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The Tanmay Edge, Season 2, EP107

Round 4, priced for boredom

The auction that moved 284 points costs less this week, 24 lakh calls press 77,000, and the crowd sets a fifth record

Sensex expiry round four priced at about 10 percent IV vs 13 to 14 the last three rounds

  • 11:49listen
  • 4.5/5graded at settlement
  • Thu 20 Aug 2026aired, Season 2

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Round 4, priced for boredom

EP107, 20 Aug, 11:49

0:00Chapter marks are estimated from the notes11:49

01Scorecard

4.5/5 at settlement.

4.5/590%

The call. Round 4 Priced For Boredom Sensex Auction IV 10 Percent vs 13-14 Prior Rounds Straddle 374 36 L Calls On 77,000 Sensex 76,910 First Close Below The Strike Max Pain 77,000 Just 90 Above Spot PCR 0.57 Call Heavy Resistance 77,500 28 L Calls Nifty 24,078 Seventh Lower Close Low 24,025 Base Held VIX 11.33 Clients FIFTH Record 7.13 L Naked Puts Pros Bought Back The Entire 0.7 L Call Short Back To Long Vol FII Fut Short 2.10 L Calls Short 3.14 L Both First Over The Round Number Cash +408 Cr DII +3,974 Cr Biggest In 8 Sessions Every Round Strike Sold 24,100 To 24,500 Plan Sell 77,500 Reclaim 24,250

  • 4Hit
  • 1Partial
  • 0Mechanical
  • 0Miss

Graded the next trading day, 21 Aug 2026, against NSE settlement.

The grader's note

Graded Fri 21 Aug against the Sensex expiry settlement 77,537. The buy on dips range worked perfectly, the day held inside the called 76,900 to 77,800 band, and the expiry magnet called at 77,500 settled at 77,537, within 37 points. On the Nifty the up day arrived as flagged after seven lower closes, ripping 153 points to 24,231. Four and a half out of five.

02In this episode

7 chapters,
the numbers pulled out.

  1. 01Cold open: round four, priced for boredomToday is the Sensex expiry. Last Thursday the auction moved the Sensex almost 300 points in the last two
  2. 02The Sensex board: first close below 77,000The Sensex closed yesterday at 76,910, just below the 77,000 strike, 325 points lower, 0.42 percent, the first
  3. 03The Nifty: seventh straight lower closeWe closed at 24,078, down 76 points, the seventh straight lower close. The staircase trend has remained, from
  4. 04The clients: a fifth recordThe clients' naked put book started at 5.74 lakh, then 6.08, then 6.61, yesterday 6.97, and finally we closed
  5. 05The pros and the FIIs: the lean got bookedThe pros bought back the entire 0.7 lakh call short at the lows. The month's only directional lean got
  6. 06The Nifty board: every strike is writtenThe BhavCopy tells us max pain stands at the same 24,250 to 24,300 levels, 150 to 170 points above the spot
  7. 07The plan: sell 77,500, buy the Nifty dipSensex first. 77,000 is the sustained side where we look at the bottom. The first real resistance is 77,500
Chapter 01 of 7about 0:00

Cold open: round four, priced for boredom

300 pointsMoved the Sensex almost
14 percentRounds of almost
24 lakhPressed on the strike
7 lakhPut book of almost

Today is the Sensex expiry. Last Thursday the auction moved the Sensex almost 300 points in the last two minutes. Everybody remembers it. So what does the market price for round four this morning? Around 10 percent IV, cheaper than the last three rounds of

Read the chapter

Chapter 02 of 7about 1:30

The Sensex board: first close below 77,000

76,910Sensex closed yesterday
325 pointsBelow the strike
0.42 percentStrike, points lower
77,081Future remained at almost

The Sensex closed yesterday at 76,910, just below the 77,000 strike, 325 points lower, 0.42 percent, the first close below that strike. The expiry future remained at almost 77,081, basis points above the spot close. Max pain stands at around 77,000, 90 points

Read the chapter

Chapter 03 of 7about 3:27

The Nifty: seventh straight lower close

24,472Trend has remained
24,078Remained, from to almost
400 pointsAlmost almost
1.49 percentDefence sector

We closed at 24,078, down 76 points, the seventh straight lower close. The staircase trend has remained, from 24,472 to almost 24,078, almost 400 points down in seven sessions. The low was 24,025, so the 24,000 base case held nicely. VIX was 11.33. The defence

