Expert’s Guide to the BLAST Paris CS:GO Major

How to Bet on the BLAST Paris Major 2023

Overall, the process of betting on the BLAST Paris Major CS:GO tournament is rather simple and akin to how you would go about betting on most other CS:GO events. Nonetheless, because there are now regional qualifiers as well as the main event, you should be fully prepared by the time you place your first bet.

Here’s how you can begin your CS:GO Major betting journey:

1. Choose a bookie – Betting operators can vary wildly in what they have to offer, especially when it comes to odds and betting markets. Make sure to take everything into account (including payment methods) before choosing which one you’d like to use. Some bookies are better for specific games or tournaments than others, so think carefully!
2. Create your account – During the registration process, you may get the chance to claim a betting bonus or two, so it's important that you enter all your personal information accurately. Creating an account is usually simple and quick, so you shouldn't have to spend a lot of time on this step.
3. Select a payment method – Most bookies support a wide variety of payment methods, especially popular ones such as bank cards and PayPal. You may even find cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin accepted, as well as e-wallets like Skrill. Just make sure that your chosen betting operator supports whatever payment option you'd prefer to use.
4. Take some time to research the tournament participants – The more you know about the competing teams, the better you’ll be able to predict match outcomes. This will lead to bets that have a higher probability of winning. Find out how the different squads have fared in recent tournaments, if there were any roster changes, and anything else that will be valuable for creating a betting strategy.
5. Make a couple of bets, sit back, and cross your fingers – After you've completed all of the above, you will finally be able to place a few bets. Remember to take it slow and be methodical; don’t go overboard and make sure to keep an eye on livestreams if you’re placing live bets!

CS:GO Major Betting Markets

There are currently no active betting markets for the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 tournament, but we will still list all the ones that will most likely appear as the tournament draws closer.

• Outrights – With this bet, you’ll be predicting which team you think will win the entire tournament.
• Map Winner – A bet on this market revolves around a team winning the current map (the exact result of which is irrelevant).
• Total Rounds per Map – Here, you will be deciding on how many rounds you think we’ll see for a given map. This can range from 16 (a 16-0 sweep) or go into overtime with 50+ rounds.
• Correct Score – Predict the score of the winning team. This type of bet can usually be made on Bo3 and Bo5 series, or within the game itself (correct rounds).
• Pistol Round Winner – Pistol rounds occur on the 1st and 16th round on each map. With this bet, you’ll be betting on the team you think will win those rounds.
• Special Bets – Special bets come in all shapes and sizes and can differ drastically from bookie to bookie. Special bets can include whether or not there will be a knife kill, if a game goes into overtime, and more.

BLAST Paris Major Betting Odds, Tips & Predictions

Set to be held in Paris, France at the Accor Arena, the 2023 BLAST.tv Paris Major will take place on May 8th –21st, marking the 18th and final CS:GO Major Championship.

Unfortunately, at the time of writing this guide, there were no odds available yet.

No worries, though, as things are bound to change as soon as we get more information about the Paris spectacle. Once the RMR ends (mid-April), we’ll know which teams have qualified for which stage of the BLAST CS:GO Paris Major (Contender, Challenger, or Legend).

Remember to take a look at the top qualifying teams as they will arguably be the favourites to win the event. These might be good choices for placing your bets. Additionally, special bets can be utilised quite well for this event since certain teams will be better in the early game (useful for First Blood bets, First Knife Kill bets, and so on) while others will pop in the late game (such as Most Kills or Total Rounds Over/Under).

Take your time and create your betting slips carefully using your bookie’s bet builder tool.

Live CS:GO Major Betting

Here’s a quick example of what you’d see if you opted to bet live on CS:GO (note: the event in the below screenshot is unrelated to the one covered in this guide).

While the odds depicted above aren’t that great, the reason for this is that the match was nearing its end. Of course, upsets can happen, but bookies tend to ‘close out’ the odds once there is a clear winner in the match.

What Is the BLAST CS:GO Paris Major?

The BLAST.tv Paris Major is the first CS:GO Major tournament of the year, with CS:GO fans and esports betting veterans across the world already at the edges of their seats in anticipation well before the event officially kicks off.

