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The LCK (League of Legends Champions Korea) is once again the top region in the world following DRX’s win in Worlds 2022. Now the region to watch, the 2023 season will have everyone’s expectations set high. Learn everything you need to know about LCK betting below!
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The League of Legends Champions Korea, commonly known as the LCK, is a premier regional league for professional League of Legends in South Korea. The league was first established in 2012 and has now grown into a 10-team franchise, with seasonal splits in Spring and Summer.
The LCK is held by Riot Games and is considered as one of, if not the very best regions in LoL esports across the world. It is the home of decorated World champions like Faker, Deft, and Showmaker who have dominated the scene in the decade since League was released. Taking all of this into account, you can expect only the highest tier of competition to be found in the LCK.
The LCK is nothing like it formerly was in 2012. Back then, esports games were already massive in South Korea, with the long history of StarCraft in the region. However, League of Legends would only take it even further with the rise of teams like SK Telecom and Samsung Galaxy, who would later go on to win LoL's World Championship.
When League of Legends was released, cable broadcaster OnGameNet took the initiative of running the country’s first-ever major regional league called The Champions. With seasons in Spring, Summer, and Winter, competition was tough and pushed teams to adapt. Eventually, the region’s success paved the way for the creation of the LCK in 2015.
From the start of the LCK to nearing the end of 2016, SK Telecom T1 were nigh unstoppable with the Unkillable Demon King Faker on their side. And although they would falter at times, they have found their way to championship after championship to an impressive 10 total championship wins. In addition, teams like Kingzone DragonX, ROX Tigers, and Dplus KIA (formerly known as DWG KIA or Damwon Gaming) have had their turn hoisting the trophy as well.
For our 10th anniversary, we focused on the best highlights from the past 10 years of #LCK history. But what did the current #LCK players pick as their most memorable moment? Watch the top 3 ranking here! pic.twitter.com/U5bM1TvQR8 — LCK (@LCK) December 11, 2022
For our 10th anniversary, we focused on the best highlights from the past 10 years of #LCK history.
But what did the current #LCK players pick as their most memorable moment? Watch the top 3 ranking here! pic.twitter.com/U5bM1TvQR8
— LCK (@LCK) December 11, 2022
In 2019, Riot Games took over broadcasting of the league which was then followed by its franchising in 2021. Now, the LCK are in their 10th year and have seen yet another Korean team, who was the region’s last seed last year, win the World Championship. In doing so, they have proven their status as a powerhouse yet again and will continue to create championship-level teams for the next decade.
In the 2023 season, long-time followers of the LCK will finally have their wishes of having a more competitive tournament format fulfilled. While the Group Stage will remain unchanged with a Double Round Robin format, the playoffs will, at last, see a shift towards double elimination. This change allows for redemption storylines with a losers’ bracket now in place.
The #LCK has some big changes – double elimination playoffs, integrated rosters and format changes for #LCKCL – coming up in 2023! pic.twitter.com/0ygfRCpQFV — LCK (@LCK) November 18, 2022
The #LCK has some big changes – double elimination playoffs, integrated rosters and format changes for #LCKCL – coming up in 2023! pic.twitter.com/0ygfRCpQFV
— LCK (@LCK) November 18, 2022
The LCK is grouped into two stages: the Group Stage and the Playoffs. For the regular season, the 10 franchised teams will be competing in a double, round-robin group stage played out in best-of-threes. Then, at the end of the season, the top six teams will proceed to the playoffs with the top two teams receiving a bye to the second round. There, the teams will now go head-to-head in a double-elimination bracket of best-of-five matches until a champion is crowned.
The LCK 2023 season will finally be underway with the Spring season starting on January 18 and will end on April 9. The regular season will start and finish with the same format as last year. However, the all-new double-elimination playoffs format will finally be making its debut on March 22. Here’s the complete schedule for the LCK 2023 Spring split this season:
Meanwhile, the past summer season started June 15 with the Round Robin regular split ending on August 14. The summer playoffs then took place in the following weeks from August 17 to 28. 2022.
Winning the LCK is an impressive feat that evaded talented players like Chovy and Ruler for years on end. This is because the LCK is a highly competitive league that sends around three to four teams to Worlds every year. Of course, the league’s champion gets to represent Korea in the top international tournaments such as the Mid-Season Invitational in Spring and Worlds later along the year. But otherwise, teams will have to qualify through direct qualification or the Regional Finals by earning enough championship points by placing highly in the playoffs.
