Jade Lizard Strategy
Collect premium with ZERO upside risk — the tastytrade classic.
What is the Jade Lizard Options Strategy?
A Jade Lizard combines selling a put with a bear call spread (short call + long higher call). You collect premium from both the put and the call spread. The key: if the total credit exceeds the call spread width, you have ZERO risk to the upside.
If the stock stays flat, rises moderately, or even rockets to the moon — you profit or break even on the upside. The only risk is on the downside — if the stock crashes below your short put, losses can be significant.
This is a neutral-to-bullish income strategy favoured by premium sellers, especially on the tastytrade network where it was popularised.
Why is it Called "Jade Lizard"?
The name "Jade Lizard" was coined by Liz Dierking and Jenny Andrews, former CBOE floor traders, on the Tastytrade (now tastylive) network. The name comes from the shape of the profit zone on the payoff graph — it looks like a jade-coloured lizard lying on its side. The Reverse Jade Lizard (mirror image) is also called the "Twisted Sister."
How Does the Jade Lizard Trade Work?
- 1 Step 1 — Pick a stock you are neutral to mildly bullish on, with high IV.
- 2 Step 2 — Sell an OTM put below current price (generates premium).
- 3 Step 3 — Sell an OTM call above current price (generates more premium).
- 4 Step 4 — Buy a further OTM call above the short call (caps upside risk).
- 5 Step 5 — Verify: total credit > call spread width → zero upside risk confirmed.
Types of Jade Lizard Strategies
Jade Lizard (Standard)
Sell OTM put + Sell OTM call + Buy further OTM call. Total credit must exceed call spread width for zero upside risk.
Big Lizard
Move both shorts to ATM (short put + short call at same strike + long further OTM call). Higher credit, narrower profit zone. More aggressive.
When to Use the Jade Lizard Strategy?
- Neutral to mildly bullish with elevated IV
- On stocks with strong support near the short put strike
- When you want premium income but are terrified of the stock gapping up
- As a replacement for selling a strangle when you want to eliminate upside risk
Profit and Loss of the Jade Lizard
Before looking at the chart, here is a plain-English summary of what you can make and what you can lose.
Net credit received. Achieved when the stock stays between the short put and short call at expiry.
Unlimited to the downside below the short put minus the premium collected. Zero on the upside (if structured correctly).
Short put strike minus net credit collected.
Jade Lizard Payoff Diagram
The chart below shows how profit/loss changes with the underlying price at expiry. Green zone = profit, red zone = loss.
Jade Lizard Example Trade
| Action | Type | Strike | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sell | Put | $170 | +$2.80 |
| Sell | Call | $190 | +$1.60 |
| Buy | Call | $195 | -$0.90 |
AAPL stayed at $178. All three options expired worthless. Kept the full $3.50 credit. Pure income from a calm stock.
Pros & Cons of the Jade Lizard
- Zero (or minimal) upside risk — rare among income strategies
- Collects premium from two sources
- Benefits from time decay and IV contraction
- Great for high-IV environments on stable stocks
- Unlimited downside risk below the short put
- Requires understanding of the credit-vs-width check
- 3 legs = more complexity
- Needs margin for the naked short put
Jade Lizard Frequently Asked Questions
Quick Quiz
Answer all questions and check your score.
1 The unique feature of a Jade Lizard is:
2 A Jade Lizard is built from:
3 Jade Lizard has zero upside risk when:
4 The downside risk on a Jade Lizard is:
5 Jade Lizard is best deployed: