How to Bet on Polymarket: A Practical Starter Guide
If you want to know how to bet on Polymarket, start by connecting a wallet that supports Polygon and funding it with pUSD. Polymarket markets are binary or multi-outcome; you buy outcome shares that pay $1 if they resolve YES. Orders sit on a CLOB and execute as limit or FAK market orders. For traders focused on speed and arbitrage, PolyArb automates entry and gives low-latency execution, non-custodial access, Telegram and Discord alerts, and a $7.62 minimum guaranteed edge.
Connect, fund, and pick a market
Use a supported wallet (MetaMask, Rabby, Coinbase, Phantom) on Polygon and make sure you hold pUSD. Polymarket sponsors gas through the Relayer, so you won’t need MATIC for fees. Browse markets by topic, tag, or end date and check that the market is active and not geo-blocked from your jurisdiction.
Placing orders and understanding prices
Each outcome is an ERC-1155 token under the CTF; price is the market's implied probability. You can place limit orders or use FAK market orders for immediate fills with slippage protection. For binaries, fair prices sum to $1.00; for multi-outcome markets the sum across outcomes should equal $1.00 at fair value.
Arbitrage opportunities and risks
Intra-market arbitrage happens when Σ bestAsk(outcomes) < $1.00; buying the complete set locks the mathematical edge. PolyArb focuses on these opportunities and automates fills with 40ms latency vs ~800ms for free bots. Never call any trade risk-free: resolution disputes (UMA), settlement timing, partial fills, fees, and smart-contract risk can all affect realized profit.
How PolyArb helps traders
PolyArb is a non-custodial bot priced at $99/month that monitors markets, executes into spreads, and sends Telegram and Discord alerts. It’s live today and guarantees a $7.62 minimum edge per qualifying trade while reducing latency and human reaction time on short-lived spreads.
Start capturing arbitrage edge with PolyArb
Subscribe to PolyArb for $99/month to get 40ms execution, non-custodial automation, and the $7.62 minimum guaranteed edge per qualifying trade. Join via Telegram and Discord alerts today.
FAQ
- Do I need Polygon to trade on Polymarket?
- Yes. Polymarket runs on Polygon (chain ID 137) and uses pUSD as the settlement asset. Wallets must be connected to Polygon to trade.
- What order types does Polymarket support?
- Polymarket supports limit orders and market-style FAK (Fill-And-Kill) orders. The CLOB SDK exposes helpers that default to FAK for immediate execution with slippage protection.
- Can I use PolyArb if I live in a restricted country?
- Polymarket geo-blocks trading in several jurisdictions. PolyArb cannot bypass Polymarket's geo restrictions and you must comply with Polymarket's terms and local law.
- Is arbitrage truly risk-free?
- No. While mathematical edges exist, risks include UMA resolution disputes, settlement timing, slippage, partial fills, fee changes, and smart-contract risk. PolyArb reduces latency and operational risk but does not eliminate fundamental market or oracle risks.