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WELCOME TO

THE OPTION PIT METHOD

We are thrilled you are taking your option trading seriously. Enjoy the journey!

The Option Pit Method specializes in efficient use of capital, position structure, and risk management to help our clients make profitable trades. The Option Pit Mentoring Program recreates the learning environment professional floor traders used to learn how to trade and make markets in stock and index options. We take clients on a journey from novice to professional, in four different levels, where each is a building block for the next, or you can start anywhere in between depending upon your option knowledge. We also produce three different subscription newsletters and have a Store where you can choose individual courses. We offer something for every trader at every level.

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MARK SEBASTIAN

Volatility Expert

Mark Sebastian, the Founder of Option Pit, is a former member of both the Chicago Board Options Exchange and the American Stock Exchange. He is also the Chief Investment Officer at the hedge fund Karman Line Capital. Mark has authored the popular trading manual “The Option Traders Hedge Fund” and the book “Trading Options for Edge.” He is a frequent guest on CNBC, Fox Business News, Bloomberg, and First Business News. Sebastian has been published nationally on Yahoo Finance, quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and Bloomberg. Mark is Jim Cramer’s VIX Expert for TheStreet.com’s Real Money Pro and Mad Money on CNBC. Mark has spoken for The Options Industry Council, the CBOE, the ISE, The CME, and is a co-host on the popular Option Block Podcast and Volatility Views Podcast. He has a Bachelor’s in Science from Villanova University.

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LICIA LESLIE

Executive Chart Analyst

Licia Leslie is a former member of the Chicago Board Options Exchange where she successfully operated her own trading group. She was a market maker in a highly competitive trading pit trading options in over twenty stocks, simultaneously. As a member, Licia chaired the Stock Allocations Committee and served on the Market Performance and Equity Floor Procedure Committees. While raising her family, Licia ran her Interior Design business and then traded Commodities Futures. Returning to her roots of Stock Options, Licia joined Option Pit June 2016. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration Finance from Loyola University and an Associate of Applied Science Interior Design from Harrington College of Design.

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ANDREW GIOVINAZZI

Director of Education

Andrew Giovinazzi started and ran the Designated Primary Market Marker post for Group One on the floor of the CBOE in 1991. It became one of the highest grossing posts for the company in 1992 and 1993. Additionally, Giovinazzi had been actively trading and was an instrumental piece creating an option training program for Group One, ltd that allowed the company to significantly grow headcount. Following his career there, he co-founded Henry Capital Management in 2001 and continued as a PCX member until 2006. Andrew joined OptionPit.com, an options education and mentoring service, in 2011 and became COO in 2014. He is also currently the risk manager for the hedge fund Karman Line Capital, LLC.

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FRANK GREGORY

K Street Expert

Frank Gregory is Option Pits resident political expert who provides a unique outlook of how K Street and Wall Street intersect to help you make money.

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BILL GRIFFO

Bond and Securities Expert

Bill Griffo had the unique experience of trading in the wild Treasury Bond Pit in Chicago during the insane inflation of the 70s, as well as traded for the “Wall Street Banks” for over 25 years. He offers a perspective grounded in years of experience trading with the Fed and has an extensive understanding of how Treasury and the Fed operate.

Hi Mark,
Wanna know how well your Trade Idea of the Week trades have done over time in the real world? Of course you do!…Since July of 16 I’ve close 36 such trades (actual not paper), and 22 of them have been winners! Playing small–almost always less than $300 risked, only very occasionally more than that with a 50% mental stop-loss, my net to date: +5594. Thx for this…and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

– Mark Winston

Greenwood Project introduces youth to careers within the financial industry via paid summer internships, educational field trips and our summer financial institute for high school students. Their programming gives youth strong motivation to succeed in their remaining high school tenure and also a compelling reason to attend college.

Option Pit’s CEO Mark Sebastian has supported the non-profit organization for over 4 years as a board member of Greenwood Project. Option Pit offers virtual and in-person college internship opportunities to prospecting Greenwood Project students. Our collaborative, rewarding environment provides the ideal setting for youth to propel their careers.