The Global Starcraft II League, or GSL for short, is one of the largest of its kind, being run by Blizzard Entertainment themselves, and hosted on AfreecaTV all across South Korea. What does this mean for you though when it comes to betting, and how can you bet more profitably in their annual ‘GSL vs The World’ event?
Bringing together the top players and performers from Korea’s Global Starcraft II League and the WCS Circuit, this event features a large 16 player tournament, along with a team-based competition. Broadcast live on the AfreecaTV platform, fans from all around the world can tune in to see the stars battle it out in one of the fiercest tournaments to date. As the second WCS Global event of the year, it manages to incorporate international names in to its roster as well. This leads to the event having a feeling of spectacle, as everyone comes together to enjoy the eSport of Starcraft 2.
How can you place a more productive wager here though, and what does it have to offer you? Let’s look at this now in greater detail.
Where To Bet SCII – GSL vs The World:
America: Using Bovada you can get everything you need in regards to the GSL vs The World event. Covering most Starcraft 2 and eSports games, it’s definitely the best choice for those in North America. Straightforward, their layout is intuitive and easy to manage.
Everywhere Else: Anybody outside of the United States will want to head over to Bet365 Sportsbook. Giving you a wide array of eSports events, it’s easily the most comprehensive selection when it comes to Starcraft 2. Providing many of the GSL games, you can find and tailor the bets you’re looking to make.
What is SCII – GSL vs The World Betting?
As a showcase of all the best talent that Starcraft II has to provide as one of the biggest eSports around, this event really does deliver. The tournament itself typically takes place in South Korea, with previous competitions being hosted in Seoul, as they’re then broadcast live to the world. This, in part, is where the event gets its name from, as it’s not just performers who’ve previously won, but also players that have been voted in by the fans themselves. What ensues is an event with a large amount of variety, that is not just entertaining to participate in, but also for the spectators too.
Previously with a prize pool standing at $94,151, it’s a competition with extremely high stakes. This is what the tournament itself currently looks like:
- Single elimination bracket: the tournament itself uses a knockout based format.
- All of the main matches use a best-of-five style approach.
- The finals use best-of-seven to decide upon the overall winner.
There’s also a team portion to the event too, with the prize pool there standing in at $13,365, using a counter pick best-of-nine format for its proceedings. How can you make your money count here though, and what’s the best method for placing a wager?
Common SCII – GSL vs The World Questions:
Where can I best view SCII – GSL vs The World?
As with most eSports, watching internationally is best done through the Twitch streaming platform, with its up-to-date coverage. Whilst AfreecaTV provides coverage across South Korea, English live-streaming of the games is available through Twitch, along with replays on YouTube. It’s also broadcast live through a variety of regional eSports streaming platforms too, with it being the largest event of its kind, including Russia, France and Spain. You can also find individual streams of the players, giving you a good insight into their different playing styles. For a fully comprehensive list that’s continually updated, head on over to the official Blizzard site, as you can view many of the games through there too.
What sort of bets does SCII – GSL vs The World provide?
You should be able to find all the main bets, such as overall winners, along with some of the smaller bets too. These will typically involve being able to bet on match lines, putting down handicaps, and what maps will be won, along with individual games as well. This will all depend on when you login though, and what sportsbook you choose, as it’s all down to timing and availability on the day. With the given options though, you should be able to tailor your bets accordingly. You can also spread your bets out across lines, which is always good when looking to increase your potential of reaping a profit.
How to Bet on the SCII – GSL vs The World:
Bovada: after selecting ‘Sports’ from the first page, and then ‘All Sports’ from the drop down, you can then go on and use the roll-down menu choosing ‘eSports’. From here pick ‘All eSports’ and then ‘Starcraft 2’, bringing the events rolling down the middle of the page. You should then be able to find ‘GSL vs The World’, if available at that time, amongst them, along with all the relevant bets.
Bet365 Sportsbook: choosing ‘English’ on the main page, go on and select ‘Esports’ down the side on the left of the page. This will give you all the eSports themselves down the middle of the screen. In amongst them will be Starcraft 2, along with the ‘GSL vs The World’ event if available, and the open bets underneath.
SCII – GSL vs The World Betting Strategy:
Keep an eye on all of the players and make sure to watch for any patterns in playing style that might be forming. Tactics can clash when certain players come head-to-head with one another at an event and in the game. For example, the way in which one player handles their forces on confined terrains might pose an issue for armies that tend to swarm the opponent. Watch all the games beforehand, and experiment with spreading your bets out across the games overall more.
With Starcraft 2 being such a rich and varied game, there’s plenty of different options available when it comes to placing any kind of bet. Just be sure to weigh all your choices first, and you should be able to make a more conscious and informed decision when betting.