You will often see that a lot of the big money orders purchased are In the Money (ITM) contracts. That's because ITM contracts are less volatile than Out the Money (OTM) and At the Money (ATM) contracts.

That means that they are less risky. Less risk comes with less reward but traders who spent 6 figures or more on a single trade are not looking for large percentage returns because of the risk that comes with aiming for those kind of returns. They are satisfied with a smaller percentage return because of the large amount of capital put in the trade.

You do not have to follow the exact same contracts that you see being bought. You can choose to buy ITM, ATM or OTM depending on your own personal risk tolerance, account size and goals.