LCK esports guide: How to bet on South Korea’s League of Legends scene

All eyes are on the highly anticipated League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) regional league. Follow the most watched domestic league in League of Legends (LoL) esports at Sportsbet.io where you can bet on fixtures and win crypto prizes on winning LCK predictions.

The LCK regional league hailed the highest number of world champions in esports to date. There are 8 World Championship (Worlds) titles and placed as runner-ups 6 times. Bet on the next season of the LCK at Sportsbet.io where you can win crypto prizes on match predictions. Learn all the ins and outs of the league from this LoL betting guide:

Bet on League of Legends events here

LCK Spring/Summer Splits and Regional Finals

The LCK League of Legends happens twice per year, namely the Spring and Summer Splits. Regional Finals are held right after the Summer Split, before Worlds. If you want to catch them both for pro game betting, then don’t miss the following dates:

LCK Spring Split

Spring Season: January to March
Spring Playoffs: March to April

LCK Summer Split

Summer Season: June to August
Summer Playoffs: August to September

LCK Regional Finals

A week after the LCK Summer Split

Each event leads up to an international League of Legends tournament. The top 2 placers of the LCK Spring Split qualify for the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI). LCK LoL participants for Worlds, on the other hand, include the winner of the LCK Summer Split, the top 1 LCK LoL team by champion points, and the top 2 placers in the Regional Finals.

Teams to qualify for LCK Spring and Summer Split

The LCK is a franchised league so every split features all 10 teams that are a part of it. As of 2024, those teams include the following organisations:

BNK FearX
Dplus KIA
DRX
Gen.G
Hanwha Life
KT Rolster
Kwangdong Freecs
NS RedForce
OK Brion
T1

Conditions to qualify for Regional Finals

The Regional Finals only host events for 4 teams which are selected based on Championship Points. Teams qualify if they are in the top 4 point earners of the year except for teams that are already qualified for Worlds. This includes the team with the most Championship Points and Korean teams that qualified for Worlds via MSI and Summer Split victories.

LCK tournament structure

LCK Spring and Summer share the same format. Each tournament has two rounds, the Split Season and Split Playoffs. The LCK schedule is tentative until at least 2 weeks before the events begin. Learning the basic overview is still helpful in League of Legends betting so here’s a rundown of what to expect every LCK Spring and Summer Split:

LCK Regular Season

10 teams participate in a double round-robin.
Every match is a best of 3 (Bo3).
The top six teams by tournament standings qualify for the playoffs.

LCK Playoffs

6 teams compete in a double-elimination bracket. The top 2 teams from the Regular Season start in Round 2. 3rd to 6th placers from the Regular Season are seeded in Round 1. The Losers’ bracket starts in Round 2.
Every match is a Bo5.
The top 2 teams in the Spring Split qualify for MSI.
The winner of the Summer Split qualifies for Worlds.

Bettors can expect a total of 90 fixtures in the regular season of the League of Legends LCK. Each one consists of 2 to 3 maps, opening 180 to 270 opportunities for map winner LCK betting. The Playoffs only have 8 matches total, but each one is a Bo5, giving you 24 to 40 map-related LCK bet.

LCK Regional Finals has a different format and it only takes 3 days in total. The format for this tournament is as follows:

4 teams compete in a waterfall bracket.

Seed 1 and 2 compete in the Qualifying Match in Round 1.
Seeds 3 and 4 play for who gets to play in the Qualifying Match of Round 2.
Round 1 Qualifying Match winner qualifies for Worlds and the loser plays in the Round 2 qualifying match vs the winner of Seed 3 vs 4.
The winner in Round 2 qualifies for World.

All matches are Bo5.

There are only 3 matches in the LCK Regional Finals with 9 to 15 maps for LCK gambling. It’s short and sweet but it’s for the best because Worlds begin soon after.

