Hearthstone: Basics and how it works
Hearthstone is an online multiplayer game that falls into the genre of collectible card games (CCG). The game was designed and released by Activision Blizzard, who got their inspiration from one of the most popular CCG games, Magic: The Gathering.
The lore of the game is built around World of Warcraft, as it uses the same characters and similar storylines as Blizzard's prized MMORPG title.
Hearthstone, on the most basic level, is a turn-based card game, where the players use a collection of cards to design a specific deck of 30 cards, which they use to battle your opponents. Each player also gets to choose to play as one of 10 playable classes (heroes), each with its own set of unique cards and abilities.
Hearthstone matches begin with each player drawing four cards out of their constructed deck, drawing one additional card each round. The goal of the game is to burn down the opposing player's 30 health points with the help of your cards and abilities.
Hearthstone matches are most frequently played 1v1, while there are also tournaments, where a 3v3 format is used. In those matches, the teams of three players play against another team in a 1v1 format, meaning each player is picked to represent the team in one match of the series.
Hearthstone as a game is very simple in terms of the basics, but it also allows for more advanced tactics to be implemented. Most of the strategy goes into building a deck out of 3,000+ available cards, where players look to build deadly combos and pick the needed cards to counter the opponent's attacks.
The optimal strategy is often unknown due to the rapidly changing nature of the metagame, which introduces a whole new level of complexity and excitement to this CCG game.
Understanding how the game is played and its meta are two of the most important factors you will need to learn how to bet on Hearthstone, but before we talk about the tips and tricks, we first need to look at some basic things you should know about betting on Hearthstone.
Betting on Hearthstone - Basics
Once you understand the basics of how the game is played, you can start exploring the world of Hearthstone betting. This includes getting a firm understanding of the betting odds, bet types, as well as finding the right Hearthstone betting site where you will start your betting journey.
Hearthstone bet types
As is the case with all popular esports titles, betting has become a huge part of Hearthstone and its competitive scene. The most popular bet type esports bettors use when betting on Hearthstone is outright or Moneyline bet.
There are also opportunities to bet on futures as well as special bets, that open up plenty of betting opportunities for anyone looking to place his first bet on Hearthstone matches.
How to Bet on Hearthstone Moneyline
The most common bet in Hearthstone is the Moneyline bet, also known as an outright or head-to-head bet. This type of bet is as straightforward as it can get, as you're only predicting which of the two players will win the game. The odds provided reflect the player's chances to win and pay out accordingly.
But don't let the simplicity of this bet fool you. With a strong understanding of players' weaknesses and strengths, as well as the game's meta, betting on Moneyline markets is not only simple but also potentially very lucrative.
Here we will look at an example of how Moneyline bets on Hearthstone look:
- Liooon: 2.00 (+100)
- tom60229: 1.77 (-130)
In this example, bookmakers priced tom60229 as the favorite to win the match and are consequently offering lower odds on him. If you were to bet $100 on tom60229 to win, you would earn $77, whereas a bet on the underdog (Liooon) would earn you $100.
How to Bet on Hearthstone Match Winner
A typical Hearthstone competitive match is played in a best-of-five or best-of-three format, which leaves the doors wide open for match-winner markets. Although this type of bet is not as common as Moneyline bets, some esports bookmakers still decide to offer them in a bid to provide more diversity.
Betting on a match winner is exactly the same as a Moneyline bet, only here you're betting on a player to win only one match of the series instead of the series as a whole. This type is most commonly used in in-play betting, where you can get a better understanding of which player has picked a better deck and is because of that in a better position to win.
How to Bet on Hearthstone Futures
Futures bets are in a way very similar to Moneyline and match-winner bets, only here you're not predicting which player will win a given fixture or a particular match of the series, but instead which Hearthstone pro player will win a tournament or event.
Some futures markets also allow you to bet on a player to make it to a certain stage of the tournament, such as "To Get to the Finals" or "To get to the Semifinal." These types of bets are particularly interesting for esports punters since they offer more versatility while providing more options to increase our profits.
Take note, however, that futures betting is all about timing. Odds fluctuate and are often different at the time when the tournament begins as they were at the time when the bookmakers release them.
How to Bet on Hearthstone Props
Prop bets are arguably one of the most exciting ways to bet on Hearthstone. Prop or Special bets provide you with a proposition about a certain situation that might happen during the match, which rarely affects the final outcome of the game.
Due to its specific nature, Prop bets are often used only by the most experienced Heartstone bettors, who have a strong understanding of the game and players, and with that have all the needed tools to pick out the right bets.
