Options Trading Tutorial - Can I start trading stock options with as little as $1,000? I do of course intend to paper trade first!?

Can I start trading stock options with as little as $1,000? I do of course intend to paper trade first!?

Want to learn how much capital I need to start trading options with on a small scale and work my way up.

Probably not. Most places I know want something closer to $25,000 before they let you "trade" options. When I first did options, several decades ago, what you have would have been fine. But the options were a bit different then, a bit less complex (puts were new and I still haven't gotten comfortable with them). You can, with that small amount, sell options on stocks you already own. Scottrade might let you. But definitely do the paper portfolio thing and keep studying. Options are wonderful things, but simply not for everyone. I'm not sure you are ready.
$1000 is good for a start, you will need to be careful with it. Paper trading and option trading can be found here: http://www.hotstockmarket.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60732