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Strip

Volatility Volatile, Bearish-biased Defined risk

A Long Straddle with a bearish tilt: buy one call and two puts at the same strike, instead of one of each. It still profits from a big move in either direction, but rewards a downward move more than an equal-sized upward one.

What is a Strip?

A Strip combines buying one call and buying two puts, all at the same strike and expiry — the exact mirror of a Strap, tilted bearish instead of bullish. It's a directional lean layered onto a straddle, reflecting a view that a big move is more likely to be downward.

The legs

Leg 1
Buy 1 Call (ATM)
Leg 2
Buy 2 Puts (same ATM strike)

The extra put is what creates the bearish tilt — below the strike, profit grows twice as fast per point as it would with a plain Long Straddle, while above the strike, the single call behaves exactly as it would in an ordinary straddle.

How does a Strip work?

The mirror image of a Strap's asymmetric V, tilted toward the downside:

  1. Near the strike — maximum loss, the full debit paid.
  2. Above the strike — profit grows at the same rate a plain Long Straddle's call side would, once past the breakeven.
  3. Below the strike — profit grows twice as fast, once past the (closer) lower breakeven.

When to use it

A Strip fits a view that a large move is likely, and more likely to be downward than upward — the bearish counterpart to a Strap's bullish lean. It costs more than a plain Long Straddle (an extra put's premium), reflecting the added downside leverage.

Max profit, max loss, and breakeven

Max profit
Large (faster on the downside)
Max loss
Net premium paid
Breakeven (lower)
Strike − (net premium ÷ 2)
Breakeven (upper)
Strike + net premium

Strip Example: Step-by-Step

Suppose Nifty is trading at 24,000 with a weekly expiry coming up, and lot size is 65. You expect a big move, more likely down than up.

  1. Confirm the setup. You expect a significant move in Nifty, with more conviction on the downside.
  2. Buy 1 call at the 24,000 strike, paying a premium of 145.
  3. Buy 2 puts at the same 24,000 strike, paying a premium of 140 each — 280 total.
  4. Calculate the net debit: 145 + 280 = 425 points, or ₹27,625 at this lot size — your maximum possible loss.
  5. Calculate the breakevens: 24,000 − (425 ÷ 2) = 23,788 on the downside, and 24,000 + 425 = 24,425 on the upside — notice the lower one is much closer.
  6. Hold the position while waiting to see how large a move actually happens.
  7. See how it resolves at expiry:
    • Nifty finishes at 24,000 → both legs near worthless, you lose close to the full ₹27,625 debit.
    • Nifty finishes at 23,788 → you exactly break even, needing a much smaller move than on the upside.
    • Nifty finishes at 23,000 → profit is 2 × (24,000−23,000) − the call's loss, growing fast on the downside.

Quick reference for the same trade:

ActionOptionStrikeQtyPremium
BuyCall24,0001145
BuyPut24,0002140
Net debit
425 pts (×65 = ₹27,625)
Max profit
Large (to zero)
Max loss
₹27,625
Breakevens
23,788 / 24,425

Strip Payoff Diagram

Based on the worked example above. Notice the line falls more steeply on the left side than it climbs on the right — the mirror image of a Strap's shape. Move the cursor over the chart to see profit/loss at any price.

Risks and things to watch

  • Costs more than a plain Long Straddle, reflecting the extra put.
  • Time decay works against this position, same as any long options structure.
  • If the big move happens upward instead of down, you're still exposed roughly like a plain straddle would be.
  • Index options on NSE are typically European-style and cash-settled — settled automatically at expiry.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a Strip and a Long Straddle?
A Long Straddle buys one call and one put in equal amounts. A Strip buys two puts for every one call, tilting the payoff to reward a downward move more than an equal-sized upward one.
Why is the lower breakeven closer to the strike than the upper one?
Because two puts recover the debit twice as fast per point as one call does — the lower breakeven only needs the debit divided by two in underlying movement, while the upper breakeven needs the full debit.
What is the maximum loss on a Strip?
The total premium paid for the call and both puts — realized if the underlying finishes exactly at the strike at expiry.
What's the difference between a Strip and a Strap?
They're mirror images. A Strip tilts bearish with one call and two puts. A Strap tilts bullish with two calls and one put.

Related strategies

Long Straddle
The neutral version — equal calls and puts, no directional lean.
Strap
The mirror image — tilted bullish instead of bearish.
See this strategy priced with live data

Check real Max Loss and Current P/L on the actual chain — not the example numbers above.

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