Aside from all the prestige, the champions receive a good chunk of the ₩375,000,000 (around €270,000) prize pool. The rest will then be evenly spread among the runners-up in the following order:
When the league entered franchising in 2021, Riot accepted only the best teams to enter into partnerships with considering their history in the league and the organisation’s record. Since then, the teams of the league have stayed more or less the same. The only exceptions are team names that were changed for sponsorship reasons, such as Damwon Gaming’s partnership with KIA and the Kwangdong Freecs.
At the time of writing, here are the following LCK teams in 2023:
LCK betting is extensive as there can be more than 40+ markets to bet on per match in Spring and Summer. From moneylines to props, you can easily find these markets at the bookmakers we recommended above.
As its name suggests, the outright winner is a market where you bet on the team you think will win the tournament. Since you can only place this bet before a tournament starts, you should have the foresight to predict how teams will perform after everything’s considered. This is because as the season plays out, the LCK odds can drastically change based on which teams have the highest chance of winning.
Moneyline bets are the simplest bets you can make when you bet on the LCK. While outright winner bets on a tournament’s overall winner, in moneylines, you simply pick the team you think will win in a particular match. Here, you can either bet on a single game inside a best-of-series or the outcome of the series itself.
You can place moneyline bets before a match or even bet on the games live if you want to. But regardless, predicting an upset will give you a higher return. So, do your research on up-and-coming teams and increase your chances of winning!
Speaking of upsets, a handicap bet is when a team is given an advantage or disadvantage to even out the odds between teams with mismatched skill levels. This is accomplished by assigning a “handicap” to one of the teams, which can be in the form of maps or kills added or deducted to the match result. With the handicap considered, this then decides the bet’s outcome. Handicap bets make the betting market more balanced by allowing bettors to place bets on the underdogs.
A team that is less likely to win usually has an edge of +1.5 or more, depending on the skill difference of the teams playing. In practice, this means that you win your bet if your team wins at least one game in three maps. Conversely, a -1.5 bet means the favorite has to win 2-0 for you to win your bet.
For kill handicaps, a -6.5 handicap means that the team you bet on has to end the game at least seven kills ahead of the enemy team. Meanwhile, a +6.5 handicap allows your team to have a maximum of six kills less than the opponent’s number of kills.
In traditional sports, you can compare total betting to under/over betting, where you predict if a certain stat will go over or under a predetermined number set by the bookmaker. In esports, particularly LCK betting, this can refer to total maps, kills, dragons, barons, towers, or even game time.
Here, you choose whether a team (or in some cases, both teams) will go over or under the total number of the chosen metric. One example would be a total bet where you choose if a best-of-three series will go over or under 2.5 games. Or perhaps you can bet on whether both teams combined will take down 2 Baron Nashors.
Lastly, we have proposition or ‘prop' betting, which bets on the occurrence or non-occurrence of specific outcomes inside a game. These are often related to a team or player’s performance on the Rift such as the team to destroy first tower, take the first baron, or secure first blood.
Prop betting can be a fun way to bet on LCK matches as they go beyond the simple win-loss bets. If you’re familiar with League of Legends, the markets are self-explanatory and are easy to bet on if you know the teams you are betting on.
For example, when betting on the team to destroy the first turrets in the game, you have to consider which team is a stronger in the early game. This is because getting first tower does not necessarily mean that a team will win the game.
As we approach the coming season, it's clear that competition in the LCK is going to be fierce with all the roster changes in the off-season. With former teammates reuniting and promising rookies being recruited, it's going to be anyone's guess as to who comes out on top at the end of the year.
Odds for the outright winner of the LCK Spring 2023 taken from GG.BET, January 11, 22:00 CET:
Odds for Week 1 of the LCK Spring 2023 taken from 1xBet, January 11, 22:00 CET:
When all is said and done, there are still going to be teams who stand out from the rest. To give you a better idea of the teams you will be betting on, we will be introducing each of the competing teams ranked based on how we think they will perform in the LCK Spring 2023 season.
