fatfozzy,
A few specifics on how the eSpeed and BTEC bond trading rules are f#cked up:
1. Work Up: If you are alone on the 6 offer and I buy the 6's from you, the trade enters a work up period. BAsically, for the next "x" seconds (with x constantly changing on their whim); you and I have exclusive rights to trade 6's again. If someone else tries to buy or sell 6's while we are in work up, they get a 'come back later' message. There is more to this rule but this gives you a good idea of work up. It goes back to the days of phone trading where the brokers rewarded the person who just traded by giving them first shot at more.
2. Cancels: If you go 6 bid and become the best bid, you can't cancel your order for x seconds. Again, x is always changing and it can even vary across instruments (2,5,10, 30).
3. Trading Thru The Stack: This one has changed so often that I no longer know what the rule is, and it varies across maturities a well. If the market is 102 bid, you can not offer or sell (I'll explain that one next) below 102 to take out the book.
4. Bid/Buy/Offer/Sell: There are 4 order types: Buy, Bid, Offer, Sell. If you are 106 bid, I can go 106 offer and the market will not trade. It will be locked. If the best offer is 107 and I enter a BUY order to BUY 105, I will get rejected because there isn't a 105 offer. Bid/offer are passive; buy/sell are active. eSpeed has recently changed this and allows bids to be active which begs the question, why not make all orders just buys or sells. Wait this just in, eSpeed changed the rules again so now I have no idea how it works.
The rules briefly described above are all applicable to eSpeed and BTEC with the exception of #3 which may only apply to eSpeed. Oh wait, eSpeed just changed the rules again in the 5-year room!!
I agree with TGM. This model sucks. Hopefully BTEC will go ahead with their 'futures style' (FIFO) model and hopefully it will kick the crap out of the old model. I hope this info helps.
protuberance,
eSpeed has access to the Euro Gov't Bonds (EGB). Not sure of delivery procedures for those.
Good luck and good trading. This just in, eSpeed changed the rules again in the 10-year room!