Why is my balance negative?

On The Slip every answer puts something on the line: a hit adds and a miss subtracts. If you miss more than you hit, your balance goes down, and it can go below zero.

A negative balance is just a score. It is a game: you climb back by getting the next slips right.

If you want to risk less, answer less. The exact score costs nothing if you miss it, and neither does anything you leave blank. Before you seal, "What you have riding on it" tells you the most you can lose with that slip.