One of the most anticipated StarCraft 2 tournaments is just around the corner, with the world's best players getting ready to fight for their share of $500,000 in prize money.
A legendary esports event, the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice is a CS:GO tournament held in Poland. In this guide, we'll go over all the participating teams, details about the schedule, as well as everything you need to know about IEM CS:GO betting!
The Dota Pro Circuit is in full flow. The next big tournament in this seasonal circuit is the PGL Arlington Major. Texas is the location, Esports Stadium Arlington is the venue of choice, and seventeen brilliant Dota 2 teams will be eyeing their chances here.
The LEC (League of Legends European Championship) is entering a new decade starting with the inaugural Winter split. From team rosters to an all-new tournament format, the league will be seeing much more competition.
Even with all its baggage, StarCraft 2 is still one of the world’s best real-time strategies (RTS) ever! We’ll dare to say it – it is the best of all competitive RTS games out there! But that might not be such a flattering title considering the competition is pretty much non-existent.
Almost a decade old, StarCraft 2 esports scene is surprisingly healthy, thanks to an active fanbase and successful competitive circuits. StarCraft 2 betting is also quite active, with lots of esports bookmakers featuring a fair quantity of StarCraft 2 betting markets.
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Without going any further down the drain, here’s a short step-by-step guide covering the basics of starting your first-ever StarCraft betting campaign:
As with most performance-based activity, there are a tonne of statistics to measure anything worth knowing. And Esports is no different. Competitive online video gaming is being taken more seriously with each tournament that passes.
Just look at the prize money that is being dished out at StarCraft tournaments. Stat: the longest running StarCraft league in the world, StarCraft 2 Pro League, has awarded $34,445,574.78 over 6062 tournaments since 2010.
But with regards to StarCraft betting, there are a few simple surface stats that can give you a good indication of where to place your StarCraft bet.
SC2 win rates are easy to find and are an accurate indication of how good a place has been. If you break win rates down even further, you can further explore which maps a player is most successful in and even which race matchups he or she favours.
Anything statistic you can get your hands on can only benefit you in SC2 betting. There are many intricacies within the gameplay but just as Esports evolves, player gameplay adapts alongside it.
No SC2 live stream will be the same; otherwise, gameplay would become too predictable. For more stats, Aligulac provides a comprehensive StarCraft 2 overview of statistics and predictions. Aligulac SC2 statistics can be a decisive factor for StarCraft 2 betting lines.
There are a whole host of game-changing stats available on this website. Individual player stats give you a great impression of the performance aspects of a specific player. You can find breakdowns of individual matches, rivalries with another player and even current form analysis against specific races to help you with your SC2 bet.
The Aligulac balance report builds on the analysis of individual race versus race battles. Depending on which races two players have chosen to battle with, you can assess recent performance levels. With these month-by-month win rates, you can start to form a potential outcome of a non-mirror matchup.
And if that wasn’t enough information for you, Aligulac Inference even has a win rate predictor. You can choose your game mode from the different match formats in tournament play before choosing the “Best of” and the players involved. Aligulac has proved very popular with SC2 betting fans around the world and has a large following of fans looking for SC2 betting tips on its Aligulac Twitter page.
As Esports continue to increase in popularity, many leading online bookies are starting to take notice. For UK players, there are plenty of places for you to find StarCraft tournaments with high odds. And given the increasing number of StarCraft betting markets, you’ll have no shortage of bonuses and free bets to enjoy too.
While the Esports industry and StarCraft 2 Esports continue to grow, we can only expect to see an increase in StarCraft betting possibilities. Here are some of our favourite operators with top StarCraft odds.
For a comprehensive Esports betting market, look no further than Betway StarCraft betting. The welcome offer itself is a reason enough to sign up. Get £10 in free bets if you are a new customer. And even if you already have an account, bet £25+ on Esports doubles, trebles or accumulators and get a £10 free bet.
Start StarCraft 2 betting for some intergalactic real time strategy fun. You can also bet on League of Legends and try Dota 2 betting on Betway site along with other esports games. This bookmaker is up there amongst the best providers for Esports betting action in the UK. You can read more about esports betting in the UK here.
Up to £100 in bet credits, yes please! You can pick up this incredible offer at bet365 StarCraft betting and get involved in a plethora of Esports markets. The website is extremely user-friendly, with all your option tabs laid out clearly.
You can switch from the Coupons selections, which has a list of the different games and markets, to Outright or Competition bets, where you’ll find a list of upcoming tournaments and their respective markets.