2023 DWG KIA ROSTER UPDATE.#DKWIN #JustFighting pic.twitter.com/TWklnNN9UV — DWG KIA (@DWGKIA) November 23, 2022
2023 DWG KIA ROSTER UPDATE.#DKWIN #JustFighting pic.twitter.com/TWklnNN9UV
— DWG KIA (@DWGKIA) November 23, 2022
Every season since their last championship run, Dplus KIA have always been a step short of returning to their glory days. In the past Worlds, the team has caught themselves even slipping further, losing in the quarterfinals despite the players’ valiant efforts. So, in 2023, the organization has decided to make big changes once again with the addition of former T1’s former star rookie Canna and the veteran bot laner and now-champion Deft.
Even in their loss to Gen.G in the Worlds 2022 quarter-finals, Canyon and Showmaker have shown that they still have what it takes to be at the top, with impressive performances by the mid-jungle duo. And with the talents of an upcoming top laner and the experience that Deft can bring to the bottom lane, Dplus KIA are looking like one of the teams to beat in the LCK 2023 season.
그동안 열과 성을 다해 응원해 주신 팬 여러분께 진심으로 감사드립니다. 우리는 반드시 다시 돌아옵니다! There are no words to express our gratitude for everything that you – the fans – have done for us. We will be back!#T1WIN #T1Fighting #Worlds2022 pic.twitter.com/oFLlAP9RoD — T1 LoL (@T1LoL) November 7, 2022
그동안 열과 성을 다해 응원해 주신 팬 여러분께 진심으로 감사드립니다. 우리는 반드시 다시 돌아옵니다!
There are no words to express our gratitude for everything that you – the fans – have done for us. We will be back!#T1WIN #T1Fighting #Worlds2022 pic.twitter.com/oFLlAP9RoD
— T1 LoL (@T1LoL) November 7, 2022
Faker and his band of rookies were the runners-up of the year in the past season with second place finishes in the MSI, Summer playoffs, and Worlds 2022. As heartbreaking their loss was to DRX in the World finals, T1 has decided to stay together for the coming year, the only team to do so in the LCK. Save for Zeus who only joined the main roster last year, this means that this roster of T1 is now on its third, and perhaps final, year.
With their experience together, it’s almost certain that this team has what it takes to perform at the highest level, as they have proven time and again. And if they learn from their shortcomings, maybe 2023 will be the year that T1 gets to raise the Summoner’s Cup once again.
HLE Workshop #Jeju🌴🍊 pic.twitter.com/v852hKoXZD — Hanwha Life Esports (@HLEofficial) December 8, 2022
HLE Workshop #Jeju🌴🍊 pic.twitter.com/v852hKoXZD
— Hanwha Life Esports (@HLEofficial) December 8, 2022
In the past year, Hanwha Life finished dead last in the LCK with an abysmal win-loss record of 3-15 and 2-16. But now, it looks as if organization is getting a new lease on life with one of the LCK’s most hyped rosters in the past years. Viper finally makes his return to the league as a World Champion after his time in the LPL’s EDward Gaming.
Alongside him, Kingen and Zeka from DRX are joining Hanwha Life to create a team that has carry potential from all positions. And with the support of jungle-support duo Clid and Life, who were once good teammates in Gen.G, the organization looks poised to redeem itself as a contender for the LCK or even the Summoner’s Cup.
Gen.G are one of the top-performing teams in the LCK, consistently ranking among the top teams in the league no matter the year. But despite winning the LCK Summer season and reaching the quarterfinals of Worlds last year, Ruler and Lehends have left Gen.G. In the offseason, the team recruited Peyz from their academy team and Delight from Fredit BRION.
These up-and-coming players will have big shoes to fill in the upcoming season as Ruler was a key reason why Gen.G were so dominant in the past year. However, Chovy, Peanut, and Doran also have a chip on their shoulder as they were criticized for underperforming in last year’s World Championship. So, keep an eye on how the team performs with its all-new duo in the bot lane throughout the year.
Back in the day, KT Rolster was one of the top teams in the LCK going toe-to-toe with the likes of SKT, ROX Tigers, and Griffin. But since 2018, they fell off almost always placing in the bottom 4 of the league. But in the upcoming 2023 season, KT Rolster is coming in as one of the LCK’s most formidable challengers.
