How to Read a Market
What to check on a Polymarket market before you copy into it: the rules, the outcome you are buying, the price, liquidity, the spread, and the close and resolution dates.
Last updated August 22, 2026
Start with the question, then read the rules
The title tells you the topic. The rules tell you what actually decides it: the source, the cutoff, the timezone, and the edge cases. Open them. Most surprises at resolution come from a rule nobody read.
Confirm which outcome you are buying
On a yes/no market you are buying one side of two. On a multi-outcome market you are buying one leg out of several, and every other leg pays you nothing. Check which one before you size anything.
Read the price as a probability
A share at 62¢ means the market thinks roughly 62%. It costs 62¢ and pays $1.00 if it happens. Your break-even sits slightly above the price you paid once the trading fee is counted.
Look at liquidity, not just volume
Volume is how much has traded historically. Liquidity is how much you can trade right now without moving the price. A market can carry a huge lifetime volume and have an almost empty book today.
Check the spread
The gap between the best buy price and the best sell price is what it costs you to change your mind immediately. A 1¢ spread is cheap. A 6¢ spread means your position is showing a loss the second it opens.
Note the close date and the resolution date
Closing is when trading stops. Resolution is when the outcome is confirmed and paid. They are not the same day, and on some markets the gap is long.
Then decide whether to copy into it
Three questions settle it. Do I understand what resolves this? Can I get out if I want to? Is my size sensible against the shares actually resting on the book?