A Valorant match has five players fighting against five other players. 

Each team has to select five unique characters from a selection of ‘Agents’. Each agent has it’s own unique abilities that can be used tactically—for example, smoke screens, molotov cocktails, healing buffs, to name a few. Selecting effective combo-able agents is key to victory.

Abilities are mostly to complement the weapon system in the game. There is an arsenal of different kinds of weapons for players to choose. Like other FPS games, weapons vary from single-handed Pistols, rapid-fire weapons such as SMGs and Rifles to single-action, long-ranged weapons such as Snipers. 

The game has an economy system. Winning nets you more money while losing will lower the economy. It is essential to manage your economy if you want to fight your opponents on equal ground.

There are two halves to the game where both sides take turns attacking and defending. The attackers need to plant a spike(or bomb) on one of two sites on the map. The defenders need to protect these sites and defuse the spike if planted. 

 The team that wins 13 rounds is the winner of the match.

Game Modes:

Unrated:

Unrated is the unranked version of competitive Valorant matchmaking. In this mode, there will be no penalties on the rating for the losing team. It is the best-of-25 game mode where the first team to 13 round wins, wins the match.

Spike Rush:

The Spike Rush Mode is an 80-second or 100-second round game where each player on the attacking team carries a spike to activate by planting. Players have their ultimates charged, and power-up orbs spawn across the map.

Deathmatch:

The deathmatch mode is a solo mode where ten players play in a free for all match for 6 minutes, where the first player to get to 30 kills wins.

Competitive:

Competitive mode is the ranked version of a standard best of 25 Valorant matchmaking. Players are assigned a rank after playing five competitive matches based on their performance. The highest rank being Radiant. 

Valorant is an incredibly new Esport right now and game in general, only a few months old. Given that the game relatively new and the current COVID-19 situation, there hasn’t been anything significant announced about official Valorant tournaments yet. Most tournaments being organized currently are very small and community-supported with no LAN games. However, several sportsbooks have picked up Valorant and offering wagers for it.

Ways to bet on Valorant gameplay:

Several Esport sportsbooks have started offering Valorant wagers considering the game’s popularity right now, which makes it viable to bet on. Some standard Valorant stakes are:

Round margin: Bet on the round advantage at the end of a match.

Most kills: Bet on the player with most kills by the end.

Match Winner: Bet on the winning team of a match.

Tournament Winner: Place your wager on the team you think will be the tournament winner.

Ways to bet on Valorant gameplay:

Several Esport sportsbooks have started offering Valorant wagers considering the popularity of the game right now which makes it viable to bet on. Some common Valorant wagers are:

MONEYLINE BETS
Moneyline bets are the most common type of betting line that you will find. In this option, you basically bet on the outcome/winner of a match between 2 players or teams. Bookmakers offer odds on both teams that determine the favorite and underdog.

OUTRIGHT BETS
Outright bets are also known as ‘Futures bets’ wherein they focus on the outcome of the whole tournament i.e. which team or player would win a given competition.

SPECIAL BETS
Special bets are bets that are about wagering on certain events occurring during a given match. Some examples of special bets are: Most kills by a player, most headshots, assists, and other quantitative metrics.

ROUND MARGIN
 Bet on the round advantage at the end of a match. A Valorant match requires 13 round wins to win the match. Bettors can bet on the no. of total rounds that they think will be played between both teams. An over/under spread is common for this option.

How do Odds work:

The “Odds” refers to the likelihood or chance of a specific event occurring, e.g. Team X winning over Team B.  Bets placed on the basis of these odds offered by bookmakers. The odds are calculated by different sportsbooks differently. So make sure to pick a decent and reputable sportsbook with fair odds.

Odds are of several distinct types: Decimal, Fractional, American, or Implied Probability. You’ll most often come across Decimal Odds, however.

Decimal Odds

Decimal odds give you the easiest conversion from stake to return.

American Odds

These odds are represented by numbers with a prefix (+) and minus(-) sign. The positive(+) sign is assigned to underdogs’ odds and indicates the amount won for every $100 staked on the bet. Whereas, the negative(-) odds indicate the amount you need to stake to win $100 from the bet.

Fractional Odds
These odds are marked with a fractional number, with the top number dictating how much when you invest the bottom fractional number.

Favorable odds: Odds of 4/1 – Every $1 you bet will give you a payout of $4.

Unfavorable odds: Similarly, Odds of 1/3 – For every $3 you bet, you will receive a payout of $1.

Implied Probability

This is a more readable way to denote odds, however, this can be highly inaccurate and is mostly just used as a reference to calculate risk.

Are you new to betting? Or are you looking for tips on how to improve your betting strategy? In this section, we aim to guide you on how to bet better on Valorant matches and tournaments online.

