Ever wonder what separates a 1K bankroll from a 2M portfolio on prediction markets? The mechanics behind these outsized returns on platforms like Polymarket aren't magic—there's legit strategy at play. We're talking about traders who've cracked high-conviction bets, leverage positioning, and timing the liquidity curves just right. Whether it's alpha in spotting mispriced events, riding volatility waves, or compounding through multiple rounds of profitable trades, these scenarios reveal how asymmetric payoffs actually work in crypto trading. The real question: what's driving the edge? Is it information advantage, risk management discipline, or pure luck mixed with calculated moves? Markets like Polymarket have definitely opened doors for retail traders to test alpha strategies that traditional finance gatekeeps. Makes you think about position sizing, conviction levels, and what separates outlier wins from sustainable trading.