit the entire position immediately if:

Price closes a 5-min candle back inside the ORB (false breakout)
Price crosses the GEX Flip Zone in the wrong direction
The Fire Card flips to the opposite regime
Time is past 2:30 PM ET and position is not deep ITM
Option loses 50% of entry premium (hard stop on premium)

Non-Negotiable Stop

Pre-set your stop in the broker before entering the trade. A stop set in advance doesn't require a decision under pressure. A mental stop is not a stop.

Step 6.3

End of day — log your trade

After closing, return to Ch0plife and log the trade in your journal. Note:

Symbol, direction (call/put), strike, expiry
Entry price, exit price, P&L
GEX regime at entry, GOOD BONES score
What worked / what you would change

Why this matters

The scanner backtest system logs every signal with a score. Reviewing your own trades against the scanner's signal history reveals whether you're trading the edge — or trading around it.

Reference

GEX Regime Cheat Sheet

Regime	Dealer behavior	Expected price action	Best play
▲ POS GEX	Dealers buy dips, sell rips to hedge	Mean reversion, tight range, walls hold	Sell premium, fade extremes, quick scalps
▼ NEG GEX	Dealers buy dips AND sell dips — amplify	Trending, breakouts follow-through, walls blown through	Buy momentum, hold through walls, wider stops
⬡ Flip Zone	Regime transition	Volatility spikes, direction uncertain	Reduce or exit, wait for new regime

Reference

GOOD BONES Score Breakdown

#	Factor	Bullish = green when...	Bearish = red when...
1	ORB Breakout	Broke above ORB High	Broke below ORB Low
2	VWAP Position	Price above VWAP	Price below VWAP
3	GEX Regime	NEG GEX (momentum ally)	NEG GEX (momentum ally)
4	Call Wall Room	≥0.5% space to next call wall	Put wall ≥0.5% below
5	VIX Direction	VIX falling (risk-on)	VIX rising (risk-off)
6	Futures Alignment	ES/NQ green pre-market	ES/NQ red pre-market
7	Scout Consensus	3+ of 4 symbols showing GO	3+ of 4 showing PUT

Reference

Signal Cards in the CH0PLIFE ENGINE

Card	What it shows	How to use it
ORB Status	Opening range bounds + breakout direction	Entry direction trigger
VWAP	Live VWAP computed from 5-min bars	Trend filter — above=bullish, below=bearish
GEX Chart	Bi-directional gamma exposure by strike	Walls = targets/stops, regime = momentum filter
GEX Magnets	Top 2 call walls + top 2 put walls as pills	Set price alerts with the Alert button
Fire Card	Regime summary with hold/exit signal	Mid-trade management: hold or exit
Good Bones	7-factor confluence score	Pre-entry gate — skip if <5
Multi-GEX Dashboard	SPY / QQQ / SPX side-by-side GEX regimes	Cross-symbol alignment check
Scout Report	Directional bias for all 4 major symbols	Macro context — how aligned is the market
Tomorrow's Watchlist	Pre-calc'd key levels for today's 0DTE	Know your levels before market opens