Betting on esports at Rainbet: formats, markets and live play

What esports does Rainbet offer for betting?

Rainbet esports puts four titles in the sportsbook menu, and each has a section of its own.

How are esports matches organised?

A typical esports match is a series of maps or games, played as a best of one, three or five. This format sets esports betting apart from a ninety-minute football match. A team can drop a map and still take the series, and the odds shift after each map.

What markets are usual in esports?

Match winner is the simplest market, and series formats bring in several others.

• Match winner: the team that wins the series.
• Map or game winner: the team that wins 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 goes the distance or ends in a sweep.
• Outrights: the team that wins an entire tournament.

The sportsbook lists the markets for each match on that match, and how many there are depends on the size of the event.

What is worth knowing about each title?

Teams in CS2 and Valorant switch sides part of the way through a map, and certain maps favour one side. The score at the switch can make the team that began on the stronger side look better than it is.

In many Dota 2 and League of Legends games the result is settled well before the last blow. Teams pick and ban characters in the draft, which shapes the match before it begins, and a lead in gold or objectives tends to snowball.

How do live esports odds behave?

Odds in live esports move faster than in most traditional sports. The price can flip after one round win in a shooter or a single team fight in a MOBA. Matches in progress are listed under Live Matches in the sportsbook.

A stream is often a little behind the real match. When a price looks wrong, it may already reflect an event you have not seen yet.

How is an esports bet placed?

1. In the sportsbook, pick CS2, Valorant, Dota 2 or League of Legends.
2. Choose a match and look at the format: best of one, three or five.
3. Select a market and check the price on the bet slip.
4. Confirm the stake and track the bet in My Bets.

Are esports bets counted in Rainbet races?

Yes. An esports bet is a sportsbook bet, and sportsbook bets are counted three times in the Weekly Race and the Monthly Race. See Rainbet races for the details.

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

A map handicap gives a team extra maps or removes some from its final score. A best of three can finish only 2-0 or 2-1, so there are four clear outcomes.

What mistakes do new esports bettors make?

• Betting on a name. Rosters change a lot, and a well-known team may not field the same five players.
• Overlooking the format. A best of one gives an upset much more room than a best of five.
• Chasing live swings. Losing a pistol round or an early kill shifts the price more than it shifts the match.
• Forgetting patches. A game update may change which strategies and characters are strong.

How can you budget for esports?

Choose a stake for the day and keep it the same. A big tournament day can list dozens of series one after another, with live markets on each. Decide which matches you will bet on before the first one starts, so that the day does not become a string of impulse bets.

Do the esports-style games in the casino matter here?

Esports betting and casino play are two different things that share a balance. Multiplayer games such as Case Battles, which Rainbet describes as drawing randomness from EOS blocks, belong to the casino side. Rainbet casino covers the library, and Rainbet sports covers the other sports.