StarCraft betting features prominently with this operator and you can be sure to find the major esports tournaments from the StarCraft 2 Pro League. StarCraft betting markets include: To Win Outright, To Reach The Final, Region of Winner and Specials. So, line up your different StarCraft betting tips and follow the action with these markets.
Another major player in the online betting scene, William Hill StarCraft betting has all bases covered. The long list of sports has been added to with Esports and the growth within this category is astonishing.
With a full UK license and some of the best odds guaranteed, those old and new to the Esports world will be impressed with the range of markets on offer.
William Hill features numerous StarCraft tournaments with various betting markets. If you are tuned into the action, click onto the live betting option and add another layer of excitement to the battle for the galaxy.
You can find your favourite markets at Sportsbetting.ag StarCraft betting. There are also other popular titles like League of Legends, Dota 2 and FIFA. With Esports events all year round, you are spoiled for choice with all the different markets on offer. StarCraft betting is no exception to this rule. You can follow the Road to Katowice along with other StarCraft tournaments.
And when in amongst the live action, you have the chance to cash out your bet at any time before the end of the event. If your bet pick is doing well, the chances of a profit with the cash out function are good.
You can claim up to an extra 50% of free plays with the new customer bonus. And should you bring your mates along, Sportsbetting.ag will reward you with 200% up to $200 on their first deposit. So, keep an eye out for SC2 matches and make your picks from the top SC2 players.
Let’s not forget about Arcanebet! Even though it’s not the most popular online bookmaker out there, Arcanebet’s esports coverage is top of the line! Nowadays, Arcanebet offers a brilliant esports hub in which you can easily find all types of esports matches.
StarCraft 2 betting markets are present as well. We’re not just talking about match-winners but outrights for bigger tournaments too. Specials are rare, but they do exist during bigger tournaments. It’s not a Arcanebet thing, it’s just how things roll in the StarCraft 2 betting sphere these days.
In this section, we have summarised the main SC2 betting markets available to you. These markets allow you to place StarCraft bets on many different aspects of the gameplay.
Who will rule the galaxy? With match winner bets, also known as outright, straight or money line bets on some online bookies, you are looking to pick the overall winner of the war.
The objective is to destroy the opposition base. For Terrans, this is called the Command Center. For the Protoss race, the Nexus and Hatchery for the Zergs.
The odds offered with StarCraft 2 betting reflect a variety of factors. These include the current form each team is in, or even how individual players have been playing. Replacement players, injuries and illness are also factors to be considered when placing a bet on StarCraft2.
Depending on the tournament format, there might be matches that are best of three maps, or even just a one map duel. With most StarCraft2 betting lines, online bookies give you the chance to bet on individual maps and who will be victorious in it.
Depending on how matches play out, one team could be chasing that all-important second map to level the series. Or will the victor from the first map push to close out the series? StarCraft2 betting tips can give you some guidance, but like with all sports, anything can happen and that’s part of the thrill.
Do you enjoy StarCraft 2 bets with high risk and high reward? With negative handicaps, you are betting on one team winning the majority, if not all the maps. For example, if you bet on Team A with a -2 handicap in a three-map series, you are hoping Team A wins the series 3-0. How is this calculated?
Quite simply, you subtract the -2 handicap from your team’s overall total, and if your team or player is still up, then you are up too. In the case of this example, your StarCraft 2 bet score line at the end of the three-map series would read 1-0. Win!
Conversely, if you had a +2 handicap bet on Team A in a three-map series, your team would only need to win one map. In this scenario, the final score would be a 1-2 loss for your team. But wait! When you add the +2 handicap onto that score line, you are actually the 3-2 winner.
With handicap betting on StarCraft betting sites, the odds are longer because you are betting on near-exact scenarios happening, but the reward is therefore higher.
This is one of the safer markets to look at with StarCraft gambling, especially in longer series. With this StarCraft betting line, you are backing a team to claim one of the maps in the series. It doesn’t matter if they lose the other two, or four, you need just one. This StarCraft bet suits the tighter matchups, where it is difficult to pick a match winner.
This is the opposite to our previous market. If you think one team will completely dominate the other, then you can bet on the unfortunate team not winning any of the maps. Their misery will be your gain.
So far, you might have won a SC2 bet with your team picking up a consolation map. Or your team might have been absolutely destroyed without registering a map win. StarCraft 2 betting tips can only give you so much guidance.
But if you’ve gazed into your StarCraft crystal ball, why not try and predict the exact final result. You might want to consider SC2 win rates, along with how the top SC2 players are playing, when forming your scoreline prediction.
