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Glossary

Esports betting terms: series, maps, first blood and kill totals

Esports betting uses the same kinds of markets as ordinary sports, but the units change: maps, kills and objectives in games such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), Dota 2 and Valorant. The eight terms below cover the markets you will see most often. Basics such as the Asian Handicap and Over/Under are in the sports glossary.

Edition 20 October 2026 · compiled by the glossary editors · 8 terms

BO1, BO3 and BO5 seriesSeries format; BO

The format that decides how many maps or games it takes to win a series. A BO1 is a single map, a BO3 goes to the first team to take two maps, and a BO5 to the first team to take three. The format shapes which markets exist: map handicaps and total maps only make sense in a BO3 or BO5, while upsets come more easily in a BO1.

Example: In a BO3, a 2-1 result means three maps were played and the third one decided the series.

Map winnerMap 1 winner; game winner

A market on one particular map or game within a series rather than the whole series. A bet on the map 2 winner settles as soon as that map ends, whoever goes on to take the series. If the map you backed is never played because the series is already decided, such as map 3 after a 2-0, the bet is normally voided and the stake returned under the sportsbook's rules.

Example: You back team B to win map 1; team B takes that map but loses the series 1-2, and your bet still wins.

Map handicapMaps handicap; -1.5 maps

A handicap counted in maps instead of goals. A -1.5 maps line means the favourite must win by at least two maps, while +1.5 maps means the underdog wins the bet if it takes at least one map. In a BO3 that makes -1.5 a bet on a 2-0. In a BO5, -1.5 maps is covered by 3-0 or 3-1 but not 3-2, and a -2.5 line needs a 3-0.

Example: In a BO3, team A -1.5 maps wins on a 2-0, but a 2-1 result makes team B +1.5 maps the winning side.

First bloodFirst kill; FB

A market on which team scores the first kill of a map. In MLBB and Dota 2 the game itself announces First Blood when the first hero falls to an enemy player. The market usually settles within the opening minutes, so it moves fast and is often offered in-play. Deaths to towers or neutral creatures are treated differently from one sportsbook to the next, so check the definition in the market rules.

Example: You back team A for first blood on map 1; a team A player gets the opening kill in the second minute, so the bet settles at once while the map carries on.

Total killsKills Over/Under; kill totals

An Over/Under market on the combined kills of both teams in a map. The sportsbook sets a line such as 25.5 and you pick whether the real total will land above or below it. Team styles, map length and the current patch all push this number around. Some sportsbooks also offer a kill handicap, the kill difference between the two teams, as a separate market.

Example: A map ends 18-11 on kills, a total of 29, so Over 25.5 wins and Under 25.5 loses.

Total mapsMaps Over/Under

A market on how many maps are played in a series. In a BO3, Over 2.5 maps wins only if the series goes to a third map, meaning a 2-1 either way, while Under 2.5 wins on a 2-0. In a BO5 the usual lines are 3.5 or 4.5. You do not have to pick the winner, only whether the series will be close or one-sided.

Example: In a BO5 with a 3.5 line, a 3-1 result means four maps were played, so Over 3.5 wins.

First objectiveFirst tower; first Lord; first Roshan

A market on which team first destroys or secures a given objective in a map, such as the first tower, the Turtle or the Lord in MLBB, or Roshan in Dota 2. In tactical shooters like Valorant the closest equivalent is usually the pistol round winner or the first team to reach a set number of rounds. Which objectives are offered varies by sportsbook and by match.

Example: You back team B for first Lord; team A takes the Lord at the 10-minute mark, so the bet loses even though team B goes on to win the map.

Postponed matchRescheduled; delayed; remake

A match that does not start at its scheduled time because of technical faults, server trouble, a team failing to show or a change to the tournament schedule. Most sportsbooks keep bets open if the match is played within a set window and void them if that window passes. In esports a map can also be restarted, called a remake, after an early technical fault; markets already settled, such as first blood, follow their own rules.

Example: An MLBB match is moved to the next day; your bet stays open until it is played, or the stake is credited back if the window in the sportsbook rules runs out.

Esports markets follow the same logic as football markets. Read the entry on void bets to see when a stake comes back, and the one on live betting, since first blood and first objective markets are often offered while a map is running. For a game-by-game look at the markets, see Esports Betting: MLBB, Dota 2 and Valorant Markets. Which markets are open depends on the sportsbook and the tournament, and odds can move quickly, so check the bet slip before you confirm.