Just like Hanwha Life, KT rebuilt their roster with talented players who already have experience playing with each other. You have Kiin of the Afreeca Freecs joining the former Longzhu mid-jungle duo Cuzz and Bdd. Kiin has always been lauded as one of the region’s top talents to never win a trophy. Then, joining them is Lehends who just came from his last championship win in 2022 Summer with Gen.G. Altogether, KT is a team that cannot be overlooked in the LCK 2023.
ONE & ONLY DRX ⭐ ️#GoDRX #DRXWIN #Worlds2022 #Champions pic.twitter.com/vRzIKHXoX0 — Worlds 2022 Champions DRX (@DRXGlobal) November 6, 2022
ONE & ONLY DRX ⭐ ️#GoDRX #DRXWIN #Worlds2022 #Champions pic.twitter.com/vRzIKHXoX0
— Worlds 2022 Champions DRX (@DRXGlobal) November 6, 2022
Last year, DRX overcame all odds fighting tooth-and-nail all the way from second place in the Regional Finals to Play-Ins, Groups, until their win against T1 in the World Finals. With their win in Worlds 2022, DRX have proven themselves beyond all doubt as a team that can compete and win against the best of the best. But in the coming season, DRX are restructuring around their all-star support and gacha gamer Beryl.
While it may seem like the team is filled with second-rate players that were ‘weak links’ in their previous squads, never count out Beryl and his ability to lead a team to victory. After all, Beryl has qualified for every Worlds final since 2020 for a reason and DRX are right for placing their hopes and dreams on the madman.
[#𝐋𝐒𝐁 𝐁𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝟐. 𝐋𝐂𝐊 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫] 정상을 향한 선택, 우리만의 방식으로. 리브 샌드박스의 2023 LCK 로스터를 소개합니다. 🔸TOP : Burdol 🔸JUG : Willer 🔸MID : Clozer 🔸BOT : Envyy 🔸SUP : Kael 🔸Head Coach : Ryu 🔸Assistant Coach : Lyn pic.twitter.com/kX37yaMltQ — Liiv SANDBOX (@LiivSANDBOX) December 6, 2022
[#𝐋𝐒𝐁 𝐁𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝟐. 𝐋𝐂𝐊 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫]
정상을 향한 선택, 우리만의 방식으로. 리브 샌드박스의 2023 LCK 로스터를 소개합니다.
🔸TOP : Burdol 🔸JUG : Willer 🔸MID : Clozer 🔸BOT : Envyy 🔸SUP : Kael
🔸Head Coach : Ryu 🔸Assistant Coach : Lyn pic.twitter.com/kX37yaMltQ
— Liiv SANDBOX (@LiivSANDBOX) December 6, 2022
Somehow, Liiv SANDBOX managed to pull a bronze medal finish in the last summer despite finishing 9th in Spring. But, sadly for the team, they managed to achieve those feats with the help of standout carry Prince, who has now moved across the globe to FlyQuest. Now, LSB are left with rookie bot laner Envyy who is a downgrade from the level of play that Prince brought to the table.
However, they did get Burdol and Willer as their top-jungle duo, both of which have previous experience in top teams like DK, Gen.G, and Hanwha Life. With the mechanically gifted Clozer in the mid lane, it would not be a surprise to see LSB be the gatekeeper between playoffs teams and the bottom four in the next season.
Since coming into the LCK, Fredit BRION has consistently finished in the bottom of the barrel. In the seasons past, they ended their seasons ninth or ten place with barely a few wins off their backs. The team’s highest placement has been a 6th finish in the 2022 spring playoffs. For 2023, their roster still seems to be lacking the firepower needed to compete with teams like T1 and Hanwha Life in the LCK.
Although they did end up recruiting former T1 support Effort, they have players like Karis who still have a long way to go before the team can be highly competitive. Even with Morgan, a Worlds quarterfinalist, in their line-up, Raptor and Hena have to go beyond expectations to make a deeper run into the LCK.
Afreeca Freecs or the Kwangdong Freeccs had a run-of-the-mill roster last year with talented yet underachieving pros like Kiin, Ellim, and Teddy. But somehow, the team managed to reach Top 4 in Spring 2022. In this year, the organisation decided to completely rehaul their roster with up-and-coming players who have potential despite past results. YoungJae and Taeyoon have had time honing their play with their past teammates in Gen.G and DRX, respectively.
