The Best way to use Double Down in Dota 2

The latest Dota 2 update came with Arcanas for two heroes, a comic story, an adventure mode, and perhaps the most important feature for MMR grinders, Double Down tokens.

Using a Double Down token allows players to bet on their match, with victories awarding them double the normal MMR gain. It's a risky option though, as losses count twofold as well.

When to use these tokens is pivotal, you want to make sure you bet on a sure thing and not when suffering a stomp. But how can one know that?

While games are unpredictable, we are going to list some tips for you that will help you determine which matches are worth using a Double Down and which ones are too risky.

The Crownfall Update features Arcanas for Skywrath Mage and Vengeful Spirit.

Check both team's drafts before Doubling Down

The first thing that indicates how risky a match will be is the draft. Is your team composed of meta heroes and everyone playing their role? or did that sneaky hard support Pudge make it on your team?

Likewise, check the opponent draft, are they following standard hero picks or is someone "experimenting" with mid-Oracle?

The draft goes a long way in indicating how each team is approaching the game, so pay attention to it during the pick phase and don't take unnecessary risks if it looks like others are just "playing for fun" with their picks.

Don't Double Down on your first game of the day

In professional matches, teams will scrim before their series or play some pubs to warm up before competing in qualifiers and tournaments. It takes a game or two for players to remember all the important aspects of the game before they play their best.

That advice applies to using Double Down tokens as well. People are bad at judging their current situation and might be more tired than they know, resulting in poor performance. This is why you should take your first game of the day or the session as a warm-up and gauge how you're performing before using your tokens.

Avoid using tokens on loss streaks

Huskar never loses, either he wins or joins his ancestors. (Credit: Valve)

A psychology study found that people hate losing more than they enjoy winning. Dota 2 players naturally know this, as everybody has tilt-qued themselves into five losses in a row at some point or another.

If you're on a losing streak, don't think of Double Down tokens as a way to quickly catch up. You're losing a lot because you're having a bad day, misunderstanding the patch, or just plain unlucky.

In such situations, trying to Double Down just compounds the problem. Instead, save those tokens for when you're on a winning streak and want to climb even faster.

Take note of player names and if anyone is pre-muted

Mode: PMA personified. (Credits: Gaimin Gladiator)

Players with the name "Mode:PMA" should be arrested for false advertising. The same thing applies to other equally original names such as "IDC MMR" and copying the tag of a pro player. Bonus points if their profile picture is a character from a trending anime.

If someone like that is on the enemy team, instantly Double Down and thank me later. If they are on your side then maybe you'll recover in the next game.

It's also worth noting if any player is pre-muted (you muted them in a previous game) and which side they are on. Often we mute players who are overly toxic or bad and depending on their alignment, we can decide if it's worth using a token or not.

In the end, only use Double Down tokens if you can tank the MMR loss. Dota 2 games are wildly unpredictable and even with our expert advice, you can still lose games that you should have won on paper. So have fun and enjoy the game.

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Featured Image Source: Valve