Short Vertical Setups, Multi-Chart Review & Paper Trades — Brett Crowther (7/9/26)

Bullish Gator

Lightning-round chart review and example paper trades exploring short verticals (short put/call spreads), breakout setups, and risk/reward management for options traders.

Editorial companion

What stands out

Brett Crowther used a Schwab coaching webcast to walk students through short vertical spreads, symmetrical triangles, and live paper trades, literally building trades on-screen instead of theorizing about them. He juxtaposed short put verticals with long call verticals on the same underlying to show how defined-risk options can still win when your directional guess is wrong, and he repeatedly flagged the characteristics and risks of standardized options. For Schwab, this is more than schooling, it’s product usage: educated clients who trade options more intelligently tend to trade more, and that matters for margins and custody flows.