Trading with GB

Guy Bower

GB’s podcasts are short and sharp educational broadcasts looking at market trivia, stats, specs, opinions and experience trading the markets. In the latest series, we look at one market at a time.

  1. Lessons in Trading Volatility

    5D AGO

    Lessons in Trading Volatility

    Beyond the Textbook – Game Theory, Greeks, and the 2026 War In this episode of Trading with GB, we strip away the media noise to look at the 2026 conflict through the lens of cold, hard strategy. We aren't just looking at headlines; we’re looking at the Payoff Matrix and the Greeks. The Strategic Game For years, the US and Iran played a "Game of Chicken." Recently, someone stopped swerving. From a Game Theory perspective, this is a recalculated move where the cost of a "Cold War" finally outweighed the cost of a preemptive strike. But as the drones fly and the Strait of Hormuz closes, we see the classic Tit-for-Tat retaliation—an effort to make the "Cost of Participation" for the US too high to sustain. Trading the Collective View As traders, we operate with Incomplete Information. When you trade oil, gold, or indices in this environment, you aren’t trading the instrument itself—you’re trading the collective perception of its value. Your screen shows you the equilibrium, but your job is to know when to disagree with it. We dive into why "safe havens" like Gold and USD become the dominant strategy when the Risk of Ruin spikes, and why related markets like Soybean Oil and Corn start flashing as the world hunts for anything that burns. Managing Risk: The Greeks vs. The News Forget the news cycle and look at the math that actually values your premium: Vega (The War Premium): Why Implied Volatility is king right now and why a "Vol Crush" could be more dangerous than a missile.Gamma (The Speed): How gapping markets turn Gamma into an assassin for short-sellers.Theta (The Cost of Waiting): The massive "war tax" you pay just to hold a position in a stalemate.Screen Reality: When "X" Does Not Exist GB shares a brutal reality check from the front lines of prop trading. Using personal accounts from the 9/11 attacks and the 2011 Japan Tsunami, we discuss the terrifying moment when liquidity vanishes and "Fair Value" becomes a myth. The 500-Point Spread: What happens when the bid-ask goes from tight to "50 at 550," and why market makers are the only ones laughing.The "Tight Stop" Rubbish: Why textbook advice about tight stops will get you slaughtered in a gapping market and lead to negative equity.Adapting in Real-Time: Insights from training new prop traders during global disasters—why sometimes you have to "get in" first and define the plan while the chaos plays out.The Bottom Line Game Theory and the Greeks give you the map, but liquidity is the actual terrain. In the 2026 war, the winners won't be the ones with the best textbooks; they’ll be the ones who can look at a 500-point spread without blinking, adjust their size, and trade the reality on the screen. Don't trade the news. Trade the reaction to the news. Stay rational, watch your tail risk, and don’t be the deer in the headlights.

