Profitably trading out of the money stock options is exponentially more difficult than outright going long or short a stock.   Not only do you have to be correct about the direction a stock will head, but you have to be correct about the timing and velocity of that move.  Many of my successful trades involve getting into an option contract before the stock makes a dramatic move.  Earlier this year I was in the $NUS puts before the stock tumbled turning a $.60 option into a $60 option in a few days, or $600 into $60,000+.