Over the past decade, the esports scene has exploded from small events into a global phenomenon. Nowadays, there’s an incredibly wide market of different games to choose from, spanning all kinds of different genres. It doesn’t matter if you’re taking a look at esports for the first time, or you’ve already had a bit of experience, you should still find some help here. The internet is your friend and plenty of helpful esports betting tips can be found if you look hard enough.
Understanding some of the basics of Esports betting
Before you start placing bets right off the bat, you should try and get more familiarized with the scene of esports betting. While esports betting and betting on traditional sports are somewhat similar experiences, it’s not one-to-one, and there’s still a lot to be learned. Popular games for esports betting include, but aren’t limited to League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Valorant, and FIFA. All of these games heavily differ from each other, with completely different rules and mechanics. This may seem daunting at first, but they aren’t too difficult to learn if you put in enough time. It’ll additionally help if you’ve played any of them before, as you’ll already be accustomed to how the game works, and it’ll be a good starting point in esports betting. For games in which you might not know how the rules work, the internet is your friend!
Additionally, make sure to decide how much of your funds you’d like to put in, and decide on an online betting site to use. Plenty of large, trustworthy, and mainstream sites already exist, such as Sportsbet.io, and these would be a good place for you to start and grow your knowledge as well as your experience in esports betting.
Start small and Manage your Bankroll
Properly managing your bankroll and not spending everything in one go is important if you want to stick around and maximize your potential gains. For your first bets, you should set aside an amount of money that you’re comfortable with losing, and try to go in without regret. Esports betting can be unpredictable, and the tide can quickly turn when it comes to which team is winning and which is losing. If you’re safe with your bets from the get-go, you can more comfortably take the losses on the chin if you’re not great at predicting in the beginning.
Properly research different Teams and Players
In order to properly familiarize yourself with what you’re betting on, at least some research is necessary. Make sure that in games that you’re betting on, you know the teams and the players on them. Later on, detailed research on the reputation and history of the teams, as well as the skill and playstyles of the different players would be ideal. Additionally, watch for some shake-ups in your favorite esports when a team changes its lineup or a player decides to leave. Teams with brand new or newly modified rosters might not synergize well at first, and in certain cases it would be wise to bet against them. Staying updated through esports news sites, forums, and social media platforms would be a smart idea.
Understand Betting Odds and how they work
Odds represent the likelihood of a particular outcome and determine how much money you will win if your bet is successful. Different regions may present odds differently, commonly as decimal odds (1.75), fractional odds (3/2), or American odds (+150). If you’re a beginner, you should probably start by focusing on simpler odds formats such as decimal odds, which clearly show your potential return.
Specialize in only One or Two Games
People only have so much time to put into a hobby or activity, and nobody has the time to religiously research 10 different games in order to maximize their betting gains by a few more percentage points. Instead, you should put the majority of your effort into selecting one or two games that interest you the most, and researching them the most by far. This is especially useful advice if you’re just starting out, and don’t have much experience in any esports games yet. Try to take a look at a large selection, and focus on the ones in which you’re the most comfortable and successful when betting.
Watch Esports, Listen, and Learn
Watching live esports matches without betting on them is actually quite a good way to get better at betting on them. Watching without betting lets you fully focus on the match, the teams, and the players. Simply watching and listening makes sure that none of your focus gets shifted away from learning more about the esport and onto whether or not your bet will cash out. Many esports organizations and hosts like to livestream their matches on YouTube or Twitch, so make sure to follow the schedules of upcoming live matches, and try to tune in to learn more about your favorite esport to bet on.
Avoiding Emotional Betting and Making Sure to Maintain a Record of Your Bets
One of the most common mistakes a new better can make is betting based on emotions or the feeling of needing to immediately make back what you’ve lost. This is a trap that can quickly suck more funds out of you than you ever initially planned to put in. Learning not to take losses too hard and to not let your ego get in the way is likely the most important tip on this list, and proper self-discipline is required not to make emotionally charged mistakes that you’ll end up regretting later. Additionally, it’s useful to make a record of your bets for multiple reasons. It’s a good idea to hold yourself accountable and take a look to see if you were making educated decisions or betting on pure emotion. Also, it’s a good tool for seeing which esports and teams you’re more likely to bet correctly on. This can help you narrow your focus even further in order to maximize your returns.
Photo by Alena Darmel: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-man-with-black-and-silver-headphones-7862517/