There’s no doubt that the stock market presents a great investment opportunity to many people. Whether you are new or experienced with the stock market, options are a great way of diversifying your portfolio. The problem is that most people still don’t understand how options work.

There’s a popular opinion regarding options that they are risky and complicated. But the truth is that options are simply a vehicle that exposes traders to different techniques in the stock market. It is true that understanding how options work is not easy but knowing a few basics can make a difference for those who are passionate about the stock market.

Below are 5 tips for trading options like a pro:

• Maintain a directionless portfolio.

The good thing about options is that they allow traders to play games with commodities, markets, and companies to the upside, downside, or sideways. This is a much more powerful strategy compared to stocks that only leaves traders to anticipate the depreciation or appreciation of the stock. According to experts at Money Morning, options help you to leverage different techniques used in the stock market.

• The odds can be in your favor with options.

This is another secret or advantage of trading options. It gives you an opportunity to put the odds that favor you. This means you can actually put trades that you are more than 50 percent sure of making a profit. This doesn’t involve trades that carry extra risk if it is in pure stock trading. In any case, they can reduce the level of risk involved.

For instance, when you purchase a stock, the price of the stock must increase for you to make profits. But when a person short sells a stock, they hope for the price of the stock to decrease for them to make any profit.

• Know how to use greed and fear.

There’s an old adage that says be fearful when other people are greedy and vice versa. This old adage can easily be applied by options traders to minimize risk and make more profits. There are certain times when a stock appears extremely bleak and the risk-reward is appetizing for an options trader.

On the other hand, trading against the majority can sometimes tilt in your favor. When these two opportunities present themselves, it is up to you to take advantage and make the most out of them.

• Be a net-seller of options.

When you dispose of more options compared to the amount you often purchase, you will definitely have more time to strategize. You might be thinking about spreads but the trick is to understand the difference between selling more than what you buy.

• Proper capitalization.

The more capital you have, the easier it will be to trade options. There’s no in-between this reality and this is not in any way to discourage traders that are starting with smaller amounts. All you have to do is to ensure that whatever stock you are buying is worth the risk.

In general, getting to know how to trade options is not rocket science. The most important thing is to master the areas that will help you get the most out of your trades.