    11 min
  2. The Fireproof House | Gold at 5200 and the Volatility Trap

    MAR 10

    The Fireproof House | Gold at 5200 and the Volatility Trap

    Gold has finally cracked the 5,200 level, and the retail crowd is piling in. But are you buying the breakout, or are you just providing liquidity for the pros who are already looking for the exit? In this episode of Trading with GB, we strip away the macro b******t and look at what is actually driving the price action in precious metals. We have seen weeks of "inflation is forever" talk driven by soaring oil prices and geopolitical tension in the Middle East. Now, with a potential pivot in the Iran conflict and oil retracing, the narrative is shifting fast. What You Will Learn in This Episode: The Macro Reality Check: Why the easing of inflation concerns is actually a "Goldilocks" scenario for non-yielding assets like gold.The US Dollar Edge: Understanding how a softening Greenback is doing the heavy lifting for gold’s recent run, and why that momentum must continue for the bull case to stay alive.Psychological Levels vs. Structural Reality: Why 5,200 is starting to look a lot like the 100,000 level in Bitcoin—a magnet for media hype that often leads to a temporary "punter trap."The Volatility Play: Implied Volatility (IV) is currently at levels we haven't seen since the Global Financial Crisis or the height of the pandemic. We discuss why paying for "fire insurance" right now is a sucker’s bet if you live in a fireproof house.Actionable Strategies: A look at why "covered plays" and short volatility positions might be the most common-sense way to trade the current consolidation without getting your head ripped off.Stop trading the headlines and start trading the reaction. If you are chasing the "meaty trade" above 5,000, you might already be late to the party. We break down the key support at 4,800 and the resistance at 5,400 to give you a clear roadmap for the weeks ahead. About Trading with GB Trading with GB is the podcast for serious traders who are tired of the polished, "salesy" nonsense found in mainstream financial media. Hosted by an experienced professional trader, the show delivers raw, one-on-one insights into the mechanics of the markets, high-probability setups, and the psychological discipline required to survive and thrive in the pits. Get the Edge: For a deeper dive into the mechanics of these trades, head over to tradingwithgb.com. Course Discounts: Access professional-grade trading education at a fraction of the cost.The Newsletter: Join our free community to get the "no-b******t" breakdown of what the big money is actually doing every single week.Keep your head on straight.

    5 min
  3. Trading Crude & The Iranian "Wildcard"

    MAR 10

    Trading Crude & The Iranian "Wildcard"

    The Iranian "Wildcard" – Trading a Regime Change In this episode, we strip away the surface-level headlines to analyze the "Big Trade" lurking behind the current Middle East volatility: Iranian regime change. While the market is currently fixated on the immediate paralysis of the Strait of Hormuz—where a fifth of the world’s oil and LNG is effectively trapped —smart money is looking at the long-term structural shift that could follow a transition of power. From a trader’s perspective, Iran is a coiled spring. Strangled by years of international sanctions, the nation’s oil industry has been starved of the foreign investment and Western technology required to maintain its massive proven reserves. We break down the two diverging paths for global energy markets: The Grim Baseline: If hostilities persist and the regime survives, analysts expect Iranian output to collapse toward 2.6 million barrels a day by mid-2026 , following a trajectory similar to the slow decline seen in Russia's sanctioned energy sector.The Resurgence Scenario: A diplomatic breakthrough or regime change could trigger a rapid return of barrels. We examine why Iran’s conventional drilling—with production costs as low as $10–$30 per barrel —gives it a massive competitive edge over U.S. shale, which requires much higher break-even prices.We also discuss the "Venezuela Precedent," where the capture of President Maduro in early 2026 immediately repositioned that nation's oil sector for a steady recovery. Could a similar shift in Tehran shave $5 to $10 off the price of Brent and evaporate the global "geopolitical risk premium"? As Brent crude tests the $100–$120 range, understanding the potential for an Iranian supply shock is no longer optional—it’s the most significant "what if" in the energy pits today.

    5 min
  4. New Micro Crude Oil is Big News

    07/14/2021

    New Micro Crude Oil is Big News

    References: https://t.me/spreadtradarbot Telegram Spread and Scalp Chat Paid Group.  www.MasterClassTrader.com/specials - Current discounts for coursework on Order Flow and Spreading.  -  The new ‘micro’ crude oil contract was listed this week on the CME. So far so good it seems.  About Micros The micro is not a different style of futures contract from other futures. It simply refers to the contract size. They are smaller. The upside is smaller, downside is smaller, and comms are smaller. Details: It is 1/10th of the regular size contract. It’s a 100 barrel contract (v 1000 barrels).For every dollar move in crude oil, the contract moves $100 ($1000 for the biggie).The tick size is 1 cent. That’s worth $1 ($10 for the big contract). The initial margin is $530. Tips for traders: OK, here are some ideas to get started or think about:  Watch the full contract – both charts and DOM. Micro for execution only. The reason being is the big contract will is trading more often (for now). That means levels and other technical readings will be more reliable from the big contract.Work limit orders. There’s no need to pay up on the spread, but if you do it doesn’t matter given $1 per tick. While the market develops however, don’t feel the need to rush your execution. Watch deferred contracts as they develop (for spreading).Make sure your broker has reduced commissions for micros and SPAN margins. Learn More About Scalping and Spreading? Check my courses at MasterClassTrader.com. This market can be used in both the DOM Bootcamp and advanced spread course.  Check out the special page for a current bundled deal.  Also check out my new Telegram chat group subscription for spreader and scalps. The link is below. It’s a deliberately small group for active traders, all there talk about trades and help each other.  Coming up, well next month we have micros in the treasuries, which I think will be fantastic. We’ll talk more about it when they launch. Until then, good trading. GB

