Introducing DotA 2 betting: how to choose a bet, where to bet, and others

Введение в ставки на Dota 2: как выбрать ставку, где ставить, и другое

DotA 2 is one of the most popular eSports disciplines. Every year, its developer and publisher, Valve Corporation, holds The International, an electronic sports DotA 2 championship tournament, where top teams from around the world are invited. The prize pool of the last The International tournament totaled over $10.9 million. This amount is several times higher than the prize pools of medium-sized real sport competitions. Today, the standard prize pool in DotA 2 is $200,000. Over 200,000 people participate in the broadcast every day. In many countries, major events are broadcast on local TV channels. For example, in 2013, the Swedish entertainment television channel TV6, in conjunction with DreamHack TV, announced the broadcast of The International 3 tournament. In China, national TV channels (CCTV) often talk about DotA 2 in the news. The competitions attract millions of viewers on national television channels in China.

Play Here!

Computer games have recently been gaining recognition around the world. In January 27, 2015, the Korea eSports Association (KeSPA) at a conference in Seoul, was able to push for the accreditation of eSports as a 2nd-level Olympic sport. The decision to recognize eSports as an Olympic sport was made by the Korean Olympic Committee. At the moment, it remains unknown whether it is about specific games or the decision includes all the standard eSports discipline. It is worth reminding that to secure final recognition of eSports as an Olympic sport, it is necessary to obtain a 1st-level status. So inclusion of eSports at the 2020 Summer Olympics is possible.

A brief history of DotA 2 and bets on DotA 2

The rise in the popularity of DotA 2 took its origin from its predecessor DotA. The first DotA map appeared in 2003. But the most popular of them was DotA Allstars, designed by IceFrog since 2005. DotA Allstars attracted attention due to the popularity of the Warcraft strategy itself. As time went on, IceFrog added a new version of the map, in which there were new heroes and the gameplay also changed. But the game itself became outdated as the years went by, and the community requested Warcraft developer Blizzard to make a remake of their favorite game. For a long time, Blizzard did not issue any official statements about DotA support, and the game was noticed at Valve Corporation.

In October 13, 2010, IceFrog and Valve announced the release of the new DotA 2. The official trailer of the game was released in August 15, 2011. A few days later, acceptance of requests for closed beta testing of the project began. The game was in closed beta test for two years. It was officially released only in July 9, 2013.

If I were to recommend where to bet, I would choose Pinnacle Sports, or if the choice is among domestic bookmakers, then I would go for Parimatch.com.

The history of betting on DotA 2 begins with the release of the game, which took place at the GamesCom 2011 trade fair in Cologne, held from 17 to 21 August 2011. From the very beginning, bookmaker Pinnacle Sports saw the enormous potential inherent in this game and gave the line for the first tournament – The International 1. It should be noted that prior to this, Pinnacle Sports line included bets for StarCraft II and finals of major tournaments on Counter-Strike 1.6. DotA 2 popularity grew sharply both among ordinary viewers and among investors. The number of tournaments increased considerably over the last few years, which led to an influx of new players and an increase in bets. In December 2014, Pinnacle Sports announced that it has reached the historic milestone of a total of one million eSport bets. Currently, those making bets on DotA 2 have a wide choice of events and a wide line for selection.

What to bet in DotA 2 matches

Tournament matches in DotA 2 are in the following formats:

  • Best-of-1 (until one team wins in a single round);
  • Best-of-2 (two rounds are played in which there can be a draw or win by one team);
  • Best-of-3 (until one team wins in two rounds);
  • Best-of-5 (until one team wins in three rounds).

Classic bookmakers give the following betting lines for DotA 2:

  • Betting on win: everything is clear, a bet on one out of two teams;
  • Betting on win in a round: a bet is made on one of the rounds;
  • Asian handicaps.

Electronic sports bookmakers offer the following choice (in addition to the major markets):

  • Betting on the first blood: which team will make the first kill;
  • Betting on who will take first 10 kills: which team will make the first ten kills;
  • Betting on first Roshan: which team will first kill Roshan. Roshan is the strongest neutral creep in DotA 2. After the death of Roshan, the Aegis of the Immortal always drops from Roshan, which gives the owner extra life for five minutes;
  • Betting on round duration: bet on round duration, the total is more/less in minutes.

My personal opinion is that options in the line of classic bookmakers are quite enough. It’s difficult to predict the outcome on additional action line. The favorite can easily ruin the start of the game and your bets on additional indicators will lose. If we talk about which bookmaker to choose for betting, I would recommend Pinnacle Sports, or if the choice is among domestic bookmakers, then I would go for Parimatch.com.

Why Choose Pinnacle Sports:

  • Huge line covering all the major matches;
  • An excellent job with regards to organizing major LAN tournaments;
  • Quick adjustment of line, addition of new games;
  • Highest odds;
  • An information stand, that will help new players quickly adapt in betting;
  • Highest limits;
  • Can combine bets on DotA 2 with other sports.

What to consider when predicting DotA 2 matches?

1. You need to find a good information source.

Your chosen portal should allow you to:

  • оKeep track of the latest results of the team and the team’s general position in the rankings. This would enable you understand the team’s current form;
  • Keep track of the outcomes of one-on-one matches;
  • Get more information about the tournament: prize pool, rules, list of participants, standings or tournament grid;
  • Find records of past games and broadcast of future games.

I would recommend the following information portals:  gosugamers, joindota, virtuspro.

2. Choosing matches.

A very important aspect that requires close attention.

  • You must check whether the match is an important one for the team. If the match does not affect the standings, the team could easily play at less than full strength, test new strategies and even have some key players missing.
  • You need to take into account the team’s schedule. Playing several series in one day is hard.
  • Study the rules of the tournament. The rules are a very important aspect. If the competing teams are from different regions, the server on which the game will take place is of great importance. This surely needs to be taken into account because split seconds can decide the outcome of the encounter.
  • There has been recent increase in DDoS attacks against players. Most tournament organizers devote certain amount of time to addressing such problems. If the problem is not resolved, the team may see out the match in a reduced strength. Bets on such matches are non-refundable. Almost no team is insured against such problems, but teams that are less professional are more often exposed to DDoS attacks. You need to remember this when choosing games for bets.

3. You need to follow the social media pages of players and teams you want to bet on.

  • You can find out about possible replacements in the team;
  • Possible changes relating to game schedules or shifts;
  • Internal team kitchen, possible trainings, general team meeting at the base;
  • Physical and psychological state of the players.

4. In betting on LAN finals of tournaments, you need to take into account the team’s experience. If a team performed well online, it is not certain that it will deliver the same level of game on LAN when playing in public.

5. DotA2 is a very unpredictable game and there is no clear leader here. Therefore, you need to take this into account when betting.

Bookmaker Ratings
Found a mistake?Let us know
Still have questions? Ask our experts!
Comments