New to Options, Down $1,800 — Looking for Real Guidance

Title: New to Options, Down $1,800 — Looking for Real Guidance

Hey everyone,

I’m pretty new to options trading and could really use some direction.

I got started back in May after seeing a friend post some 100% gains, which definitely caught my attention. I ended up joining the same group he’s in, where there’s one guy calling out plays (calls and puts), along with a bunch of others who are also trying to learn and grow their accounts.

So far, I’ve lost about $1,800 following along and trying things out. I’m starting to realize I don’t fully understand what I’m doing, and I don’t want to keep throwing money at trades without a solid foundation.

I do have a decent-sized account, so capital isn’t the main issue — it’s more about knowing when and why to enter and exit trades. I want to actually learn this, not just blindly follow alerts.

For those of you who’ve been in my shoes:

Where should I start when it comes to learning options the right way?

Any recommended resources (courses, YouTube channels, books, etc.)?

What should I focus on first — strategies, technical analysis, risk management?

How did you go from losing money to becoming consistently profitable?

I’m open to any advice. Just trying to stop the bleeding and actually build some real knowledge here.

Thanks in advance 🙏