You may think of sports as something that you need qualities like physical strength and habits like regular physical activity to succeed at. Enter eSports, the world of competitive gaming. Don’t be fooled into thinking the top players are just slouching in front of their computers though. Superstars in the world of eSports put every bit as much discipline and training into what they do as top athletes in any other endeavor. Just like football, basketball, tennis, running and any other competitive physical activity, there are thousands of people who compete at video games for fun and for a moderate challenge. However, for top players, eSports is serious business.
Not Just a Boys’ Club
If you think the world of video gaming and eSports is all men, think again. Unfortunately, women don’t make as much money in this field as men do, but they are serious competitors all the same. For example, Katherine Gunn, who also goes by her user name of “Mystik,” is one of the highest-paid women in the field and has earned more than $160,000. Gunn’s family owned a comic book store and gamed together as a family when she was growing up. Most professional gamers specialize in one or just a few games, and Gunn’s include “Halo” and “Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft.” In addition to video gaming, Gunn is also well-known as a cosplayer, which is someone who dresses up in costumes as characters from video games, comics, movies, film and more. For male players, the earnings are much higher, and the top male players in eSports have made upwards of $3 million. Players earn by competing in tournaments as well as making public appearances, including on TV shows.
eSports and Betting
Most professional video gamers play as part of teams. For example, two of the top teams are Evil Geniuses and Cloud9. Just like other sports, it’s possible to bet on professional video games. In fact, it’s easy how you can bet on eSports. It helps if you’re already a gamer. If you have a favorite game, that’s probably the best place to start with your betting. You can watch eSports online to get a feel for how the tournaments unfold.
There are a few different ways to bet. Moneyline is the simplest and just involves choosing who you think will win. Handicap betting is more like traditional sports betting and involves looking at odds. You can also bet on various totals throughout the game such as the number of kills or points. There is one type of bet that can be a lot of fun for new or casual betters, and that is known as a proposition bet. You can bet on all kinds of silly things with this kind of bet such as how long the match will last, which team will kill someone first or even how long a pause will be. Most sites for eSports betting recognize that a lot of beginners are checking out this area of gambling every day, and they include clear and comprehensive instructions for placing a bet at their site.
Not all athletes are out there in the gym sweating at dawn every day, but the money you can make from eSports betting is just as satisfying as what you can take home from traditional sports betting.
