As a 2D fighter, the video-game franchise of Street Fighter has become a gaming institution over the years, having started out back in 1987. One of Capcom’s largest titles to date, it has gone on to become a highly popular eSport, which gained massive exposure through the fourth title in the series. Along with this, there are also plenty of opportunities to bet on the game as well, something which we’ll go into greater detail with here.
Run by Capcom, they oversee their ELeague Invitational event, which usually takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. Running since 2017, it’s managed to amass a considerable amount of talent over its relatively short run. Also known as ‘ELeague Season 3’, it has ties to other games, such as ‘Counter Strike: Global Offensive’, which has been previously featured in past seasons.
The question then remains as to where your bets come in, and how much you stand to profit personally. This is what we’ll now take a look at here.
Where to Bet on Street Fighter V ELeague Invitational
America: Anybody in North America will want to choose Bovada when making their choice for an online sportsbook. This is because it provides not only the best odds, but the most options out there too. Plus, it has an extremely intuitive interface that’s really easy to find your way around.
Everywhere Else:
Everyone outside of North America will find that Bet365 Sportsbook is the best site to use, especially when looking to place a bet on Street Fighter V. Providing bets on the majority of the games, whilst comprehensively covering the Eleague, it really does offer the most out there. Straightforward with a minimum of fuss, it definitely is your best choice.
What is Street Fighter V ELeague Invitational?
Currently boasting a prize pool standing at $250,000, the Street Fighter V ELeague Invitational is one of the largest eSports events surrounding a fighting game. Run by Capcom themselves, it’s overseen by Turner Sports, along with the William Morris Endeavor. It’s also broadcast live on cable TV, as well as being put out on the Twitch streaming service.
Usually taking place from March to May, the Invitational happens over the course of a few months in real time. Here’s a general layout of the basic tournament format:
- The Preliminaries: with thirty-two players making up this stage, sixteen arrive from the previous Pro Tour, whilst Capcom invite the other sixteen, as four groups of eight compete, with the top six of each progressing to the next stage.
- Regular Season: showcasing twenty-four players now, four groups of six are made up, with eight of them being able to advance in total.
- Playoff Season: the four winners of the previous season are put into the upper bracket whereby if they lose they go down a bracket, with the other four runner ups going into the lower, and anyone that loses in the lower is eliminated, leaving the overall winner.
This then allows plenty of opportunities to place a bet over the course of the entire tournament. Where do you start though, and what does a real winner look like in the world of Street Fighter V?
Common Street Fighter V ELeague Invitational Betting Questions:
What sort of bets are being offered?
A lot of the bets base themselves on who the winner will be outright, putting aside many of the smaller prop bets. With bets such as ‘to win outright’ and ‘match winner 2-way’, you can focus on the overall results, putting more focus on the players individually. This means you’ll need to make yourself aware of the play-styles of each of them, making more concrete predictions as to the outcomes in the process.
How does this compare to the previous games?
Marking a progression on the previous games, this follows on in the tradition of the 2D fighter, whilst bringing in greater graphics with 3D elements. Still using the traditional format that made entries like Street Fighter 2 such classics, it retains that sense of competitive fun that keeps players coming back for more. When Street Fighter 4 became such a smash hit on the eSports scene, Capcom decided to capitalize on this even further, making the fifth title even more competitive.
How To Bet On The Street Fighter V ELeague Invitational
Bovada: At the main page you will want to click on the ‘Sports’ tab there, before going on to choose the ‘E-Sports’ option down the left-hand side. From here use the ‘All E-Sports’ roll-down menu above, choosing the ‘Other E-Sports’ option from there, before going on to the next page. With all the eSports rolling down the page now, you should find the ‘Streetfight V’ bets near the bottom, offering you a choice of winner.
Bet365 Sportsbook: Moving down the left-hand side, you should find the ‘Esports’ tab some way down, which is what you’ll want. Down the middle of the page now, you should be able to find ‘SFV – ELEAGUE’, with the bets provided underneath. Creating a betting slip you can then easily create your coupon straight away.
Street Fighter V ELeague Invitational Betting Strategy
Focusing on just two players each match, the setup is fairly intimate in its approach, as it sees the competitors facing off directly. Using a whole set of different skills and tactics, the gameplay can become extremely tactical when considering all of the different styles and approaches at their disposal. This means you must study it closely, watching for any strengths and weaknesses, as these will prove key to determining the outcome of the match.
Whilst the given odds will prove helpful in a general sense, they only go so far, as there’s a whole range of different factors that need to be taken into consideration. These can include whether or not the players play defensively or aggressively, as these are styles that can definitely clash. Make sure to keep up-to-date with any and all news, including watching older games, and you should have a far more rewarding experience.