> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.speculate.trade/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Duel rules & settlement

> Winning, ties, and cancellations

Duels are 1v1, winner-take-all. One outcome, one pot, no ambiguity. Here's exactly how a duel resolves.

## Winning

The player with the higher **ROI (PnL %)** when the duel ends takes the **entire pot**.

Raw PnL doesn't decide it — ROI does. A player who turns a small position into a big percentage gain beats a player sitting on a larger dollar profit but a smaller percentage return.

If ROI is exactly tied, the **higher absolute PnL amount** breaks it — whoever booked the larger dollar profit takes the pot.

If ROI **and** PnL amount are *both* identical, there's no winner: the duel is a **draw**, and both players are refunded (see [Exact draws](#exact-draws) below). Joining first doesn't win a tie.

## Exact draws

A duel is a **draw** whenever both players finish with the *same ROI and the same PnL amount* — most often when neither player trades and both sit flat at 0%. A paid duel is then **not settled as a win/loss**: it's marked **cancelled**, and both players are refunded their entry in full — a clean 50-50 split of the pot, with no platform fee.

## Opponent never joins

Every duel has a **24-hour** acceptance window. If nobody accepts the challenge before it closes, the duel is **cancelled** and the creator is refunded in full. No pot is ever locked up indefinitely.

## XP

Duels do **not** award Season XP. XP comes exclusively from competitions — see [Earning XP](/rewards/earning) for how that works.

<Note>
  Duels settle **on-chain**, and payouts to winners (or refunds on a draw/cancellation) are **gasless** — you never pay network fees to collect what you're owed.
</Note>

## Summary

| Scenario                                      | Outcome                                    |
| --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Higher ROI at duel end                        | Winner takes the whole pot                 |
| ROI tied, PnL amount differs                  | Higher PnL amount wins                     |
| ROI and PnL amount both tied (e.g. no trades) | Draw — both refunded 50-50, duel cancelled |
| No opponent joins within 24 hours             | Duel cancelled, creator refunded           |
| Duel result                                   | No Season XP awarded                       |

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Creating a duel" icon="swords" href="/duels/creating">
    Set your stake, leverage cap, and time limit before you challenge someone.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Earning XP" icon="star" href="/rewards/earning">
    See where Season XP actually comes from.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>