By now, you’ve probably noticed a map theme developing in these StarCraft betting markets. With map-based markets, you work out how many maps will be played before the series is out. For example, if you’re going with over 4.5 maps, you are hoping for a keenly contested 2-2 score line, leading to a decider.
If you have gone for under 4.5 however, you are hoping for a scenario much like the “not to win any map” bet. A nice 3-0 scoreline would ensure you win this particular StarCraft bet.
Now we enter the tournament play market. Tournaments like the StarCraft 2 Pro League will feature a series of round robin mini tournaments. These establish the overall ranking before the main event determines the winner though a series of knockout rounds.
However, in larger tournaments, this market will be larger as there are more qualification stages leading up to the main event. But the premise remains the same; bet on who will emerge victorious.
Who is the form team going into the annual Katowice bonanza? Will Serral or Dark flex their muscles at the StarCraft 2 ESL Pro Tour? Or will an outsider like INnoVation or Zest turn up and cause a surprise? Tournament play can throw up many surprises, but your job here is to pick the outright winner at these StarCraft 2 tournaments.
Some online bookies will offer you a Cash Out option. This lets you cash out your wager at any stage before the end of an event. Depending on how well your bet is doing, the Cash Out value will increase if your pick progresses through the tournament. If they are eliminated, your bet is lost.
This StarCraft 2 betting option is a nice way to pocket some profit while you are ahead. Alternatively, you can go for the grand prize pot and back your StarCraft 2 tournament pick to the bitter end.
But the cash out isn’t only there to bring you profit. The cash out function also allows you to recoup your wager if your bet doesn’t perform as well as expected. This option, for gain or recovery, has proven very popular with SC2 betting.
Betting on StarCraft requires you to follow qualification rounds all the way from the beginning. This gives you an opportunity to see which teams are playing themselves into form. This also gives you a better indication as to where to place your StarCraft bet.
To get a nice spread of competitors from around the world, the qualifiers are often divided by region, or continent. It is common to find qualifiers for the European server, American server and in some cases, one just for Korean players. From these qualification tournaments, find who will be the top seed for their region.
StarCraft betting lines are a way of balancing up a contest. If an online bookie believes that Team A is two map-wins better than Team B for example, then the odds will start at a two map disadvantage for Team A. This forms the starting point of the bet. Your StarCraft 2 betting options will therefore read: Team A to win by 2 maps or not. This differs slightly from a handicap as you add the handicap onto the final result to form the new handicap scoreline, whereas StarCraft 2 betting lines form the origin of the bet itself.
Since the introduction of live betting, we have witnessed a transformation in the way people follow Esports. Now, with markets constantly running alongside the actual gameplay, SC2 betting has also become more exciting.
Depending on the online bookie, you can follow many of the above-mentioned markets live. This means you are able to observe the gameplay (sometimes on a betting platform via SC2 live streams) and follow your progress, or even place fresh wagers depending on how a match is developing.
We’re almost ready to wrap up our in-depth StarCraft 2 betting guide for 2022. No worries, though, there are still several sections we need to go through, one of which will give you more general tips into what to do and what to avoid when placing StarCraft 2 bets.
Of course, choosing your bets carefully is one of the most vital parts of online esports betting. Luckily, there aren’t that many StarCraft 2 bets to choose from. It’s a double-edged sword, but for what it’s worth – the lack of betting markets and specials typically helps beginners and makes it easier for them to learn the ropes.
When it comes to online betting, nothing is as bad as splurging through your entire betting bankroll in a single night. But, nevertheless, bettors often succumb to the pressure of breaking even and do the worst imaginable thing – chase losses.
We know that saying “don’t do that” won’t get you far. It’s a matter of character, more than anything else. But, here’s a realistic approach to the matter – if you don’t want to get into serious financial trouble that could endanger your family and/or social relationships, don’t chase your losses! If you can’t help it, perhaps it’s better to stop with your online betting activities altogether before you end up developing serious gambling addiction.
This one goes without question – just don’t! If you’ve already made up your mind and you want to pursue StarCraft 2 bets, then you better find yourself a proper bookmaker, preferably one of the platforms listed on top of this page. If you opt for a lousy bookmaker, your online betting experience won’t be satisfactory, that we can tell you right away.
Unfortunately, live StarCraft 2 bets aren’t as widespread as they once were. They’re still available, but only once or twice a year, during the game’s biggest competitions like IEM Katowice or ESL Pro league. They’re only available on a handful of bookmakers too, which is why it’s of utmost importance you opt for a bookie that goes out of its way to cover StarCraft 2 betting markets the way they should be covered.