As part of the most reputable and long-standing event series in CS:GO esports, this tournament is special in more ways than one. For starters, it’ll feature a massive prize pool of $1,250,000 and direct qualification for the IEM Cologne 2023 and BLAST Premier World Final events. On top of that, it’ll feature an impressive 24 teams, which is why there will be two whole action-packed weeks of action.

As mentioned above, the 2023 BLAST Paris Major will be the final CS:GO Major. The reason for this is that Counter-Strike 2 is set to release some time in the summer, and Valve has publicly stated that the next Major will be based on this game instead in March 2024.

The Paris Major will be the final CS:GO Major.

The following Major will be in March 2024 and the first in Counter-Strike 2.

— CS2 (@CounterStrike) March 24, 2023

BLAST.tv Paris Major Tournament Format

The 24 teams will be divided into three primary stages of eight teams each. Here’s how the regions will contribute to each stage based on their performances in the RMR tournaments:

• Legends:
  • European RMR A (4 teams)
  • European RMR B (3 teams)
  • American RMR (1 team)
• Challengers:
  • European RMR A (3 teams)
  • European RMR B (4 teams)
  • American RMR (1 team)
• Contenders:
  • European RMR A (1 team)
  • European RMR B (1 team)
  • European RMR Decider (1 team)
  • American RMR (3 teams)
  • Asia-Pacific RMR (2 teams)

However, the Contenders and Challengers will compete together in the Challengers Stage. The advancing teams will be seeded into the Legends Stage with other ‘Legends’ teams and from there, the advancing teams will reach the Champions Stage.

Here’s the tournament format in more detail:

The Challengers Stage: 08.05.2023 – 11.05.2023

• 16 teams
• Swiss System format
  • Elimination & Advancement matches are Bo3
  • Every other match is a Bo1
• Teams that finish in the top 8 advance to the Legends Stage
• Bottom 8 teams are eliminated from tournament contention

The Legends Stage: 13.05.2023 – 16.05.2023

• 16 teams
• Swiss System format
  • Elimination & Advancement matches are Bo3
  • Every other match is a Bo1
• Teams that finish in the top 8 advance to the Champions Stage
• Bottom 8 teams are eliminated from tournament contention

The Champions Stage: 18.05.2023 – 21.05.2023

• Single-elimination bracket
• Every match is a Bo3 (including Grand Finals)

CS:GO Major Prize Pool

Typically, CS:GO Major Championships offer $1 million in prize money, but there have been some events with even larger prize pools.

The 2023 BLAST Paris Major will be offering $1,250,000 in prize money, which in turn will be distributed as follows (including BLAST Premier Points amounts):

Position	Amount	BLAST Premier Points
1st	$500,000	3,500*
2nd	$170,000	2,750
3rd-4th	$80,000	1,775
5th-8th	$45,000	1,050
9th-16th	$20,000	/
17th – 24th	$10,000	/

*The winner will also qualify for IEM Cologne 2023 and BLAST Premier World Final.

Here’s also a peek at what the prize pools of the past eight Majors looked like as well, for reference:

Major	Prize Pool	Winner
IEM Rio Major 2022	$1,250,000	Outsiders
PGL Major Antwerp 2022	$1,000,000	FaZe Clan
PGL Major Stockholm 2021	$2,000,000	Natus Vincere
StarLadder Berlin Major 2019	$1,000,000	Astralis
IEM XIII - Katowice Major 2019	$1,000,000	Astralis
FACEIT Major: London 2018	$1,000,000	Astralis
ELEAGUE Major: Boston 2018	$1,000,000	Cloud9
PGL Major Kraków 2017	$1,000,000	Gambit Esports

Best Teams Competing at BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023

Legends:

• Natus Vincere
• 9INE
• FURIA
• Fnatic
• Heroic
• Into The Breach
• Team Vitality
• Bad News Eagles

Challengers:

• Monte
• paiN Gaming
• G2 Esports
• Gamerlegion
• FORZE Esports
• Apeks
• Ninjas In Pyjamas
• OG

Contenders:

• Ence
• Mouz
• Team Liquid
• Grayhound Gaming
• Complexity Gaming
• The MongolZ
• Fluxo
• FaZe Clan

BLAST Paris CSGO Major Predictions

At the moment, we don’t know which teams will be competing in the BLAST Paris Major event, so the teams we mention below are based on our team's expert predictions based on statistics (those stats being that these three teams that are currently in the RMR are all in the top five in the global CS:GO rankings). Provided they qualify, it’s likely that one of these three teams will take the trophy home.

