Volatility Views 341: Talking VIX, Spikes, VXXB, Earnings Volatility and More

VOLATILITY REVIEW VIX Cash - 17.18, can you say Bullseye!? VVIX - 87.5, approx. 8-points higher than last show, dipped to 76.45 earlier this week. VIX Options - 156k, ADV: 497k, Total 8.72m (6.68m Calls, 2.05m Puts) VXXB - 35, 2-points lower than last show. Today - 40k, ADV - 199k       VOLATILITY VOICEMAIL #QOTW - With everyone still shaking off #SuperBowl haze, let's start the week by applying your trading mindset to next season. If you had to buy a call on one team to make it into next year's big game - which team are you buying? Feeling another team - let us know below. - Patriots - Rams - Bears (legally obligated) - Saints Question from Brian Collamer - Hi Mark, Listened to the last VV show and heard you mention my trade again and thought I'd set the record straight....This trade was in my ROTH, can't be naked anything.  Sold one 15 call, bought two 19 calls. Got a credit of .05c.  Did I buy or sell to open this position?Closed position for a debit of .07c.  Did I buy or sell to close this position? Round trip with commissions cost was a little under $30 (Probably should have bought Salvo's book instead of giving turity bucks to TD Ameritrade...) I think I had the right idea for a hedge, just got the "moneyness" of the strikes wrong. VX curve was very flat. March call prices were very close in price to May calls.  Since I'm paying almost the same price for a May call spread vs a March call spread, does it make sense to get more time to expiration?  Thanks again! Question from BPin - Heard your discussion of the listener question from Brian Collamer on the last few episodes. Seems like the main concern was being short "units." Can you clarify what you meant by that? Cool show. What do you guys think of the vix coverage on zero hedge? Comment from Options Game - Translated from French by Microsoft - You should follow @Options, it's a good podcasts that will give you ideas.     CRYSTAL BALL Last week: Mark L. - 17.05 Mark S. - 15.25 Next week: Mark L. -17.25 Mark S. - 16.26