Rainbet esports: CS2, Valorant, Dota 2 and League of Legends

Which esports can you bet on at Rainbet?

Rainbet esports lists four titles in the sportsbook menu, and each one has its own section.

How is an esports match structured?

Most esports matches are a series of maps or games, played as a best of one, three or five. That structure is what makes esports betting different from a ninety-minute football match. A team can lose a map and still win the series, and the odds move after every map.

Which markets are common in esports?

The match winner is the simplest market, and series formats add several more.

• Match winner: which team takes the series.
• Map or game winner: which team takes one named map.
• Map handicap: a head start in maps, such as +1.5 for the underdog in a best of three.
• Total maps: whether the series runs long or ends in a sweep.
• Outrights: which team wins a whole tournament.

The markets open on any one match are listed on that match in the sportsbook, and they vary with the size of the event.

What should you know about each title?

In CS2 and Valorant, teams swap sides partway through a map, and some maps favour one side. A scoreline at the swap can flatter the team that started on the stronger side.

Dota 2 and League of Legends are decided long before the final blow in many games. The draft, where teams pick and ban characters, shapes the match before it starts, and a lead in gold or objectives tends to snowball.

How does live esports betting behave?

Live esports odds move faster than odds in most traditional sports. A single round win in a shooter or one team fight in a MOBA can flip the price. Events in progress appear under Live Matches in the sportsbook.

Streams often run a little behind the real match. A price that looks wrong may already reflect something you haven't seen yet.

How do you place an esports bet?

1. Open the sportsbook and choose CS2, Valorant, Dota 2 or League of Legends.
2. Pick a match and read the format: best of one, three or five.
3. Choose a market and check the price on the bet slip.
4. Confirm the stake, then follow the bet in My Bets.

Do esports bets count in Rainbet races?

Yes. Esports bets are sportsbook bets, and sportsbook bets count three times in the Weekly Race and the Monthly Race. Details are on Rainbet races.

How does a map handicap work in a best of three?

A map handicap adds or takes away maps from a team's final score. In a best of three, the series can only end 2-0 or 2-1, which leaves four clear outcomes.

Which mistakes do new esports bettors make?

• Betting on a name. Rosters change often, and a famous team may not be the same five players.
• Ignoring the format. A best of one is far more open to an upset than a best of five.
• Chasing live swings. A lost pistol round or an early kill moves the price more than it moves the match.
• Forgetting patches. A game update can change which strategies and characters are strong.

How should you budget for esports?

Set a stake for the day and keep it flat. Big tournament days can list dozens of series back to back, and live markets on each one. A plan for which matches you'll bet on, made before the first one starts, keeps the day from turning into a run of impulse bets.

What about the esports-style games in the casino?

Betting on esports and playing casino games are separate things on the same balance. Rainbet's multiplayer games, such as Case Battles, which Rainbet describes as drawing randomness from EOS blocks, sit on the casino side. The library is on Rainbet casino, and all the other sports are on Rainbet sports.