This real time strategy game pushes you to your strategic limits. The combination of financial and logistical management with battlefield tactics will determine your fate in this war as you try to outmanoeuvre the enemy.
The game is available in multiple different game modes, so there is no lack of variety when it comes to StarCraft gameplay. New players might want to start with the campaign mode to get a feel for the game.
Once you’ve levelled up, you can start to take on other human opponents in Versus mode or test your teamwork ability in Co-Op mode. Furthermore, there are fun custom arcade games at your disposal too. And the best part about all this, it is free to play!
In order to be successful at StarCraft betting, you need to know the ins and outs of this intergalactic battle for supremacy. There are three races fighting over supremacy, Terran, Zerg and Protoss. You then choose who you wish to command in order to destroy the enemy base. Each race has their strengths and shortcomings.
The StarCraft series dates all the way back to 1998 when the original StarCraft game was released. Over the next 24 years, we’ve seen nine new installments in the StarCraft series with the latest one dating back to 2017 (StarCraft: Remastered).
The best thing that could’ve happened to the SC series is esports. We’re not going to sugarcoat it – it’s the truth. Esports is the best thing that could’ve happened to Blizzard’s highly competitive RTS series. In fact, esports is the best thing that happened to the entire RTS genre as it paved the way for subsequent franchises too.
2012 was the year when StarCraft II esports absolutely exploded. That’s the year when Blizzard took the matter into their own hands and organized the first-ever World Championship Series (commonly known as WCS).
It didn’t take too long for online sportsbooks to recognize the game’s popularity and start featuring StarCraft 2 betting lines.
Fast forward to 2022 and, despite the WCS being out of the equation, StarCraft 2 betting still lives strong. The likes of Intel Extreme Masters, ESL Pro Tour, and DreamHack Masters have filled in the void left by the departure of the WCS. Bets are still coming in, which means the scene is still alive and healthy… at least for the time being.
You can see a list of the most popular Starcraft events and tournaments below:
BlizzCon, an annual festival that welcomes player communities from all around the world is an event long associated with StarCraft 2.
The meet was traditionally held in Los Angeles, in the Anaheim Convention Center and would play host to some of the top SC2 players in the world. 2011 proved to be a breakthrough year for the event as BlizzCon hosted the first GSL SC2 Code S final outside of Korea.
However, due to a partnership between ESL, DreamHack and Blizzard Entertainment, the event at BlizzCon was replaced by the mammoth ESL Pro Tour.
This change slightly altered the StarCraft schedule, but it has only made StarCraft betting more prominent. The slogan, “One Tour, One Story” provides a narrative for StarCraft fans to follow, with any player, amateur or professional getting a fair chance to make it to the StarCraft 2 Masters Championships at the end of the season.
As we have already alluded to, the ESL Pro Tour is the title to follow now. SC2 matches have found a unified narrative that gives a fighting chance to anyone who wants to be involved.
This particular StarCraft tournament is split into the EPT Circuit and EPT Korea and the qualification rounds are divided by Korea and the rest of the world. These two circuits will only reunite at grand finals.
With a prize pool of $57,000 and 1370 points awarded to the top SC2 players, betting sites offering StarCraft markets are sure to be inundated with punters looking to place a StarCraft bet.
For those intending to bet on StarCraft2, it is worth noting the format of the tournament as that heavily determines which players will be on which circuit.
Since the introduction of the ESL Pro Tour, StarCraft betting markets have grown in demand. StarCraft betting sites are therefore compiling more and more markets suitable for StarCraft tournament betting along every stage of the ESL Pro Tour. So, watch out for the top SC2 players on each circuit.
As we mentioned earlier, the ESL Pro Tour forms the basis for the Road to Katowice. StarCraft 2 tournaments don’t come bigger than this. The switch from BlizzCon SC2 to Poland is the culmination of a long road of qualifiers involving top SC2 players from all corners of the world.
StarCraft statistics can often go out the window in these big events, giving more chances for those using StarCraft betting sites to snag an outsider.
This StarCraft 2 championship falls at the end of the year following a gruelling qualification schedule divided by world regions. 36 players gather online for this StarCraft 2 Esports finale.
Amongst these top SC2 players, the following are available for StarCraft betting: the winner of IEM Katowice, winners of the three GSL seasons, top players from the EPT circuits and a handful of Play-In qualifiers.
