Despite the fact that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of the most popular games of all time, the options for betting on matches have mostly been restricted to mainstream sportsbook sites like Pinnacle or BetOnline. In this article, we will discuss the basics of CS:GO betting, including how to place a bet, the available markets, and how to watch for match-fixing incidents.
Basic Principles Of CS:GO Betting
When it comes to sports betting, most people think about traditional football or baseball games. However, with the explosion in popularity of eSports in recent years, more and more people are interested in wagering on computer and video games. Like with any other sport, the main principle behind successful CS:GO betting is taking advantage of knowledge gained from experience and theory combined into practice. In the case of CS:GO, this means learning how to properly analyze key matchups, determine odds, and place a winning wager. It also requires some time to learn how to properly manage profit and losses so that you can avoid the many pitfalls that online sportsbooks have created for the unwary.
Key Matchups In CS:GO
The first step in any CS:GO betting strategy is identifying the key matchups. In most cases, you will either want to bet on the outcome of the match or on whether one team or another will make a certain number of overtimes.
To start with, let’s examine how the match will decide the winner. Each player submits a total of nine round scores to the tournament organizer. These are commonly referred to as a player’s map score and their veto score. The total of these scores determines the number of championship points awarded to the winning team. A map score of 4-8 will generally result in the team winning the match by 2-0 scores. This means you can largely discount the score of the final round as it will have less impact than the first eight.
- Buyer’s / teaser odds for maps are determined by the number of championship points awarded to the winner. Typically speaking, there is no difference in price between these two odds as they both lay 1/2. If you want to bet on the outcome of the map, you would then take a look at the matchup table and identify the closest margin of victory (in terms of points) for each team.
- Teaser odds for overtime periods are determined by adding the number of championship points awarded to the winning team to the number of overtimes completed by that team. If the winner has one overtime period remaining, the teaser odds for that period will be 1/4.
- If you are looking to bet on whether or not one team will make a certain number of overtimes, the best way to do so is by taking a look at the matchup table and finding the closest margin of victory for the two teams.
- If you’re still unfamiliar with the rules of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, visit the source website for more information.
Odds In CS:GO
One of the most important aspects of any CS:GO betting strategy is understanding the odds for each potential matchup. Even with the simplicity of the sport, there are still a number of variables that could affect the outcome of a given game. For example, if you are looking at betting on whether or not Team A will make five overtimes, the best odds for taking that bet would be on Team B. Team B will win the match 3/4 of the time under normal circumstances, but given the nature of the game you are playing with a house edge of 2/3. It would be a huge miscalculation to put your money on Team A in that case as you would lose more than you would win. A more experienced gambler would then tell you to move to Team C as the odds for them are far more favorable. You should always look at the odds as they are commonly quoted by the majority of online sportsbooks when constructing a wager. In most cases, you will find that the odds are close to equal for both teams, so it’s a close call as to who will win the match.
Placing A Bet In CS:GO
In the same way that in some cases you can use common sense to make winning bets with odds that favor you, in other cases you will need to learn a bit of theory to ensure that your money is always going to be returned to you. In general, you will want to avoid all-or-nothing wagers and instead base your play on smaller more manageable bets as they are more likely to pay off. In order to place a bet in CS:GO, you will need to open an account with a reputable online sportsbook. These are the five steps you must follow to do so:
1.Choose a username and password
This is important as it will be the key to unlocking all of the features of your account. Before you start playing, ensure that you are familiar with how the site operates and looks. Browse through their menu and get a feel for how the software works. Make sure you practice creating strong passwords as this is what you will be using on a regular basis. When choosing your password, avoid using words as these will be converted into letters when you login. When choosing your username, ensure that it is not already being used by another user. In general, try to use your first name or a unique nickname as you can then find your account more easily in case you forget your password.
2.Register for an account
This step is common to all online sportsbooks and will simply require you to enter your email address and choose a password. Upon registration you will be contacted by an account representative who will walk you through the process of opening a betting account with a valid credit card. In case you don’t want to use a valid card, you can open an account without being registered as well. Just be sure to use a very strong password as otherwise it will be very difficult to keep track of all of your account’s activity. The main purpose of this step is to lock in your credit card information as well as verify that you are a legal gambler.
3.Log In
Once you have registered and logged in, you are ready to place your first bet. Look through the site’s menu and find the section for placing bets. Once you have found this, you will need to click on the “Bet” tab and choose an option for placing a bet. You will then need to enter the amount of money you want to bet along with the game’s name, date, venue, and time. You can use the search bar to find games that are on right now or upcoming. Alternatively, you can go through the menu and choose a specific championship or tournament to place a wager on.
4.Confirm / Change Bet
Each sport that is played has a specific set of laws and regulations that pertain to gambling. One of these restrictions is that you cannot change your mind about a bet once the match has started. Once you have placed your bet, you will need to click on the “Confirm Bet” button to finalize the transaction. You can then take a short break and come back to the site when the game has ended to collect your winnings.
5.Cash Out
If you are satisfied with the outcome of your game and would like to cash out your winnings, you can go back through the menu and choose the “Withdrawal” option. This will direct you to the site’s wallet where you can enter the required information to complete the process. You will then need to provide your bank account and financial institution details so that your funds can be immediately transferred to your account. Once this is complete, you can take a short break and come back later to collect your winnings.
These five steps will get you on your way to properly placing bets in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This is not to say that there is no risk associated with online betting as plenty of predatory sites out there that will take your money and don’t give you the service that they claim to provide. However, with proper planning and research, you can greatly minimize the risks associated with wagering on games.