Polymarket Beginner's Guide: How to Bet on Polymarket in August 2026

Polymarket US is a regulated prediction market, designed specifically for American traders and is considered one of the leading prediction markets available. Unlike traditional sportsbooks, which set fixed lines and include a house edge or “vig,” Polymarket US operates as a peer-to-peer exchange where users trade contract shares directly with one another.

Clearing operations are handled through Polymarket Clearing, a CFTC-regulated derivatives exchange and clearinghouse. This provides a regulated framework for U.S. traders while supporting direct deposits and cashouts in U.S. dollars.

Polymarket does not display traditional American odds like those found at a sportsbook. Instead, markets are shown using percentages and share prices in cents, which reflect the market's current implied probability.

If you're new to prediction markets, terms such as “order book,” “spread,” and “shares” may sound unfamiliar at first.

However, Polymarket keeps the process straightforward, with the trade slip showing your potential payout before you confirm a position.

Your Total Payout is the full dollar amount returned to your account when a market resolves in your favor. Unlike traditional sportsbooks, which use American odds such as +245 or -257 to calculate payouts, Polymarket follows a simpler fixed structure: each winning share settles at exactly $1.00. (check out our odds calculator)

Example: Say you want to place $10 on the NFL game in which Denver Broncos face Atlanta Falcons game shown in the order book above.

Betting on the Favorite (Denver Broncos at 64¢):

• Select DEN at 64¢ ($0.64 per share), representing a 64% implied probability of winning.
• Entering $10 in the trade slip buys you 15.62 shares ($10 ÷ $0.64).
• The Payout: If Denver wins, each share settles at $1.00, giving you $15.63 total, including $5.63 in net profit plus your original $10 stake.

Betting on the Underdog (Atlanta Falcons at 37¢):

• If you think the underdog can pull off the upset, select ATL at 37¢ ($0.37 per share), representing a 37% implied probability.
• Entering $10 in the trade slip buys you 27.03 shares ($10 ÷ $0.37).
• The Payout: If Atlanta wins, your position settles at $27.03 total, giving you $17.03 in net profit plus your original $10 stake.

Game Lines are the main betting markets covering the full outcome of a game. If you're familiar with traditional sports betting, these are similar to the standard markets you would find at a sportsbook.

Example: Suppose you want to place $10 on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New York Jets.

Trading Point Spreads (6.5 Line):

• TB +6.5 at 51¢ ($0.51 per share): This represents a 51% implied probability that Tampa Bay either wins outright or loses by 6 points or fewer.
• Entering $10 in the trade slip buys you 19.60 shares ($10 ÷ $0.51).
• The Payout: If Tampa Bay covers +6.5, your position settles at $19.60, giving you $9.60 in net profit plus your original $10 stake.
• NYJ -6.5 at 51¢ ($0.51 per share): This represents a 51% implied probability that the Jets win by 7 points or more.
• Entering $10 in the trade slip also buys you 19.60 shares ($10 ÷ $0.51).
• The Payout: If the Jets cover -6.5, your position settles at $19.60, giving you $9.60 in net profit plus your original $10 stake.

Trading Over/Under Totals (35.5 Line):

• Over 35.5 at 49¢ ($0.49 per share): This represents a 49% implied probability that the game reaches 36 or more total points.
• Entering $10 in the trade slip buys you 20.40 shares ($10 ÷ $0.49).
• The Payout: If the game goes Over 35.5, your position settles at $20.40, giving you $10.40 in net profit plus your original $10 stake.
• Under 35.5 at 52¢ ($0.52 per share): This represents a 52% implied probability that the game finishes with 35 points or fewer.
• Entering $10 in the trade slip buys you 19.23 shares ($10 ÷ $0.52).
• The Payout: If the game stays Under 35.5, your position settles at $19.23, giving you $9.23 in net profit plus your original $10 stake.

Trading Combos:

• Swashbuckling Shootout (4.4x Multiplier): Combines the Buccaneers Moneyline with Over 35.5 Total Points.
• The Payout: A $10 trade pays out $44.00 total, giving you $34.00 in net profit plus your original $10 stake if both legs hit.
• Jet Fuel (2.47x Multiplier): Combines the Jets Moneyline with Over 35.5 Total Points.
• The Payout: A $10 trade pays out $24.70 total, giving you $14.70 in net profit plus your original $10 stake if both legs hit.

