Placing your first order

Before placing an order

Make sure you have:

• A connected Betfair account with available funds
• A race selected in the Race Navigator
• A runner tab selected in the ladder

HRT places real orders on the live Betfair exchange. If you want to observe without committing money, watch a few races with the interface open before placing your first order.

Setting your stake

HRT provides stake preset buttons for quick selection: £2, £5, £10, £25, £50, £100. Click a preset to select it — it will be highlighted. If none of the presets suit you, click the stake input field and type your desired amount directly.

Your stake setting persists until you change it. If you set £25 and switch to a different race, your stake remains at £25.

If you have set a **maximum stake** in `Settings → Risk Limits`, you cannot enter a stake above that value. The input will cap at your limit.

Choosing BACK or LAY

This is the most important decision in each trade.

BACK — You believe the runner's price will shorten (fall) after you enter. You back now at the current price and aim to lay at a lower price later to lock in profit. If the runner wins and you have not closed your position, you collect your winnings. If it loses, you lose your stake.

LAY — You believe the runner's price will drift (rise) after you enter. You lay now and aim to back at a higher price later to lock in profit. If the runner loses and you have not closed your position, you collect the backer's stake. If it wins, you pay out at the lay price.

Neither direction is inherently better — the right choice depends on your read of the market at that moment.

Liability preview in Safe Mode

Safe Mode is the default mode for all new accounts. When you click a price on the ladder in Safe Mode, a confirmation dialog appears before the order is submitted. It shows:

• Order type (BACK or LAY)
• Runner name
• Price
• Stake
• Maximum liability — the most you can lose on this order if it goes against you

For a back order, maximum liability is your stake amount. For a lay order, it is (price - 1) × stake. At price 5.0 with a £20 lay stake, your maximum liability is £80.

Review these figures, then click Confirm to submit or Cancel to go back.

Pro Mode

Pro Mode removes the confirmation dialog so you can place orders with a single click — useful if you need to react quickly to fast-moving markets. Pro Mode can be enabled in Settings → Trading Preferences.

Pro Mode is designed for experienced traders who understand their liability before clicking. If you are new to the platform, stay in Safe Mode until you are fully comfortable with how BACK and LAY liabilities work.

After placing an order

Once submitted, your order appears in the order panel below the ladder. Unmatched orders show as Open. Fully matched orders move to your active positions. You can cancel an unmatched order at any time by clicking the × next to it in the order panel.

If the market suspends immediately after you place an order, the order will remain in the queue until the market reopens, at which point it will be matched or remain unmatched depending on market conditions.