Read the chapter

Chapter 04 of 7about 4:51

The clients: a fifth record

5.74Put book started
7.13Finally we closed

The clients' naked put book started at 5.74 lakh, then 6.08, then 6.61, yesterday 6.97, and finally we closed at 7.13 lakh puts sold. Plus 2.73 lakh calls bought. Seven red days, five records. Nobody has ever needed five warnings, and the clients are still

Read the chapter

Chapter 05 of 7about 5:46

The pros and the FIIs: the lean got booked

0.7Bought back the entire
1.05Got covered, swing
0.33Yesterday, long calls
2.10Futures short remains

The pros bought back the entire 0.7 lakh call short at the lows. The month's only directional lean got covered, a swing of 1.05 lakh calls. Their book is now exactly the opposite of yesterday, long calls of 0.33 lakh and almost one lakh long puts, back to long

Read the chapter

Chapter 06 of 7about 7:25

The Nifty board: every strike is written

24,250Stands at the same
24,100Call writers
24,200Lakh added
1.1Lakh added, with almost

The BhavCopy tells us max pain stands at the same 24,250 to 24,300 levels, 150 to 170 points above the spot close, and we open around 24,200. Call writers are at 24,100 with 79 lakh added, 24,200 with almost 1.1 crore, 24,300 with 1.16 crore and 36 lakh added

Read the chapter

Chapter 07 of 7about 9:08

The plan: sell 77,500, buy the Nifty dip

77,500First real resistance
28 lakhResistance is with almost
77,000Bottom side, if
76,800First support

Sensex first. 77,000 is the sustained side where we look at the bottom. The first real resistance is 77,500 with almost 28 lakh calls written, so we could see oscillation there, and selling 77,500 for today's expiry would be a good trade. On the bottom side

Read the chapter

03The notes

Chapter by chapter.

01Cold open: round four, priced for boredom

Today is the Sensex expiry. Last Thursday the auction moved the Sensex almost 300 points in the last two minutes. Everybody remembers it. So what does the market price for round four this morning? Around 10 percent IV, cheaper than the last three rounds of almost 13 to 14 percent.

The Sensex straddle is trading around 374 rupees for the day. 36 lakh calls are pressed on the 77,000 strike, 24 lakh of which were added yesterday. And the clients walk in short a fifth record put book of almost 7 lakh carried overnight. Expiry decides at 3:30, then the uncross decides after 3:26.

02The Sensex board: first close below 77,000

The Sensex closed yesterday at 76,910, just below the 77,000 strike, 325 points lower, 0.42 percent, the first close below that strike. The expiry future remained at almost 77,081, basis points above the spot close. Max pain stands at around 77,000, 90 points above the spot.

The fight, 77,000, has 25 lakh calls with 24 lakh added yesterday, and around 17 lakh puts sold at the same strike. Support is at 76,900 to 77,000 where 19 lakh puts sit with almost 16 lakh added. The first actual resistance is 77,500, where the magnet should shift after the open, with around 28 lakh calls. The PCR is almost 0.57, decisively call heavy. Negative gamma below 76,900 to 77,000, and above 77,000 the steam gets to 77,500. Indicative is not the close. Flat into the window.

03The Nifty: seventh straight lower close

We closed at 24,078, down 76 points, the seventh straight lower close. The staircase trend has remained, from 24,472 to almost 24,078, almost 400 points down in seven sessions. The low was 24,025, so the 24,000 base case held nicely. VIX was 11.33. The defence sector was down 1.49 percent, the defensive lean cracked, and IT was the only green at 0.73 percent.

And another wild late print near 24,200 in the Nifty's closing session before settling around 24,078. That happened in the cash. The daily uncross circus continues in the cash session.

04The clients: a fifth record

The clients' naked put book started at 5.74 lakh, then 6.08, then 6.61, yesterday 6.97, and finally we closed at 7.13 lakh puts sold. Plus 2.73 lakh calls bought.

Seven red days, five records. Nobody has ever needed five warnings, and the clients are still holding that, and we should give it to them, where today they are going to get paid on the gap up.

05The pros and the FIIs: the lean got booked

The pros bought back the entire 0.7 lakh call short at the lows. The month's only directional lean got covered, a swing of 1.05 lakh calls. Their book is now exactly the opposite of yesterday, long calls of 0.33 lakh and almost one lakh long puts, back to long vol and long straddle.