1st Half Lines are markets restricted strictly to what happens during the first two quarters (the 1st half) of a game. Whatever happens in the 3rd or 4th quarter or overtime is completely ignored.

Example: Say you want to place $10 on the 1st Half market lines for the Miami Dolphins vs. Washington Commanders game shown in the order book above.

Trading 1st Half Moneylines (1H Winner):

• 1H MIA at 95¢ ($0.95 per share): This represents a 95% implied probability that Miami leads at halftime.
• $10 in the trade slip buys you 10.53 shares ($10 ÷ $0.95).
• The Payout: If Miami leads at halftime, your position settles at $10.53, giving you $0.53 in net profit plus your original $10 stake.
• 1H WAS at 95¢ ($0.95 per share): This represents a 95% implied probability that Washington leads at halftime.
• Entering $10 in the trade slip buys you 10.53 shares ($10 ÷ $0.95).
• The Payout: If Washington leads at halftime, your position settles at $10.53, giving you $0.53 in net profit plus your original $10 stake.

Trading 1st Half Spreads (3.5 Line):

• 1H MIA -3.5 at 51¢ ($0.51 per share): This represents a 51% implied probability that Miami leads by 4 points or more at halftime.
• $10 in the trade slip buys you 19.61 shares ($10 ÷ $0.51).
• The Payout: If Miami covers -3.5 in the first half, your position settles at $19.61, giving you $9.61 in net profit plus your original $10 stake.
• 1H WAS +3.5 at 51¢ ($0.51 per share): This represents a 51% implied probability that Washington leads or trails by 3 points or fewer at halftime.
• The Payout: If Washington covers +3.5 in the first half, your position settles at $19.61, giving you $9.61 in net profit plus your original $10 stake.

Trading 1st Half Totals (19.5 Line):

• Over 19.5 at 49¢ ($0.49 per share): This represents a 49% implied probability that combined first-half points reach 20 or higher.
• $10 in the trade slip buys you 20.41 shares ($10 ÷ $0.49).
• The Payout: If the first half goes Over 19.5 points, your position settles at $20.41, giving you $10.41 in net profit plus your original $10 stake.
• Under 19.5 at 54¢ ($0.54 per share): This represents a 54% implied probability that combined first-half points remain at 19 or lower.
• Entering $10 in the trade slip buys you 18.52 shares ($10 ÷ $0.54).
• The Payout: If the first half stays Under 19.5 points, your position settles at $18.52, giving you $8.52 in net profit plus your original $10 stake.

Let's take a closer look at how the +614 price for the Los Angeles Rams to win the championship is calculated. The “Buy Yes” contract is priced at 14 cents ($0.14), while the “Buy No” contract is priced at 87 cents ($0.87).

What does that mean?

When you trade on Polymarket, you're buying outcome contracts priced between 1 and 99 cents. In this example, a ���Yes” contract costs 14 cents. If the Rams win, each winning contract settles at $1.00, while a losing contract settles at $0.

For a single 14-cent contract, the potential return works like this:

• 14¢ purchase price → $1.00 payout = 86¢ net profit
• 86¢ profit ÷ 14¢ cost = 6.14x return (+614 odds)

You would typically buy multiple contracts rather than just one. For example, purchasing 100 contracts at 14¢ each would work out as:

• 100 contracts × 14¢ = $14.00 cost → $100.00 payout = $86.00 net profit

Polymarket does not charge membership, settlement, or internal deposit and withdrawal fees, operating a zero-fee model for liquidity “makers.” Makers can also earn daily rebates ranging from 20% to 25% of collected fees for placing resting orders.

Instead, fees are charged to “takers,” whose orders are filled immediately. Base rates vary by category, ranging from 0% for Geopolitics to 7% for Crypto and 3% for Sports. Taker fees also adjust based on market probability, reaching their highest level around 50¢ and decreasing as prices move toward extremes such as 1¢ or 90¢.

Users may still encounter separate processing fees from third-party payment providers when depositing or withdrawing USDC.