Polymarket for beginners

Remember learning to ride a bike? First with training wheels. Falling isn't scary, and you can already ride. Then the training wheels come off, and you ride on your own.

It's best to start Polymarket the same way. First — demo, where the money isn't real. Then — a small first trade. Below is the whole path, step by step, in about 10 minutes.

Step 1. Understand the main rule

Each question has two tickets: "Yes" and "No". When the event resolves, the right ticket becomes $1, the wrong one becomes zero. The ticket price shows how much the market believes in the outcome: "Yes" at 30¢ means a chance of about 30%.

More in What are prediction markets.

Step 2. Sign up

In Potabo you sign in with email, Google or a crypto wallet. The Polymarket wallet is created automatically, nothing to set up. A demo account with virtual money is available right away.

Step 3. Pick a market you understand

Open the market. There's politics, economy, crypto, sports, tech. Pick a topic you know better than the average person: it's easier to notice when a price is "wrong".

Step 4. Read the market rules

Every market has a description: what exactly counts as "Yes", where the answer comes from and when the event resolves. One detail can change everything — for example, "according to which exchange" or "by what date".

Step 5. Buy your first ticket

Choose an outcome and an amount. You immediately see the price and how much you get if you're right.

Step 6. Watch or sell early

You don't have to hold a ticket to the end. If the price has risen, you can sell and lock in the profit. If you change your mind, you can sell too.

Step 7. Look at the result and learn

The event resolved — winnings are credited automatically. Write down why you bought the ticket and how it turned out. That's how you quickly learn to tell good trades from random ones.

Frequently asked questions

Is Polymarket hard to understand?

No. The main thing is to understand that the ticket price equals the chance, and the right ticket becomes $1. The rest comes with your first trades.

How much does one ticket cost?

From 1¢ to 99¢, depending on how sure the market is about the outcome. You can buy even a single ticket.

Can I lose more than I put in?

No. The most you can lose is what you paid for the tickets.

What if Polymarket isn't available in my country?

The Potabo demo works from any country. More in What to do if your country blocks Polymarket.