One trade. One mistake. Total loss, in an afternoon. An oversized, unhedged options position against a single earnings report erased a quarter-million-dollar account before the market closed.
The All-In Earnings Bet
Launch
—
Death / Exploit
Single trading day
Total Loss
$250,000
The entire account was committed to weekly options on one ticker ahead of an earnings report. The stock moved the "wrong" way and the contracts expired worthless.