The most common prop bets include:
- Which player will be the first to do damage to the enemy player?
- Which players will be the first to play a Legendary card?
- Which players will do the most damage from a single card?
Other bet types such as handicap betting, turn bets, and totals or over/under can also be found; however, those are very scarce and rarely found even on the biggest esports bookmakers.
Where to bet on Hearthstone
Deciding where to bet on Hearthstone is one of the most important steps you must take before you set on your journey into the world of esports betting. Since there is a wealth of bookmakers offering esports betting odds, it's often difficult to find the right one for you.
In your quest to find the optimal bookmakers, you will come across plenty of bookmakers who will draw you in with flashy interface and enticing offers; however, most of those bookmakers offer very low betting odds compared to their competition, which is an immediate red flag if you're serious about earning money with betting.
Simply googling "esports betting Hearthstone" won't cut it when looking for an optimal bookmaker, which is why we have compiled a list of things you should be looking out for when picking out a bookmaker.
Good Customer Support: Often overlooked feature every reputable bookmaker should have, yet a very important one when things go sour. Any website can experience issues, and while it's not guaranteed you will ever come across any problems, once you do, having efficient and friendly customer support at your disposal will prove to be highly beneficial.
Strong Security: When you're playing with your own hard-earned money, security should be your number one priority. If a website had any previous history of poor security, steering away from it is the best thing you can do. Trust only licensed and regulated websites, as only this way can you rest assured your money is safe.
A wide selection of games and markets: If you're looking to bet on Hearthstone, picking a betting website that regularly offers markets on Hearthstone matches is a no-brainer decision. Having said that, picking a bookmaker that also offers markets on other esports titles is something to consider if you're planning on expanding your betting portfolio with additional esports.
Fast payouts and different deposit methods: Although not as important as previously mentioned features, having an option to deposit and withdraw your money fast and with different methods is a very welcomed bonus that will make your Hearthstone betting journey far more enjoyable.
While we recommend you do your own search to find the best-suited bookmaker for your esports betting endeavor, some of our recommendations include Bet365, and BetWay.
Hearthstone Betting strategies and tips
Now that you're equipped the knowledge about how the Hearthstone is played, what types of bets are most commonly used in Hearthstone esports betting world and how to find a perfect bookmaker, all there is left to do is look at a few tips and trick that will help you on your Hearthstone betting journey.
Get familiar with the game's meta
Hearthstone, just like all esports titles, is heavily affected by the game's updates, which often introduce massive changes to the game, that in one way or another, affect how the game is played.
Knowing what changes the updates will bring and how it will affect the meta will significantly increase your odds of placing a successful bet, as you will have a better understanding of which card decks are stronger in certain situations and which decks lost the strength they had before the update.
Do your research on individual players
Just as important as understanding the game's meta is doing research on individual players, as this is the only way you will understand what type of playstyle they use and how is their in-game decision making.
Most of Hearthstone players often stream themselves playing the game on Twitch or other streaming platforms, which provides you, as a bettor, a perfect opportunity to see them in action and gather the needed information that will help you place a successful bet.
Don't underestimate the underdogs
Hearthstone is a game where a simple mistake from a player or a wrong read can turn the tides of the match instantly. In a way, Hearthstone is like poker, where anyone can win, depending on his luck and, to some degree, his knowledge about the game.
Because Hearthstone matches are often very volatile, even players who are billed as huge underdogs have a legitimate chance to win. Don't be afraid of betting on a player who is priced at higher odds if you believe he can win.
There were countless occasions when a no-name player went above and beyond everyone's expectations and defeated even the biggest favorites, simply because the meta suited his playstyle - which returns us to our previous tips - research the players and get familiar with the meta.
Avoid Proposition bets
Don't entirely ignore Prop bets, but until you get familiar with the game and you're confident in your knowledge of players and other elements of Hearthstone, you should steer clear of prop bets. Although prop bets can be very enticing for anyone, they are often hard to predict, which is why this kind of bet should only be used by experienced bettors who know how to bet on Hearthstone.
Hearthstone is not entirely a game of luck
Although luck in any card game does play an important role, Hearthstone is not entirely based on luck. In fact, even the luckiest player will lose to a skilled player who will know how to take advantage of any mistake his opponent makes.
At the end of the day, if Hearthstone would be entirely based on luck, betting on it would be closer to gambling, which would effectively harm the esports betting Hearthstone world. So don't let the luck factor deter you from placing a bet.
Thorough research and a strong understanding of how to bet on Hearthstone will earn you money, despite the fact you will lose a couple of "unlucky" bets.