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How to Read a Polymarket Order Book

Guide with a live order book · updated November 7, 2026

An order book lists every resting order to buy (bids) and sell (asks) an outcome. On November 7, 2026 the book for JD Vance in “Presidential Election Winner 2028” showed a best bid of 18.5¢ (276 shares) and a best ask of 18.7¢ (505 shares): a 0.2¢ spread around a 18.6¢ midpoint — the number Polymarket shows as the probability.

Live example: Presidential Election Winner 2028 — JD Vance

Bids (buyers)

PriceSharesCumulative $
18.5¢276$51
18.4¢1,411$311
18.3¢2,800$823
18.2¢200$859
18.1¢2,952$1,394
18.0¢354$1,457
17.8¢220$1,497
17.7¢1,512$1,764

Asks (sellers)

PriceSharesCumulative $
18.7¢505$94
18.8¢3,424$738
18.9¢200$776
19.0¢10,200$2,714
19.1¢1,850$3,067
19.3¢517$3,167
19.4¢15,782$6,229
19.5¢2,000$6,619

Tick size 0.001 · minimum order 5 shares · last trade 18.5¢ · snapshot November 7, 2026, refreshed twice a day.

What a market buy would cost right now

SpendSharesAverage pricevs best ask
$10053518.71¢+0.01¢
$1,0005,30818.84¢+0.14¢
$10,00051,02919.60¢+0.90¢
$50,000241,57420.70¢+2.00¢

Walks the asks from the cheapest up; fees not included (see Polymarket fees). With fees and your own order size: spread and slippage calculator.

How to read it

Why a YES bid is also a NO ask

Every market has two outcome shares that together pay $1. Buying YES at 68¢ is economically the same as selling NO at 32¢, so the YES and NO books mirror each other: a bid for YES at p appears as an ask for NO at 1 − p.

Try it on live markets

Put real prices into the calculator: every page below shows current odds, 24-hour moves and the market rules.

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Most traded right now:

Frequently asked questions

What is the spread on Polymarket?

The gap between the best ask (lowest sell price) and the best bid (highest buy price). Liquid markets often trade with a 1¢ spread; thin markets can be several cents wide.

Why does the Polymarket price differ from what I pay?

The displayed probability is the midpoint of the spread (or the last trade when the spread is wide). A market buy pays the ask — and more if your order is larger than the shares offered at the best price — plus any taker fee.

How do I avoid slippage on Polymarket?

Use limit orders at the price you want, split large orders, and check the depth first: the table above shows what spending $100 to $50,000 would cost right now.

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