Want to catch the big players' options orders? The key is to watch for changes in positions.

Every day around 6:45 AM Eastern Time, pre-market data begins to update options holdings. By tracking the increase or decrease in open interest, you can detect whether smart money is quietly building or unwinding positions—these fluctuations often hide the next market move.

For example, a sudden large increase in open interest for a certain contract indicates new ideas from big funds at that level. Conversely, a shrinking position may signal stop-loss or profit-taking activity. These subtle data changes are the starting point for finding actionable trading opportunities.

Focusing on the options with the most dramatic position changes often allows you to sense the true trading intentions of market participants.