CS:GO
One of the most popular video game sagas of the 21st century is Counter Strike, a first-person multiplayer shooter that appeared in 1999 and soon achieved great success. For years the original Counter Strike and Counter Strike: Source coexisted, until in 2012 Valve merged them into Counter Strike: Global Offensive, the current CS:GO. Based on updates, it became an increasingly popular game, especially from August 2013. And soon, CS:GO betting began to emerge within the eSports market.
In this guide we will explain everything you need to know to bet on CS:GO, from how the game is played and the dynamics of the matches to the most popular bets on Counter Strike or the most important teams in the world.
How to play CS:GO
CS:GO matches pit two teams of five players against each other - the terrorists and the counter-terrorists. The terrorists' goal is to plant a bomb and ensure that it detonates before time runs out, while the counter-terrorists must prevent their opponents from planting the bomb, defuse it if it is planted, or run out the clock before the terrorists can achieve their objective. To win a round and earn a point, a team must eliminate all of their opponents and/or complete the objectives on the map.
Each match is played in two parts of fifteen rounds, and the first team to win in 16 rounds is the winner. Both teams have the right to veto a game map, which increases the chances of the underdog team to nullify the favorite team's preferred maps and bring the match to a map where they feel more comfortable.
Counter Strike: Global Offensive betting
Despite the wide variety of markets available for betting, the star bet in CS:GO is betting on the winner of the match or moneyline. Just like in any other team sport or other eSports such as Lol or dota 2, the player invests their money in the team that they believe has the best chances of winning. However, at times the moneyline bets can be unevenly matched, which is where handicap bets in CS:GO come into play to improve the odds.
Another interesting market is betting on the winner of a map, which also allows Philippines to improve our odds. We have already talked about the possibility of vetoing maps, and that a team will feel more comfortable on one map than another. Betting on the winner of the map is another way to improve the odds. Additionally, we can bet on the total number of maps won by a team, whether a team will win - or not - a map, the correct score of a match...
As for long-term bets, the tournament winner bets could not be missed. Among the most prominent CS:GO tournaments are:
- PGL Major
- ESL One
- Dreamhack
- SLTV StarSeries
- FACEIT; ESEA сезоны
- ECS
- ELEAGUE
Beyond traditional bets on the champion, before any tournament there are bookies that also allow Philippines to bet on the group from which the champion will come, their continent of origin, how the group will end, the finalists, etc.
Where to bet on CS:GO?
Although eSports are becoming increasingly popular, there are still few betting companies that offer them in their catalog. However, in the following bookies you will find an interesting range of CS:GO betting markets.
CS:GO Betting Strategy
As we always say, knowledge of the game we're going to bet on is essential for successful betting. We can't bet on CS:GO without knowing the game, especially if we're betting on specific markets such as handicap, map winner, etc. That's why one of the best things you can do before betting is to play CS:GO or watch online matches to familiarize yourself with the game.
This is a team sport, so the cohesion between the different members of a team will be crucial in accomplishing their goals and defeating the opposing team. The team's success depends on the balance between individual talent and teamwork. This applies to all multiplayer eSports, and CS:GO is no exception.
Another issue that we have already talked about throughout this guide to CS:GO betting and that can be a key factor in betting is the maps, specifically the possibility of vetoing a map. It is one of the main differences with other eSports such as LoL or Dota 2, in CS:GO the dominance of a team on a map can be decisive in tipping the scales in their favor. That's why it's important to know the maps where a team performs best and where they struggle the most.
Favorites in CS:GO betting
Unlike other eSports such as LoL, which have a distributor who makes a powerful investment in the game - at a loss - CS: GO has gotten to where it is on its own. This popularity means that we find ourselves with a wide range of teams with options to fight for the main tournaments. HLTV is responsible for elaborating a ranking with the best teams in the world, where the good moment of Astralis , a Danish team, stands out.
European teams dominate over Americans and Asians, since on top of the HLTV rankings are also the Swedes from fnatic, FaZe and mousesports - both with members from five European countries - or Natus Vincere, a combination of Russian and Ukrainian players. The Americans from Cloud9 or the Brazilians from SK or the union of two Americans, two Canadians, and one Brazilian in Liquid are among the few teams capable of casting a shadow over the Europeans.