LCK esports betting markets

This part of the LCK betting guide covers the type of bets you can make at Sportsbet.io. Each one pays independently from one another so you can make multiple LCK match predictions for more chances to win. Here’s what each market means in LoL esports betting:

Match winner: Predict which of the two teams will win the match.
Map winner: Place LCK bet on the winner of the map (referring to the round in a match).
Number of maps over/under: Guess how many maps will be played in a match. Bo3 has over/under 2.5 only but Bo5 has more increments.
Handicap: It works like the winner bet LCK market but one side requires fewer map wins to count as the match winner. The other side, meanwhile, needs to win with a lead overcoming the point disadvantage.
Total kills over/under: A proposition bet where you predict if the total number of kills will reach over or under a given number.
Correct score: Guess the map win distribution at the end of the match.
To win at least one map: The team you back only needs to win 1 map at any point in the match.
Total turrets: Wager on the exact number of turrets to be destroyed at the end of the map. Options range from 5 to 22.
Map winner and duration over/under: Bet on the winner of the map while also guessing how long it takes for them to end the game.
Map winner and total kills over/under: Guess who will win the map and how many kills that team gets before the game ends.

Every market is like a multiple-choice question and the outcomes under each one are your answers. You may choose one outcome per market and place a bet on it. The numbers indicated on those outcomes are the odds and it represents your potential payout if it wins. Thus, having an overview of LCK betting odds explained will give you an upper hand and more chances of winning.

Tips for betting in LCK esports events

Fans of LoL esports betting can count on Sportsbet.io to bring you a feature-complete esports bookmaker to enjoy the LCK fully. If you’re still unfamiliar with the website and the tournament, then consider the following LCK betting tips:

Keep a look out for promotions at Sportsbet.io

Learning how to bet on LCK doesn’t stop at knowing the markets available at Sportsbet.io. You should also explore the bookmaker's bonuses and promotions that will improve your LCK betting experience. Sportsbet.io offers Tether (USDT) promotions on various events related to the hottest ongoing sport or esport.

You can also visit the Sportsbet.io ‘Clubhouse’ tab to know which benefits to unlock like cashbacks, rakebacks, and freebies. Every bonus reward adds to your bankroll, expanding your betting resources to use in your LCK betting strategies.

Join community discourse online about the LCK

The LCK have fans worldwide and a large fraction of them are bettors. You can ask for a LoL LCK betting guide if you need a primer to get started or for tips on the upcoming season. Everyone has an opinion on a team or players and their insight can contribute to your predictions.

Diversify your bet across many markets

Every pro match in the LoL has at least 6 markets at a time on lower divisions. The MSI, Worlds, and top regional divisions like the LCK should have hundreds of markets to choose from in one match. Explore your options and place a bet on different predictions because diversifying your wager is safer than spending so much money on just one stake.

Bet on upcoming events here

LCK 2024 season so far

T1 had a rough 2024 season for failing to win either Spring or Summer Splits. They qualified for MSI but placed 3rd behind Gen.G and Bilibili Gaming. T1 also just barely qualified for Worlds after a close 2-3 match with KT Rolster in the 2nd round of LCK Regional Finals. This is a surprising setback for T1 after dominating the LCK and Worlds in 2023.

Gen.G, on the other hand, had a great season in 2024. They’re always 1 step ahead of T1 for winning the Spring Split and MSI. The Summer Split winner is Hanwha Gaming but Gen.G made it to 2nd place while T1 placed 3rd. The explosive performance from Gen.G is largely thanks to a complete roster overhaul in November 2023.

Look forward to the 2025 LCK Spring Split with Sportsbet.io

Every team in the LCK resets their progress annually and the Spring Split is their fresh start into the new season. Most organisations also make big structural changes in their teams right after Worlds, making it difficult to predict what’s to come. Sportsbet.io covers all events so sign up now and don’t miss out on an opportunity to bet with crypto at the LCK!

Frequently Asked Questions

Check out these frequently asked questions about the LCK in Sportsbet.io:

How to bet on LCK?

The LCK can be found in the League of Legends tab on the esports bookmaker page. Click on the ‘esports’ link on the menu then proceed to the League of Legends tab. If there are LCK ongoing or upcoming events, then you can find its fixtures on the menu.

What does LCK stand for?

LCK is an acronym. It stands for League of Legends Champions Korea or LoL Champions Korea.

What does LCK mean?

The LCK is the top regional esports league in the League of Legends esports based in South Korea. Its members are considered the best LoL teams in the country and it is the regional league with the highest success rate in the World Championship.

Bet on live events at Sportsbet.io

DISCLAIMER

The information provided by the blog above on Sportsbet.io is for general information purposes only. All information on the Site is provided in good faith, however, we make no representation, warranty, or guarantee of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, or completeness of any information or betting tips on the Site.

Clarence Clarke3 Nov 2024