DOTA 2 Explained for Beginners

DOTA 2 (often stylized as DotA2) is the sequel to Defense of the Ancients and is a massive multiplayer online battle arena or MOBA game developed and published by Valve. Aside from being a fantasy-themed battle royale game, DOTA 2 is also a reliable option to bet on. An indirect gambling game, you make good money wagering on DOTA 2 if you know what you’re doing.

While playing DOTA 2 yourself is a great way to familiarise yourself with how the game works, thus allowing you to bet on it, there are other options. For instance, our guide to DOTA will readily have you up to speed in no time at all. Join us as we explain how DOTA 2 betting works right here.

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What Is DOTA 2?

DOTA 2 is the second Defense of the Ancients game released by Valve. Launched in 2013, the game is free to play and does not require a subscription or software. The game is maintained by Valve, which sells loot boxes and virtual goods such as hero cosmetics and audio options. Let’s look more closely at how the game works below.

A Steep Learning Curve

Unlike some simpler battle royale games, DOTA 2 has something of a steep learning curve. It is not as easy to get to grips with. The best option for players eager to learn how to play the game is to practice. Fortunately, there are always members online eager to join a team.

Radiant and Dire

A typical DOTA 2 map will be divided into Radiant and Dire, or left and right. You’ll typically find a river separating the Radiant (paradise) and Dire (inhospitable) parts of the map. There are towers, fountains (to heal yourself), base shops (where you can purchase items), outposts, and more. Teleportation and moving across a map are possible. It is possible to respawn when dying in some games.

Gameplay

Two teams of five players begin a match. They must destroy the enemy’s base, known as the Ancient, and defend their own. Non-playable NPCs called creeps can cause trouble. Gameplay involves all manner of terms, such as Wards, Ganking, Denying, Farming, Last Hitting, TP, Talents, and more. It is the surplus of options open to players that make DOTA 2 quite complex to learn as a beginner. It is a game that is best understood by playing it.

How to bet on DOTA 2 Online

DOTA 2 is one of several battle arena-style games that has become hugely popular as an e-sport. Because of this, there are all kinds of leagues and tournaments, ranging from amateur to professional competitions across the world to get involved in. There are several types of bets that you might make at betting sites that support DOTA 2 wagers, and they may be displayed in American or decimal odds. We’ve covered the most popular ones for you below. They include:

Money Line

The money line is the simplest bet in DOTA. With this wager, you are practically betting on an outright winner of a match. You could also bet on individual games in a best-of-three event or any other kind of match. Ultimately, though, this is a bet on there being a clear-cut winner.

Totals

A typical DOTA 2 totals bet could be the number of games won in a best-of-three match. You’re looking at Over and Under bets here. For instance, you’d win an Over 2.5 bet if your team wins all three matches. You’d win an Under 2.5 bet if your team wins 2-1.

Spread Betting

Spread betting in DOTA 2 works the same way that it does in US sports betting. You’re not just wagering on the winner. You are wagering that the final score in a match will be in favor of the underdog or the favorite by a specific number of points (the spread). For instance, if you bet on a favorite to win at -1.5, they must win by two matches or more. Betting on the underdog to win at +2.5 means that they must not lose by less than three matches.

Props

Prop bets are wagers that “something will happen” in DOTA2. Examples of DOTA 2 proposition bets can include naming the first team to land ten kills, the first DOTA team to draw blood, or the team that will destroy the most towers. Betting on a team to be the first to destroy their opponent’s barracks is another popular option.

Futures

Futures are bets that someone will win. For instance, DOTA 2 futures may include a bet on who will win The International tournament or who will win another tournament.

Map Betting

Map betting is unique to battle royale games and e-sports. Here, you are wagering that Team A or Team B will be triumphant on Map 1, Map 2, or Map 3. You can combine bets into accumulators or wager single bets on a one-map game here.

What Major DOTA 2 Events Can I Bet On?

DOTA 2 is one of the most popular e-sports around, so you won’t be surprised to learn that there are many events you can have a crack at. Some are reserved for the world’s professional e-sports teams, and others are open to amateurs. Here are three of the biggest DOTA 2 events you may wish to keep an eye out for. They include:

The Invitational

This is DOTA 2’s premier competition, and it is held each year. The crowdfunded prize pot can be worth up to $40 million, and the tournament is heavily covered on social media, including YouTube and Twitch.

Major Championships

The DOTA 2 Major Championships is a series of four annual competitions, one per season, where the best DOTA 2 players and teams get together to compete in Valve’s own tournament. A multi-million-dollar prize pool is not uncommon.

Regional Tournaments

DOTA 2 can also be played in regional tournaments. For instance, most countries where e-sports are legal have their own national tournaments, leagues, and competitions. Many of these tend to act as qualifiers for worldwide competitions. Betting on regional competitions is ideal if you know your onions. If you don’t, we recommend sticking to major, worldwide tournaments as they feature more renowned teams.

Top Tips for DOTA 2 Betting Online

We’ve bet on DOTA 2 for a few years now and have accumulated lots of top tips along the way. Before you decide to begin your DOTA 2 gambling adventure, allow us to share a few of these top DOTA 2 betting tips with you. They include:

Know Your Teams

Don’t bet blindly on DOTA based on the bookmaker’s odds. You should always learn a bit about the game and how it works. For instance, which teams have the best record, is there a skilled player in Team A but not Team B, and what kind of form are teams on? These are all things to consider when learning about the major stars of DOTA 2.

Understand the Game

As touched on, DOTA 2 is something of a challenging game. There is often a lot going on, and understanding exactly how the game works is not going to be easy. Be sure to read up on terminology and gameplay, and perhaps even have a crack at the game yourself before betting.

Check for DOTA 2’s Legality

While e-sports are legal in most countries, there are some regions where betting on DOTA 2 most certainly isn’t. In many cases, e-sports betting is heavily regulated, even if skin betting isn’t. Before checking deep markets, live betting, or any other options, ensure that you can legally bet on e-sports. The general rule is this – if sports betting is legal, so is e-sports betting.

Am I Ready to Bet on DOTA 2?

If you think you are ready to stake cash on DOTA 2, then you need to head over to a top site and sign up to start betting. As it happens, we’ve got an ample array of recommendations for you. Don’t hesitate to nip over to our top DOTA 2 betting sites list to find trusted, safe, and secure venues that offer DOTA 2 betting options today.