The rules are the same but the increments change as the price goes up. If you're bidding on a cheap item, it might only go up in 25c or 50c increments, if it gets more expensive, expect to see it going up each time by more.
As for bidding, think of it as secret bids. So what is showing as the present bid may not be that person's actual highest bid. What they typed in as the highest bid is hidden, it is secret. You can't see it.
It isn't showing because ebay will only move their bid up by one increment. That is supposing no one else is bidding.
Then along you come and you put in, say, another bid that is $1 higher than the bid showing. If that price on display was the other person's highest bid, then you will take the lead. But if, for instance, the bidding was showing at $20 and you bid $21, you would not take the lead if the other person had actually typed in $25 when they originally made the bid.
Up would come a sign to say you were outbid. But it still would not show $25, it would probably show $22, because ebay would trump your bid by $1, it only goes as high as it has to to outbid you.
If you typed in $24 though, it would go up to $25 straight away (in order to outbid you, it would need to go to the first bidder's max).
If you typed in $26 though, it would show you as taking the lead.
But to you, it would look like a $6 jump in price.
That is because the other person's secret highest bid has come into play.
