Core Insights - Many traders lose money on long call options due to insufficient stock movement, time decay, poor strike selection, and chasing the wrong stocks [1] Strike Selection - Out-of-the-money (OTM) calls have no intrinsic value, relying entirely on time and volatility, requiring larger-than-expected stock movements to break even [3] - In-the-money (ITM) calls have higher delta, moving more closely with the underlying stock, thus increasing the odds of a successful trade [4] Stock Selection - Successful long call trades require strong trends and real momentum, making stock selection as crucial as strike selection [5] - A disciplined process for stock selection is emphasized, rather than random chart scrolling or chasing hype [2][5] Long Call Candidates - The Uptrending Stocks list focuses on large-cap stocks meeting specific technical conditions: rising 20-, 50-, and 200-day moving averages, improving volume trends, and trading at least 20% below their 52-week highs [8]