5 Successful Tips for eSports Betting
Elen StelmakhEsports are computer-facilitated gaming events featuring two teams or individuals competing for prize money. Popular eSports include League of Legends, Dota 2, StarCraft, Counter-Strike, Fortnight, Overwatch, King of Glory, FIFA, and many more. They’re basically computer video games but feature professional gamers competing for top prizes and bragging rights. Most sportsbooks feature esports betting markets and odds, so you can back your favorite teams and gamers. Esports works more like traditional sports. You can choose an event, find markets, wager, and win. Here are five tips for successful eSports betting:
1. Understand the Game
The first step to successful betting is understanding how the game works. For instance, if you’re betting on slots, poker, roulette, or other online casino games, you need to learn how they work. Slots feature spinning reels, bonus and wild symbols, paytables, and special objects. Roulettes have a spinning wheel, ball, and red-and-black payout boards. Poker and blackjack have card decks and specific rules. In the same way, eSports games have specific objectives and features. The missions, maps, and accomplishments offer betting markets where you can stake your money. As such, it’s important to play or at least watch and understand how the game you want to bet on works. Understanding the game allows you to leverage live betting odds and live streaming to predict what will happen next.
2. Research Teams and Players
Esports is as diverse as other professional sports. You’ll find different genres, formats, and rules. Before betting, you should learn the game’s basics and catch up with every team involved in your bet slips. Research the team's strengths and weaknesses, recent forms, and rivalries. Watch eSports streamers on YouTube or Twitch to see how top players perform and analyze their strategies. Streaming games gives you more insight into the games and teams, allowing you to understand how the contests unfold. You can also crowd-source information from the eSport gaming community. The communities feature experienced gamers who can identify winning strategies and provide more game information. Research allows you to determine favorites, underdogs, and potential surprises. Pay attention to team form, the buildup, and tensions inside different teams.
3. Shop Around for the Best Odds
Esports is popular in modern sportsbooks, with nearly all leading bookmakers featuring betting markets and odds on popular contests. Some bookmakers have more markets and live betting props than others. The odds also always vary, so you can get a higher payout for your selections. You can sign up for betting accounts with several trustworthy bookmakers. This allows you to shop around for the best odds. Esports is also still evolving, so the prices are bound to vary greatly. You can find tools that aggregate odds for different markets. Don’t settle for the first odds you get. Compare different sites to get the best price for your money. You can also look for eSports bonuses and other sportsbook promotions. The goal is to maximize the payout on your predictions.
4. Stick to Legitimate Sportsbooks
Although most sportsbooks offer eSports betting, not all are worth joining. Some bookmakers operate illegally without valid gambling licenses. Others have basic security features, so your information may be vulnerable. Illegitimate bookmakers may also have sub-standard services including slow payment processing, unreliable customer support, glitching betting interfaces, and unclear terms and conditions. To avoid such experiences, stick to trustworthy sportsbooks with a clean track record for fair play, licensed software providers, and credible payment services. Leading sportsbooks also feature sleek betting apps, 24/7 customer service, responsible gambling frameworks, and comprehensive eSports coverage. Finding bookmakers with lucrative bonuses, cashback, and free bets is also important. Make sure you check the bonus terms and conditions to gauge if the promotions are worth claiming.
5. Take Advantage of Live Betting
Live betting is one of the best features in sportsbooks as it lets you wager on underway games. Instead of fixed pre-match odds, live odds are flexible and keep changing depending on how the game unfolds. If you’re watching live streams, you can gauge the game’s trajectory and predict outcomes more precisely. Live streaming and live betting allow you to take advantage of match props, such as first blood, number of kills, MVP, and more. Live bets also offer more variety and excitement than traditional bets. You can use changing situations and team reactions to predict outcomes. eSports betting sites also provide other features, such as bet builders, parlay boosts, early cashout, and odds boosts. You can explore these features to protect your bankroll and mitigate losses. For instance, early cashout can help you withdraw partial winnings before all the legs in your parlay are played.+6
Key Takeaways About eSports Betting
There are many other tips for new eSports bettors, including learning how to manage your bankroll and risks and utilizing strategies. Some of the popular eSports betting strategies include value betting, handicap betting, and live betting. You should learn how to deal with unpredictability, biases, and emotions. Set limits and realistic budgets to avoid impulse betting, chasing losses, and edge overestimation. More importantly, find the right platforms to bet on and research your teams to make informed decisions for each prediction.
Elen Stelmakh is a creative individual dedicated to advancing gaming culture through articles and visual design. As a full-time EGamersWorld author and designer for a gaming website, Elen not only creates content but also infuses it with energy and creativity.