BOSS

Long Strangle

Description

Buying an out-of-the-money call and an out-of-the-money put, a cheaper version of the long straddle that needs a bigger move to pay off.

Setup

  1. Buy one out-of-the-money call.
  2. Buy one out-of-the-money put, same expiry.

Context

Used ahead of an expected large move when the trader wants to lower the cost of a long straddle and is willing to accept a wider breakeven range.

Risk Profile

Maximum loss is the combined premium paid, realized if the underlying finishes between the two strikes. Gain is unlimited on a large enough move in either direction.

Pros

  • Cheaper than a long straddle.
  • Profits from a big move regardless of direction.
  • Defined, capped maximum loss.

Cons

  • Wider breakeven range than a straddle, since both legs start out of the money.
  • Loses value quickly if the underlying stays between the strikes.

Effect of Time

Time decay works against the position every day the underlying stays inside the two strikes.

Effect of Volatility

A rise in implied volatility benefits both legs and can produce a profit even without the underlying moving.

Compared with

Look-Alike Strategies

Live Structure

Saves the structure above, at the execution prices on screen, to Paper trading in this browser.

Live
Index price: $74773.0400
Position?Right?RatioStrikeExpiryIV?Premium?Fill Price?Liquidity?Est. Fee?
Long Call 1 $76000.0000 20 Nov 2026 38.2% $1441.7349 $1460.4587 13.4000 $22.4686
Long Put 1 $74000.0000 20 Nov 2026 39.2% $1535.3541 $1572.8017 25.3000 $22.4686
Max Profit?Uncapped
Max Loss?-$3078.1977
Prob. of Profit?40%
Max Profit / Max Loss?—
DTE?10
Net Cost?$3078.1977
Delta?0.0080
Gamma?0.0002
Vega?98.9803
Theta?-183.5298
Rho?-0.6869
Breakeven(s)? $70921.8023, $79078.1977

Net cost, breakevens, the payoff chart and the scenario table are after costs: every leg filled by crossing the spread, estimated fees included -- the same numbers the Scanner ranks by.

Estimated Cost to Assemble

An estimate of what entering this structure right now would really cost: filling every leg by crossing the spread (the ask when buying, the bid when selling) instead of at the mid-price, plus an estimated exchange fee. Real fees and fills can differ from this estimate.

Mid-Price Cost$2977.0890
Slippage?+$56.1715
Execution Cost$3033.2605
Estimated Fees?+$44.9372
Total Estimated Cost$3078.1977

Compare venues

These exact contracts -- same strikes, expiries and ratios -- on every venue BOSS tracks for this currency, at execution: what selling (bid) or buying (ask) each leg there comes to, after that venue's own fee. Green marks the best venue for each leg and for the whole structure.

Deribit this pageBybitOKX
Index?$74773.0400$74868.5977$74775.7000
Mid-Price Cost$2977.0890$2982.5000$2957.9493
Slippage?+$56.1715+$7.5000+$37.4424
Estimated Fees?+$44.9372+$45.0113+$44.9308
Total Estimated Cost$3078.1977$3035.0113$43.1900 better than this page$3040.3225$37.8800 better than this page
Max Profit?UncappedUncappedUncapped
Max Loss?-$3078.1977-$3035.0113-$3040.3225
Breakeven(s)?$70921.8023, $79078.1977$70964.9887, $79035.0113$70959.6775, $79040.3225
Structure IV?38.7%38.6%38.5%
Open on this venue →Open on this venue →

Each leg: what it nets there per contract (fill price with the fee folded in), then the fill price, fee, IV and the size quoted at that price.

Pro Per-leg prices and the best venue for each leg are BOSS Pro. See what Pro includes

For comparing prices, not a recommendation: quotes move by the second, size is only what's shown at the top of the book, fees are each venue's published estimate, and the venues settle against different indexes and margin separately.

Market Context

This expiry as the Dashboard sees it: how the legs are priced against at-the-money and realized volatility, and where the expiry's forward sits against spot.

Structure IV?38.7%
ATM IV (this expiry)?38.5%
RV 7d?55.7%
IV − RV?-17.2
Forward?$74895.3200
Basis?+0.163% (+5.7% /yr)

Volatility Smile?

Implied volatility across strikes at this expiry; the marked lines are this structure's strikes. Buying on the high part of the curve pays up for volatility; selling there collects it.

Leg bought Leg sold

Payoff & Greeks vs. Underlying Price

The Greeks curves are a Black-Scholes model using each leg's current implied volatility, holding time to expiry fixed -- not live exchange data at every price, which only exists at the current price (dashed line).

Payoff at Expiration

After costs At mid price

This structure's value and profit/loss at expiration, at a handful of specific prices: every leg's strike, every breakeven, the current spot, and the chart's own range.

Underlying PriceValue at ExpirationProfit / LossReturn on Cost
$70921.8023 breakeven $3078.1977 $0.0000 +0.0%
$72000.0000 $2000.0000 -$1078.1977 -35.0%
$74000.0000 $0.0000 -$3078.1977 -100.0%
$74895.3200 current $0.0000 -$3078.1977 -100.0%
$76000.0000 $0.0000 -$3078.1977 -100.0%
$78000.0000 $2000.0000 -$1078.1977 -35.0%
$79078.1977 breakeven $3078.1977 $0.0000 +0.0%

Delta (model)?

Gamma (model)?

Vega (model)?

Theta (model)?

Rho (model)?

Alternatives

From the Scanner's latest pass (21:23:48 UTC), priced at execution like everything above.

Same payoff through other strategies

None found in the latest scan.

Other strikes and widths of this strategy

Strategy Market vs. this one Credit/Debit Max Profit? Max Loss? Prob. of Profit? Max Profit / Max Loss?
Long Strangle77000/79000 Deribit · BTC — $3901.9998 Uncapped -$3901.9998 42% —
Long Strangle76000/78000 Deribit · BTC — $3452.6351 Uncapped -$3452.6351 42% —
Long Strangle75000/77000 Deribit · BTC — $3153.0555 Uncapped -$3153.0555 41% —
Pro "If opened N days ago" is BOSS Pro. See what Pro includes