How to read a Polymarket market before you trade
Before buying, read the rules text, identify the resolution source and deadline, think through edge cases, and check whether the market has already been proposed or disputed.
The five-point checklist
- Exact condition. What precisely must happen? “Announce”, “sign” and “take effect” are different events.
- Source. Which publication, agency or data feed decides? If it is ambiguous, price that ambiguity in.
- Deadline and time zone. “By 31 December” usually means a specific time in a specific time zone.
- Edge cases. Postponements, ties, partial events, revisions to data. The rules often say what happens; when they don't, disputes follow.
- Oracle status. Has an outcome already been proposed? Is it disputed? A 99¢ price on a disputed market is not a sure thing.
Why it pays
Many of the biggest losses on Polymarket come from people trading the headline and getting the fine print wrong. Disputes became more frequent in 2026, so this habit matters more than ever. See how markets resolve.
Ready to try it? Check it is available where you live, then open Polymarket.
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