Many people will say that you can’t beat the bookies. Gambling is a mugs game. However to say that you can’t beat the bookies is not always true.
As a general rule most gamblers don’t get into e-sports betting to make huge winnings, but rather to enhance the excitement of watching a match or tournament. These people might not spend huge amounts of time researching their bets and accept losing money as part of the gamble.
Like putting a chip on a roulette number; it’s exciting, there’s always a chance you can win, and if you don’t, you’re paying for the entertainment.
But if you want to bet to win, and make long term winnings, you can.
Though it takes time, research & effort, if you understand the game you are betting on, understand odds & understand e-sports betting in general, then there are ways to increase your odds of winning, and make money.
In fact there are people out there who work as professional gamblers, make part or all of their income through intelligent gambling on sports and e-sports events. These people will spend hours analysing all the facts before placing their bets.
And whilst most of us won’t have the time to devote such dedication to a few fun bets, there are a few simple rules that you should always follow if you want to be a successful esports gambler.
Understand Value
Make sure you have a really strong understanding of betting odds, and remember that good value does not mean large odds.
Good value in betting is the size of the odds, relative to the chances of you winning your e-sports bet.
Likewise, just because a team has big odds as favourites to win a match, it doesn’t mean betting on this is a wise move that guarantees a win. Try to calculate how those odds reflect the probability of the team winning and decide if you feel that is an accurate likelihood based on your research.
While it seems like such a simple concept, many gamblers don’t ever consider the value of a bet in this way, and merely look at how long the odds are.
At this point you are gambling much like at a casino, rather than at sports; relying on blind luck rather than knowledge to get you the win.
Choose Your Bookmaker Carefully
This ties in very closely with understanding the value of a bet. Not all bookmakers will offer the exact same odds on a particular bet.
On esportsbettingelite.com we review a number of excellent betting sites that you can use in order to make your e-sports bets.
Sign-up to a number of our different bookmakers and before you make a bet, check them all out to see who is offering the best odds for the bet you wish to make.
That way you always play at a reliable recommended sportsbook, but more importantly, you can really maximise your profits and ensure that you are getting the best value for your bet.
You also want to be careful when choosing a bookmaker to ensure they accept long term winners too.
Bookmakers like Pinnacle Sports & Betfair are friendly to long term winners, but some of the more established high street bookmakers are not.
Do Your Research
It seems simple, it seems obvious, but it is so often ignored.
Your “gut instinct” is not a valuable commodity when making a bet. Sure, we are all tempted to bet on our favourite team or player, or just fancy taking a punt on some really long odds.
But that is not how you become a long-term e-sports winner.
Your knowledge of the esport games that you are betting on is the biggest key to your success. It’s how you will know if a bet has value, and it’s how you will maximise your winnings in your e-sports betting.
You can do this by looking at the stats on each team, such as their form, recent matchups between the teams in questions & any changes in roster, for example. Watching matches is also a good way of researching, and keeping up with any news.
Perhaps you’ll find out about other things happening to a team that could affect their performance.
You don’t need to put hours and hours in everyday, but putting some time in prior to placing a bet, to make sure you know what you are betting on, will make a big difference.
Make a Staking Plan
Your staking plan defines how much you will place on the bets that you make. The successful gambler will always have one in place.
It is important for many reasons, but most notably because it control how much you place on each bet, thus reducing your chances of going bust, and helping you get a good return.
You should try to make sure you have a reasonable bankroll for your e-sports betting, while still knowing your limits and not taking chances on your personal finance. Bet what you can afford.
Still, if you want to potentially be a long term winner, you’re not going to do it on the odd occasional bet.
You should always keep a record of your bets too. This will make sure you are keeping to your staking plan, and within your budget. It can also help you to analyse where you are going wrong.
Don’t Char Your Losses
This is a big one, and the downfall of many an e-sports gambler. Chasing losses is where the punter continues to bet and increase the stakes in their bets in order to recoup their losses.
This type of betting rarely ever works out, as it more often than not leads to frustration, rash decisions, and breaking your own staking plan and budget.
Always keep disciplined in your e-sports betting. Stick to your staking plan, keep within your budget & never chase your losses. If you find yourself doing it, then take a break.
Don’t Go For The Big Score
It can be incredibly tempting to bet on long odds. Parlays/Accumulators/Combo bets are an example of an extremely popular bet that pays out long odds.
This is where you link several bets together that must all be correct in order to win. For example betting on the result of several matches in an esports tournament.
As general rule, choosing the winner of a single matchup is incredibly difficult, so choosing 5 or 6 together is exceptionally difficult, with a higher potential for something to go wrong that will potentially destroying your bet.
More often than not the increased odds of these types of bet do not reflect the reduced probability of it paying off, and so there is no value in making the bet.
You should choose the markets that you bet on carefully. Winning a little per bet will add up over time and is much more likely to make you money in your e-sports betting in the long run.
What Next?
You’ve now covered all the bases in our esports betting beginners guide, which means you’re well on the way to making your first esports bet (if you haven’t already).
In fact why not click on one of our bonuses right now and get a great offer to start you off?
If you’d like to learn a bit more before making that bet then check out our game review guides and our bookmaker reviews right now to get detailed analysis of the best esports games and bookmakers available to you.