    15 min
  5. What You Didn't Know About Data Releases

    07/01/2021

    What You Didn't Know About Data Releases

    In this podcast, I talk about my experiences with data releases, from my early days collecting data for publishing to a few trading ideas for data days. Interesting stuff.    -------------------------------------------------------------  To learn more about order flower and spread trading, grab a nice little discount here: https://masterclasstrader.com/specials Follow me on TradingView and get a discount on a paid plan: https://tinyurl.com/tradarienTV Get cool Tradarien Trading Merch here: https://streamlabs.com/gb5150/merch Join the Email group and learn more about expert trader training: https://tradarien.com/ Join the Telegram for updates: https://t.me/tradarien    -------------------------------------------------------------    ----Stuff I use for Audio & Video Production: -----  Elgato Stream Deck XL: https://amzn.to/3u4Dmcw - highly recommended! I have two XLs. Blue Yeti Microphone: https://amzn.to/3u4Dmcw - Love this! I have two of these too. OBS - Streaming software. Philips Hue Lights. Easy to buy too many of these! https://amzn.to/3omAjud Roccat AIMO keyboard: https://amzn.to/3eRTvNl  Various graphics platforms.    -------------------------------------------------------------    ----Stuff I use for Trading: ----- TradingView and Sierra Charts. Seasonalgo.com for seasonal data (paid and current customers receive 20% off). Various web based crypto platforms and news channels.    -------------------------------------------------------------  Music: Various tracks from Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Plus Streambeats royalty free on Spotify.

    16 min
  6. New Micro Treasury Yield Futures - Get In There!

    06/10/2021

    New Micro Treasury Yield Futures - Get In There!

    This one is for all our DOM MasterClass Students and others interested in the interest rate markets. The CME have just announced a series of new rate contracts. The new contacts are quoted in yield, not the usual price format. That alone is interesting and takes a small complexity out of the trading process. And hot of off the heels of heels of the popular micro equity contracts, these ones will also be micro sized. There are 2yr, 5yr, 10yr and 30yr contract each with a $1 tick size, being 1/10th of a basis point. That makes a DV01 of $10, compares with the current Ultra Bond $345. Like the micro equity contracts, that means good potential to trade spreads or simply scalp the long end without the potential bottom line volatility. They launch mid-August, and we will look at them more then. Hopefully they will be something we will add to the trading kit. If you are new to, or rusty on, Treasury futures, please check out my other podcasts. DOM MasterClass Specials: https://masterclasstrader.com/specials/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Follow The Tradarien on TradingView and get a discount on a paid plan: https://tinyurl.com/tradarienTV Get cool Tradarien Trading Merch here: https://streamlabs.com/gb5150/merch Join the Email group and learn more about expert trader training: https://tradarien.com/ Join the Telegram for updates: https://t.me/tradarien My Trading MasterClasses: www.MasterClassTrader.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Stuff I use for trading: Sierra Charts and TradingView. Seasonalgo.com for seasonal data (masterclasstrader.com users receive 20% off). Various web based crypto platforms and news channels. ------------------------------------------------------------ Music: Various tracks from Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Plus Streambeats royalty free on Spotify.

    5 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

GB’s podcasts are short and sharp educational broadcasts looking at market trivia, stats, specs, opinions and experience trading the markets. In the latest series, we look at one market at a time.