Thunderpick.com
Year established: 2016
Mobile compatible: Yes
Jurisdiction: Malta
Overall rating: C
Recommended: For recreational players
Thunderpick eSports Review
Launched back in February 2016, Thunderpick is an esports pool betting site that operates on a mutual betting system allowing bettors to wager against each other, rather than playing against the house. Boasting a Curacao Gaming license, the sportsbook is a verified platform that should grant a punter some confidence when depositing on the site. There’s little to be found regarding Thunderpick’s background, from what we can see though, the sportsbook has been around for a few years now and is considered to be a reliable place to bet among its user base - cursory searches found zero fraud accusations pointing fingers towards the bookmaker. We can certainly tell you a lot about the sportsbook however, so let’s dive into the details of what separates Thunderpick from the rest.
Betting Markets
Thunderpick is an esports-focused sportsbook, the site primarily revolves around CS:GO and other larger esports titles such as Dota, League of Legends and StarCraft. While we’ve seen other esports-centralized books feature a wider selection than what’s offered on Thunderpick, the site supplies a collection of markets on each game that is more comprehensive than what we’re accustomed to seeing. In CS:GO matches for example, you have the option to bet on which round the bomb will be planted, if any. Lines of this essence are also offered across multiple titles, giving Thunderpick’s esports market quite a bit of depth - a desirable trait for those punters interested in the space. While we’d like to see a bit more variety in terms of their offerings (such as PUBG, Rocket League and FIFA), it’s safe to say the collection of esports spreads would appease a majority of bettors seeking action on pro-gaming. Thunderpick offers lines on your more common betting suspects as well, sports such as basketball, soccer and hockey are all featured under the “Other” tab. When dealing with esports-focused betting sites, it’s not uncommon to see some outlier markets offered, however, they’re rarely furnished as they are on Thunderpick; the sportsbook displayed a spread of over 60 matches (at the time of this review) with multiple markets for each match - an inclusionary quality for bettors with overlapping interests.
Live Betting
Although you won’t find an inplay option on Thunderpick, the PVP nature of this mutual betting platform somewhat provides that live feel to its users. Pool betting offers a significant advantage over traditional sportsbooks that leads to remarkable odds - as more bettors place wagers, limits and odds will increase becoming more attractive than what you’ll typically see from bookmakers.
Casino
Don’t expect to find your conventional table games at Thunderpick as they don’t support an online casino like other gaming sites do; what the sportsbook does offer however, is a couple unique diversions that will help keep bettors occupied between fixtures. The first being ThunderSpin, the book’s own roulette adaptation that allows you to wager alongside other bettors to grow your pot in multiples of 2, 3, 5 or 30. ThunderStrike is the sportsbook’s latest addition to their gaming selection - still in its beta stage, the newest appendage is yet another Thunderpick exclusive game that pairs up punters to stake against each other in a simple, easy-to-learn game. Originating from CS:GO, ThunderStrike prompts a map with two bomb sites (A and B), if both players choose the same site the Terrorists win the pot, if both pick different sites than the Counter-Terrorists win the round. ThunderStrike is an entertaining way to go head-to-head against another bettor with money on the line apart from the gaming site’s primary esports match betting focus - the CS:GO likeness is also a nice touch we can appreciate.
Usability of the Site
There’s a lot to consider when discussing Thunderpick’s usability - in our opinion, the site stacks up pretty well against other sportsbook and here’s why: Design is something we often take into consideration when examining online sportsbooks, while color palettes and aesthetic may seem far from the point of betting, it’s a means to enhance a user’s overall experience. We’re pleased to pronounce Thunderpick has a sharp and opulent composition, the black, grey and light blue palette gives the sportsbook a modern design that seems appropriate for its esports profile. The light blue highlights overtop Thunderpick’s muted color scheme is incredibly visually appealing - not only this, it makes utilizing the site that much less troublesome as the buttons and odds jump out at you.
Thunderpick truly succeeds on the financial end of this conversation - the sportsbook ranks highly in terms of deposit and payment methods that sets them apart from the larger majority of bookmakers. More common forms like VISA, Neteller, and Skrill are accepted while there’s a longer laundry list of accepted payments such as PaysafeCard, AliPay and more. Most notably, Thunderpick accepts Bitcoin and CS:GO skins as a form of payment - a prevalent currency amongst the esports audience.
One last thing to mention regarding Thunderpick’s user interface is its mobile design. While the desktop application is utterly complete in our opinion, the mobile template is one of the most impressive we’ve come across to date. By surfing over to Thunderpick on your phone’s web browser, you’ll be delighted to see that what you’re accustomed to seeing on your computer is almost perfectly mirrored on your smartphone - the mobile template conforms to your phone or tablet elegantly, making the transition seamless. If you find yourself wanting to take a peek at some lines away from your computer, Thunderpick’s mobile acessability should accommodate that quite fulfillingly.
Conclusion
Thunderpick ranks pretty highly in our book - being an esports-focused betting platform, the site delivers all of the attributes a bettor of this walk would seek in a sportsbook. The site’s esports market is thriving with hearty lists of lines for each match that provides more than your standard outright winner options - this gives the markets quite a bit more variety and depth surely to please the esports punter. Everything regarding the user interface at Thunderpick from its design to its application is sharp and nimble; both the look and feel of this site is of an upper echelon. Being that it is a pool betting site, it is somewhat of a niche I suppose, however, there are certain advantages aforementioned that go along with this such as better odds and higher limits. Overall, we could see Thunderpick being home to the generality of esports bettors; the expanded market that spills into other globally popular sports such as soccer and basketball truly thickens this assumption.
Advantages:
- A good selection of matches and betting options;
- Offers a lot of matches and games, even niche ones like Hearthstone and Smite;
- Odds are often very favorable;
- No restrictions for bets and winnings;
- Very simple yet very efficient and ergonomic design;
- An excellent language-selective chat option;
- The site’s support for mobile is very good;
- Great and welcoming support staff;
- Good deposit and withdrawal options;
- The site’s commission is low.
Disadvantages:
- Not a lot of bonuses and promotions;
- No multi-bet option;
- Odds can shift until game starts;
- Big bets can sway the odds;
- Fees on withdrawals.
Payments:
Visa/Mastercard, Skrill (Moneybookers), Neteller, Paysafecard, Webmoney, Yandex.Money, Qiwi, Bitcoin, Bank Transfer
*Keep in mind to double check information. Be prepared for changes to restricted countries, bonuses, currencies, deposit and payment options, languages, contact info.
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