FaZe Clan

FaZe Clan are considered by some to be the best team in the world right now, and for the most part, they’ve got the results to show it. The only team that’s above them in the Global Rankings are G2 Esports, who they might encounter in the main event if the former qualify.

FaZe started 2023 strong with a win in BLAST Premier: Spring Groups 2023, Intel Grand Slam Season 4, and the ESL Pro League Season 17. Sadly, they were knocked out of championship contention at IEM Katowice 2023 by Team Liquid, who would end up third.

Having said all this, if they qualify for BLAST.tv Paris Major, they will definitely be considered the favourites to win the event.

Current Roster: rain, broky, Twistzz, karrigan, ropz

Heroic

While Heroic have been able to pull off some incredible wins in the past, their main weakness has arguably been consistency. They have a pattern of performing at the top level for a month or two before going back to a significant period of mediocrity. This has been the case for the past couple of years.

However, there’s no doubt that this team has what it takes to win. After all, they defeated FaZe in the BLAST Premier: Fall Finals 2022 Grand Finals. They also claimed an impressive second place at IEM Katowice 2023 by defeating Natus Vincere to reach the finals, where they lost to G2 Esports with a score of 1:3.

If they qualify and go back to that heroic, powerful teamplay, they might have a chance to take the trophy home.

Current Roster: stavn, cadiaN, TeSeS, sjuush, Jabbi

Natus Vincere

NAVI have successfully immortalised their name in the world of esports, particularly in CS:GO. Having been active in Counter Strike esports since 2010, they’ve achieved dozens – if not hundreds – of tournament wins throughout their career.

And they’re still going strong. For example, 2021 was their most successful season to date, with the team winning 9 out of 12 S-Tier tournaments. 2022 was a bit dodgy, but it seems they’re starting to find their feet again in 2023.

Natus Vincere were eliminated in two tournaments (IEM Katowice 2023 and ESL Pro League Season 17) in the semi-finals by the above two teams we have already listed – Heroic and FaZe Clan. As such, there's definitely a bone to pick between all three, so provided they all qualify, each of these teams have a chance at winning the event.

Current Roster: s1mple, electroNic, Perfecto, b1t, npl

Where To Watch CS:GO Majors

At the moment, we still don’t have an official broadcast for the BLAST spectacle in Paris. However, once the event starts, you’ll be able to watch the action by visiting the official BLAST.tv website or the official BLASTPremier Twitch channel.

Depending on the country you live in and the language you speak, you may even be able to find localised broadcasts that aren’t in English (e.g. French, German, or Spanish.)

What About the CS:GO Major Pick’Em Challenge?

For those of you who are not in the know, CS:GO Major Pick’Ems are a series of challenges in which you have to correctly guess a certain number of predictions for each of the three Paris Major stages.

There are four Pick’Em coins that you need to achieve:

• Bronze Coin (Requires 1-2 Challenges Completed)
• Silver Coin (Requires 3-5 Challenges Completed)
• Gold Coin (Requires 6-8 Challenges Completed)
• Diamond Coin (Requires All 9 Challenges Complete)

• Activate your coin before the tournament is over
• Place all Pick'Em predictions for the Challengers Stage before it begins
• Achieve five correct Pick'Em predictions for the Challengers Stage
• Place all Pick'Em predictions for the Legends Stage before it begins
• Achieve five correct Pick'Em predictions for the Legends Stage
• Place all Pick'Em predictions for the Champions Stage before it begins
• Get two correct Pick'Em predictions for the quarterfinals
• Get one correct Pick'Em prediction for the semifinals
• Guess the correct Pick'Em prediction for the grand final

At the time of writing, there are no odds available for the Pick'Em challenge. However, we will update this section once more information has been released.

Summary

The BLAST.tv Paris Major is sure to be an exciting and memorable event for fans of CS:GO, with the tournament expected to showcase some of the esport's top teams competing at the highest level. Fans and punters alike can look forward to non-stop action and intense gameplay, as well as a display of thrilling matches, nail-biting finishes, and unforgettable moments.

With the 2023 edition being the final CS:GO Major to take place, be sure not to miss out on the action. Mark down the dates in your calendar, bookmark this article, and happy betting!