Another StarCraft tournament to fall victim to the switch to the ESL Pro Tour is the StarCraft World Championship. As you probably gathered from the name, this competition involved the top SC2 players from around the world. The grand finals were held in the above mentioned BlizzCon and they would even be SC2 live streams on the Twitch platform.
However, the StarCraft World Championships played its final tournament in 2019 before the switch from BlizzCon to Katowice. The event funded by Blizzard has not changed in format and continues to draw in waves of StarCraft betting.
Known as the longest running StarCraft league in the world, Proleague was discontinued in 2016. Prior to that though, you would have been reaching for your StarCraft: Brood War betting tips since its inaugural event in 2003.
The switch to the StarCraft 2 Proleague was made in 2011 and was even broadcasted by SPOTVGames. Before StarCraft 2 replaced the original StarCraft, top SC2 players would compete in the OnGameNet, MBCGame, United and Hybrid leagues.
The Global StarCraft II League provides additional opportunity for GSL SC2 betting. The tournament-based league, held in Korea, hosts multiple events each year. GSL StarCraft fans can also watch SC2 live streams on multiple days of the week.
SC2 GSL betting fans, take note. There are two different Codes, S and A. Code S is the top tier, in which the best SC2 players compete. Code A is the second tier, with players trying to break into Code S. The league structure is fluid, where 4th-place Code S players drop to Code A.
StarCraft tournaments are typically streamed live, which is a huge boost for StarCraft gambling. You can follow the ever-changing pool of maps on Twitch and AfreecaTV. Over the years, there have been a number of partnerships with the GSL to form different variations of tournaments, like the StarCraft 2 StarLeague, the Blizzard Cup and GSL vs The World.
Serral won the most recent edition of GSL vs The World in 2018 but moving into 2020, other players started to step up. The same protagonists started popping up on the big stage.
Maru, TY, Stats and Dark are certainly the top SC2 players to look out for. Throughout the 2020/21 GSL season, there was a total $576,880 worth in prize money awarded.
It is safe to say that Afreeca events have found a comfortable home on the StarCraft schedule. This StarCraft tournament, dedicated to players in Korea, has featured twice in the GSL calendar, up until 2021, where the tournament will make three appearances. In the 2020 Super Tournament 2 and 2021 Super Tournament 1, the Protoss race dominated. For those looking to bet on the StarCraft 2 2021 editions of this tournament, is that trend set to continue?
Why should you care about the best SC2 players in 2022? Well, the answer is pretty straightforward, really. For starters, if you’re a fan of the game then you probably already know the best of the bunch simply because you care. You’re a fan of the art, and that’s it.
Another reason why you should know the best StarCraft 2 players is because you’re interested in betting on StarCraft 2. Without knowing the best players, their primary faction nor their form and recent results, you won’t be able to make proper bets. In short, your winning consistency can and will suffer!
So, who are the best SC2 players in 2022?
The first two names that come to mind are Rogue and Serral. Two outstanding Zerg players who’ve already won a plethora of top-tier tournaments. Clem and Maru represent the best Terran players while Protos is mainly represented by Creator and Neeb, though their consistency in recent events has left much to be desired.
Long story short, StarCraft 2 is a real-time strategy game that puts a massive emphasis on competitiveness. It’s a worldwide phenomenon, one of the longest standing esports franchises and one that basically helped pave the way for large-scale esports events in the first place.
There aren’t that many StarCraft specials, unfortunately. Most of the time (read on smaller events), you will only see match-winners (AKA moneylines) and outright winner betting lines. During bigger events like IEM Katowice, you’ll see several specials too. The most popular ones are as follows:
Yes, you can still bet on StarCraft in 2022. That means StarCraft 2 betting is almost a decade old hobby! There’s still a fair number of notable events for which online bookmakers offer betting lines. Looking at the grand scheme of things, StarCraft 2 betting is probably going to be alive and kicking for a few more years… but we expect to see StarCraft III come to life sooner rather than later.
It’s not nuclear physics, don’t worry! Even though it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to find proper StarCraft betting sites, the likes of bet365 and Betway are still setting the standards.
Even today, plenty of StarCraft 2 esports events still exist. As mentioned earlier, Intel Extreme Masters Katowice is the bread and butter of the game’s competitive season, bringing forth the most lucrative prize pools and the crème de la crème of professional SCII players.
Other than that, there are also DreamHack Masters Series, As well as the ongoing Global StarCraft League which is the only premium competitive circuit for Blizzard’s RTS franchise.