Meanwhile, Jun and DuDu are coming off from the Challengers League with unexceptional results. But perhaps there is a silver lining to all this as the team is headed by coach cvMax, who led Griffin in 2019 and DRX in 2020. If cvMax can nurture these talents like he previously has, there is a chance that the Freecs at least don’t end up at the bottom.
𝑫𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆. 𝑨 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑵𝑺 𝑹𝒆𝒅𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝑪𝑲 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆. 📺NS RedForce Youtube https://t.co/jMcd3orTEq pic.twitter.com/ryJbyuhcV5 — NS RedForce Global (@NS_RedForce) November 22, 2022
𝑫𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆. 𝑨 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑵𝑺 𝑹𝒆𝒅𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝑪𝑲 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆.
📺NS RedForce Youtube https://t.co/jMcd3orTEq pic.twitter.com/ryJbyuhcV5
— NS RedForce Global (@NS_RedForce) November 22, 2022
After failing to meet their expectations last year, Nongshim RedForce are making a bold move in the 2023 season by fully promoting their Challengers squad to the main team. DnDn, Sylvie, FIESTA, and Peter have been tearing it up in the Challengers league, winning the last summer playoffs in 2022.
Even vital, who was once a part of the NS Challengers in Spring, somehow dominated the LJL with a 19-2 record in the regular season. Performing in the LCK Challengers league is a commendable feat and is no slouch, but the LCK is another beast itself. So as they are right now, these rookies still need time to grow before they can compete at the highest level.
Regardless of your experience, whether you're a seasoned or a novice punter on LCK betting, it is always useful to know more and have a constant thirst to improve your betting skills. So, before you even think about placing a single bet, make sure to study all the competing teams by looking into their rosters, playstyles, and form heading into the LCK 2023 season.
At the start of the year, you can look at players’ past performances and team synergy to get an idea of how they might perform for the rest of the season. Base your bets on factual analysis and always be updated on the latest developments to the league.
Then, once you have a firm understanding of the teams and players in the LCK, you should analyse the odds made available by our recommended bookmakers. While the margins between bookies might not look significant, it adds up over time. This contributes to your ability to make value bets and consequently, make money while betting on the LCK.
Lastly, always have a strategy when placing your bets. Manage your bankroll by setting limits for how much you are willing to bet. Do not chase losses and do not let emotions dictate your decision-making. For instance, if your budget is €50 for a session, once you have wagered the full amount and lost, you should stop. Understand that losing is part of the experience, and with time, you will only get better at making your esports predictions.
Locals can always catch the games of the LCK live in the arena of the LoL Park in Seoul, South Korea. But if you want to stream the matches from the comfort of your own home, you can easily do so from the official Twitch and YouTube channels. You can also follow the LCK on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on their official website for all the latest news and announcements surrounding the league.
Due to the high level of play, countries from all across the world watch the LCK. Refer to the streams below should you want to watch the league in your chosen language:
The LCK is the number one LoL Esports tournament in Korea, and, arguably, the strongest regional league in the entire world. With ten of the best teams competing at the LoL World Championship, it’s a golden opportunity for punters looking into LCK betting.
In 2023, teams like Dplus KIA, T1, and Hanwha Life Esports are going all out with stacked rosters, putting all on the line for the coming season. Coming behind them, Gen.G, KT Rolster, and DRX also have potential to be Championship-level teams if all their pieces fall into place. It’s do or die against the world’s greatest teams.
Anything can happen in the LCK. To make the most of it, So, to better the odds of winning your bets, you can take advantage of our predictions, strategies, and advice on how to bet on the LCK. Get started today on any of our partnered bookies for the best LCK odds.
The League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) is South Korea’s premier League of Legends tournament. The league has ten competing teams and is currently the best region in LoL esports.
The first game of the LCK 2023 Spring split between DRX and Dplus KIA will take place on January 18, 2023. The split will then end in April 9 just before MSI begins.
The best betting sites for the LCK 2023 season include 1xBet, bet365, and Pinnacle. These bookmakers offer the best odds and esports bonuses for League of Legends.
Right now, the best team in the LCK is a toss-up between Dplus KIA, T1, and Hanwha Life Esports. These three teams all have the potential to be the number one team in the LCK Spring season.
LCK can be streamed live from Riot’s official channels on Twitch, YouTube, and AfreecaTV. You can also bet on and watch the tournament live on our recommended bookies like GG.BET.
Through our in-depth guides and reviews, we are focused on providing the best insights into esports betting.