Tip#1: Set a budget and bet accordingly –  When betting on Valorant, or on any other Esports, always stake out what you can afford to risk. What you are pursuing to start here should not be considered a get-rich-quick scheme. So pace yourself and don’t wager beyond your means. Once you have this step locked in, check out all the tips below for a more detailed approach on how to refine your Valorant betting strategy.

Tip#2: Check all the odds: When you pick Valorant matches you want to wager on, make sure to check the various odds the bookmakers are offering online. Look specifically for the odds that offer the highest return on your match read. Once you develop this essential research skill, you can maintain an edge on the bookmakers and outperform other portfolios.

Tip#3: Learn the game: In order to gain an advantage when betting on Valorant, familiarize yourself with the game mechanics. In order to effectively identify game dynamics that will help you bet greatly, make sure you take note of the elements below:

• Explore the meta:
  With the game being still new, the game goes through a lot of updates and changes to mechanics at frequent intervals. Some agents or guns are nerfed or buffed that can impact the whole game in several ways. This can affect the outcome of matches.
• Look at past match results between the teams
  See if any players or teams had better performances against certain teams that caused them to win. Look out for roster changes which can impact performance and affect historical data-based predictions.
• Check the maps
  In some games like CS:GO, teams will likely play on different maps in different matches. Some teams will have strengths, and weaknesses depending on the map and might affect the outcome. Agents become less or more effective based on the map.
• Event Format
  Depending on the format of the matches, the likelihood of certain outcomes can change. For example, a Best of 1 has higher chances of an upset or unexpected result. A draw is very likely in a Best of 2. A Best of 5 should favor the most consistent team than an unexpected result.
• Player Lineup
  Check whether the teams perform better or worse with certain lineups. A worse player as a stand-in can affect the team’s chances of victory.
• Past match performances
  Obvious one. But very important. Stay up to date with all recent historical statistics about teams and their performances. Some teams are on their peak for several months but then hit a visible decline due to burnout or any other reasons.

Tip#4: Specialise in the bet types you are great at: The final tip to incorporate within your Valorant betting strategy is to focus on specific betting types and verticals. Here are some tips to guide you on this topic:

• Bet selectively, bet objectively
  Never bet recklessly and keep away from betting on matches you haven’t researched properly. Find an initial vertical you can bet well, and stick to it until you master. Incorporate your findings and research methods into your next vertical.
• Observe Community betting
  Look at the most successful bettors and what their opinion is. Talk to veteran betters and others in the betting community. There is always some insight to be had and something to learn
• Don’t believe people’s information blindly and make your own decisions
  Some individuals might just want to throw off others’ predictions by giving out false information, to sway the odds and gain higher profit for themselves. Hence it’s better to not take everything at face value and make your own end decision through research.

Most Esports bookmakers, especially the ones recommended on this guide, accept several payment methods. Deposit and withdrawal methods you can expect include credit cards, direct bank transfers, and PayPal. Other novel payment methods can include eWallets and Cryptocurrencies, available at selective Esports Bookmakers.

Here are more details on the payments you can expect when betting on Valorant:

Credit and Debit cards: remain the most popularly accepted means of payment across bookmaker websites. MasterCard and VISA being the most common.

Web Wallets: These are basically e-Wallets that allow you to transfer funds to a virtual wallet for placing bets instead of linking your credit or debit card directly. This helps you avoid giving any sensitive financial information to the bookmaker. Skrill and Neteller are some of the most widely used e-Wallets.

PayPal: PayPal remains one of the world’s most reliable online payment services. It helps you avoid giving your personal financial information to the bookmaker and provides an extra layer of security in transactions.

CryptoCurrency: Cryptocurrencies can also be used to bet on bookmaker websites. These are usually not available globally due to country-specific crypto laws but are usually used to cater to smaller regions and markets. For example, AstroPay caters to Brazil and the USA. GiroPay caters to Germany and Austria etc.

Direct Bank Transfers: Bookmaking websites commonly allow you to directly transfer the amount from your bank account to theirs. The betting site will provide you with its bank details.

If you need some assistance at any point while betting on Valorant the bookmakers we partnered with have you covered.

Given that most online Esport bookmakers are available around the clock, open every day, there is always some form of customer service options available via email, toll-free telephone number, or an instant chat function.

The customer service teams can assist you with anything from deposit or withdrawal issues to questions about specific Valorant related bets you have placed.

Wondering how the different U.S. States approach Esports Betting? the KGB team has provided in-depth guides on how various State or County laws stack up on casino gambling. Check out the U.S. Guide below, where we’ll investigate each state and help you in your quest to Bet Responsibly, Bet Greatly:

Pick your Esport, learn the dynamics of the match, and tap into the best betting strategies developed over the years. Can you build that elusive hot streak? There’s only one way to find out. Always remember, Bet Responsibly, Bet Greatly: