✳flâneur — a map of the web's best reading

Chicago traders in their '80s heyday had a crazy move called the 'O'Hare Play'

cnbc.com · 651 words · saved by 1 readers

Producers for an upcoming Showtime series used stories told by former traders in episodes of "Black Monday," premiering Jan. 20. Throughout the '80s, Chicago commodities traders were deploying something known as the "O'Hare Play." They would bet on a commodity like soy or wheat, then head off to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. When they arrived, traders would check to see if that investment had paid off. If it did, they set out on a lavish vacation. If not, according to the show's producers, the trader would buy a one-way ticket and start a new life in a new city. "A lot of it seems crazy," producer David Caspe told The Washington Post. "But that's what was nice about setting it in the '80s — you could be broad and still be grounded." CNBC's Jon Najarian, a former trader on the floor of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, told CNBC while it was rare he also witnessed "airport trades." "Some people put on too much risk and bought a one-way ticket," Najarian said. "If the trade b

Chicago traders in their '80s heyday had a crazy move called the 'O'Hare Play' Business News and Finance VIEW IN APP Markets Business Investing Tech Politics Select Make It Markets Chicago traders in their '80s heyday had a crazy move called the 'O'Hare Play' Published Wed, Jan 2 2019 10:37 AM EST Updated Wed, Jan 2 2019 11:03 AM EST Kate Rooney @Kr00ney WATCH LIVE KEY POINTS An upcoming Showtime series highlights debauchery and some of the riskiest bets on Wall Street during the 1980s. One extreme example is the “O’Hare Play." Traders would bet on a commodity, then head to the Chicago airport

Explore this link on the map →

related reading