In the Moment
How it feels
The edge case feels too technical to matter until it becomes the entire market.
Slow down: Write the three weird cases most users would dismiss and determine how each would resolve.
Warning Signs
What to watch for
- The wording includes exclusions.
- People say 'obviously' about a complicated rule.
- The market depends on a definition.
- The event has multiple interpretations.
Where It Appears
Common territory
Resolution clauses, official definitions, legal/policy markets, disasters, withdrawals, and markets with exclusions.
Historical example: Titan Resolution Clause
Clinic Connection
Related Contract Clinic step
Ambiguous edge cases
Use this trap as a diagnostic layer while filling the worksheet. The trap tells you which part of the market deserves slower inspection.
Open Contract ClinicDefensive Rule
Copy this rule
No position is complete until the weirdest plausible resolution scenario has been tested.
No-Play Trigger
When to pass
If the market could resolve differently under a weird-but-plausible scenario you have not mapped, pass.
Connected Product Loop
This trap links back into prompts, resources, Second Stake, and autopsies so it becomes part of the system instead of a loose definition.