The lesson, they picked a side on Tuesday, melted for two days, booked it at the bottom. That is how a lean is traded. And the FII futures short remains at 2.10 lakh, first time over 2 lakh this month, call short almost 3.14 lakh, first time over 3 lakh. FII cash bought 408 crore, and the DIIs bought 3,974 crore, the biggest cheque in the last eight sessions.

06The Nifty board: every strike is written

The BhavCopy tells us max pain stands at the same 24,250 to 24,300 levels, 150 to 170 points above the spot close, and we open around 24,200. Call writers are at 24,100 with 79 lakh added, 24,200 with almost 1.1 crore, 24,300 with 1.16 crore and 36 lakh added, and the last strike 24,500 with 1.49 crore. Roughly two crore calls got added in one session, every round strike is sold.

Support is present nicely at 24,000 with 1.37 crore puts as the base. PCR 0.7, the weekly straddle around 235 giving a range of around 270 points, 24,000 to 24,300, so we still trade the same zone. Front IV just below 10. Resistance now sits at every 100 points from 24,100 to 24,500.

07The plan: sell 77,500, buy the Nifty dip

Sensex first. 77,000 is the sustained side where we look at the bottom. The first real resistance is 77,500 with almost 28 lakh calls written, so we could see oscillation there, and selling 77,500 for today's expiry would be a good trade. On the bottom side, if 77,000 breaks, the first support is 76,800, unlikely but keep a watch. The straddle at 374 gives an opening range of almost 76,900 to 77,800, an 800 point width. Don't carry anything into the last window, the Sensex expiry moves drastically in the last few minutes.

On the Nifty, the 170 point gap up opens into the fresh resistance zone of 24,300. Seven lower closes and we are finally going to see an up day. Reclaim and hold 24,250 for the first few hours and we could see 24,300 breached, then 24,500. One green day does not change the size rule, small defined risk, because the market below 24,300 is not a good close. Globally the KOSPI is up 6 percent fully rebounding yesterday's crash, gold at a record 4,528, Brent 91.92 still above 90, and USD INR at another record 95.76.

04Key takeaways

21 things to carry into the session.

  • 01Sensex expiry round four priced at about 10 percent IV vs 13 to 14 the last three rounds
  • 02Sensex straddle 374 rupees 36 lakh calls pressed on the 77,000 strike
  • 03Sensex closed 76,910 down 325 the first close below the 77,000 strike
  • 04Max pain around 77,000 just 90 points above the spot
  • 0577,000 holds 25 lakh calls with 24 lakh added and 17 lakh puts sold same strike
  • 06First real resistance 77,500 with around 28 lakh calls the magnet should shift there
  • 07Sensex PCR 0.57 decisively call heavy negative gamma below 76,900 to 77,000
  • 08Nifty closed 24,078 down 76 the seventh straight lower close low 24,025

05In his words

So what does the market price for round four this morning?

The cold open, with auction IV at 10 percent against 13 to 14 in the last three rounds.

Expiry decides at 3:30, then the uncross decides after 3:26.

On the auction being the real event of a Sensex expiry day.

Nobody has ever needed five warnings.

On the clients' fifth record naked put book at 7.13 lakh.

06Transcript

The full episode, in text.

1,306 words, about 6 min to read

Questions

EP107, in plain words.

What does EP107 of The Tanmay Edge cover?

EP107, Thursday 20 Aug 2026, 11:49, in 7 chapters: Cold open: round four, priced for boredom; The Sensex board: first close below 77,000; The Nifty: seventh straight lower close; The clients: a fifth record; The pros and the FIIs: the lean got booked; The Nifty board: every strike is written; The plan: sell 77,500, buy the Nifty dip.

How did the calls in EP107 score?

Grade 4.5/5 (90 percent): 4 hit, 1 partial, 0 mechanical, 0 miss. Graded the next trading day, 21 Aug 2026, against NSE settlement.

Is The Tanmay Edge investment advice?

No. It is market commentary for education only, not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. RupeeCase is not a SEBI registered investment adviser, and strategy figures on RupeeCase are model, back tested.

Market commentary for education only. Not investment advice, not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. RupeeCase is not a SEBI registered investment adviser. Strategy figures are model, back tested.