How do I maximize profit in a stock collapse

Been reading people saying that ever since the market started back up after the crash of '87 ... and they have only been right for a few weeks about 4 times. Most of the time the market just went up or stayed flat as the bears options premiums bled away until the options expired worthless.

It is almost impossible to get the timing of a market sell off correct ... unless you are really really good at looking at a lot of technical things about the market AND understand mass manias very very well. The only people who have done it withOUT those skills are a few great mathmatics who have been able to design Fractal Models that replicate the ebbs and flows of the market and compare them to past behavior of not only markets but of other natural systems just before those systems collapse (one could call it Lemming Modeling for lack of a better way to describe it based upon the periodic sudden Lemming die offs).

Good luck with your GAMBLE. Once in a while a Gambler with little skill does win at the casino.

OP....you need to determine your actual goal.

Is it gambling and speculation purely for amusement, or are you trying to actually make some money?
Me thinks thou are not really serious.

Words of wisdom....

A fool and his money are soon parted.