Betting on the KBO League Korean Series Online
Fancy a punt on top-tier baseball? This guide helps Irish players navigate betting on the KBO League Korean Series, South Korea's premier professional baseball competition. Think of it as their All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, but with more home runs! The KBO is hugely popular, and the Korean Series is its annual championship showdown after the regular season.
The top five teams slug it out in a playoff battle for the crown. The Kia Tigers lead the pack with 11 titles, followed by the Samsung Lions with 8. Ready to find the best odds and place your bets? Check out our recommended betting sites for secure transactions and exclusive offers tailored for Irish players.
Top casinos
Everything Irish Players Need to Know About the KBO League Korean Series
The KBO is the governing body that oversees 2 professional baseball leagues in South Korea - the KBO League and the KBO Futures League. Among their sporting events are the KBO League Korean Series and the All-Star Game. As a member of the International Baseball Federation, they also facilitate the national baseball team's participation in international sporting events.
Since 2000, the South Korean national baseball team has made its mark on the international stage, securing a second-place finish in the World Baseball Classic (twice) and winning bronze and gold at the 2000 and 2008 Olympic Games, respectively. While not directly impacting Irish bettors, this success highlights the quality of baseball play.
The KBO League Korean Series features baseball that's quite similar to the top baseball championships you might find interesting as an Irish fan. The rules of baseball in South Korea are closely aligned with American Major League Baseball (MLB). Both have a designated hitter rule (in the US, as of 2022), but a bat flip, which is commonplace in South Korea, might be seen as unsportsmanlike in the USA.
Ties are uncommon in major games in the USA, where they play an unlimited number of extra innings to determine a winner. While ties are rare, the KBO League caps regular season games at 12 innings and playoff games at 15 innings, meaning a tie is possible. This offers a different dynamic for those in Ireland interested in the sport.
How is the KBO League Korean Series Played?
The KBO League Korean Series is an annual championship that follows the regular season, which runs from April to September. During the season, 10 teams compete in a total of 144 games, playing each other 16 times. The most significant baseball events draw crowds of over 28,000 spectators, and participation would be even higher if the ballparks had greater capacity.
The top 5 teams from the season advance, with the first playoff game contested between the fourth and fifth-ranked teams. The fourth-ranked team begins with a 1-0 advantage. The winner (best of 2 games) then proceeds to face the third-ranked team in the Semi-Playoffs.
The Semi-Playoffs are decided by a best-of-5 games series, with the winner moving on to play the second-ranked team in the main Playoffs. The Playoffs also consist of a best-of-5 games format, and the champion from this stage qualifies for the Korean Series to face the number 1 ranked team.
The Korean Series is the championship final, where a team must win 4 out of 7 games to be crowned champions. Similar to other major baseball tournaments available to Irish bettors, games are played one per day until a champion is determined. The series format typically follows a 2-3-2 or 2-2-1-1-1 structure, alternating between the home grounds of the competing teams.
Why Is KBO Korean Series Popular to Bet on?
Betting on baseball tournaments in South Korea is easy considering the number of online betting sites to choose from. The main bet types available for KBO Korean Series are Money Line, Run Line and Total with very limited Futures and Prop bets sometimes possible.
Money Line is a popular bet that can be made on regular season games as well as the end of season playoff games. Punters basically place a bet on who they think will win the series. Where available, a Futures bet can be placed to predict who the next series winner will be.
Run Line bets are the equivalent of point spread bets in the NFL and are a very popular form of betting. The run line is always set at 1.5 with punters having the options of wagering on -1.5, or +1.5. This means if a team is -1.5, they need to win by 2 runs or more; if the team is +1.5, they need to lose by 1 run or win the game for bettors to win the Run Line bet.
Total bets are simply where a punter decides whether the total number of runs is higher or lower than the number set by the online sportsbook.
How to Bet on KBO Korean Series
When players want to bet on baseball tournaments like the KBO League Korean Series, they first need to find a safe, secure and reputable online sportsbook that offers the sport. These factors can be assumed to be in place by the presence of a license issued by a trustworthy authority. New players in particular should look out for the great welcome bonuses on some sites.
It is also worth checking out the payment and withdrawal methods to find a convenient one for the player. Registering on an online sportsbook involves entering personal details, selecting a payment method, funding the account, navigating to the sports page, selecting a match and placing a bet.
To increase a punter's chances of making good bets, the punter needs to study the game, the teams and individual players. Knowing how the game is played, studying statistics and paying attention to any news about teams and players can all help the bettor to make more informed bets with better chances of winning.
The weather can be an important factor as some teams/players play better under certain conditions and could be the deciding criterion when placing Run Line bets. It is also important to know who the first pitchers and batters are (along with their statistics) as this can seriously influence how the game goes.
The Best KBO League Korean Series Betting Sites in 2026
To find the best online bookmaker, check out bettingranker reviews of trusted sites to help players find the right site for them. One of the best for the Korean Series is Betwinner that serves over 53 countries, in 43 languages, using 31 currencies. It has over 90 deposit options, a range of markets and plenty of bonuses for new and established players.
Betwinner offers in-game play, live streaming matches whilst displaying statistics on the side of the page. It has a mobile app available to download for iOS and android, or the website can be accessed directly on a mobile device.
Another recommended online sportsbook is Dafabet which is more geared towards the Asian market, but is also licensed for use in the UK. It is a solid site established in 2004 which accepts 13 currencies and offers the site in 11 languages.
Dafabet has an interesting feature which allows punters to cash-out before a game has finished, albeit with only a fraction of the winnings. They also offer a Bet Builder Tool to help players build their own customized wager. Odds are displayed instantly to give more convenience to the player.
Short History of the KBO League Korean Series
The KBO League was founded in 1982 with the first Korean Series being played between the OB Bears and the Samsung Lions. For the first 6 years of the KBO League, the season was divided into 2 with the top teams from each half season facing off with each other in the Korean Series Championship.
This changed in 1986 because the same team won both half seasons the previous year resulting in no Korean Series in 1985. The following baseball championships were played between the top two teams from each half season to ensure a Korean Series. That format has since developed into the current top 5 teams from one whole season competing in the playoffs.
