EIGHT LESSONS FROM PROFESSIONAL ONLINE GAMERS

Professional gamers, like any sportsman, are looked upon in awe and admiration. Their talent and dedication has allowed them to earn a significant amount of money doing what they love for a living. Whether they enjoy Starcraft or enter Dota 2 tournaments, gamers turn professional in different ways and have to cope with the pressure of their success from fans, like any athlete. We don’t include online casino gaming, such as you’ll find at SuperCasino, since professionals taking a chance there have other strategies and factors to take into account. Here we take a look at eight lessons you can learn from professional online gamers if you’re considering taking your play to the next level:

1. Think about it

You might be very good and win plenty of small public tournaments online but do you have the time to commit to training and are you good enough to make a decent wage once you start playing against the professionals? Professional gaming is an all or nothing ambition, much like becoming an author or a musician. You will need support from family and friends to ensure help is always at hand. 

2. Don’t troll 

It’s important as you start out in a gaming community that you treat everyone with respect and courtesy. Those who abuse other players verbally whilst playing are not the ones who make it big. Be nice to people and you could make friends or even find a potential teammate to train with. 

3. Watch other players 

You can learn a lot from watching others play and discover new tactics you might have never even considered using in your gameplay before. Watch the professionals on a live stream or when a tournament is taking place and take notes. 

4. Don’t get too cocky

As Han Solo said: “Don’t get cocky kid”, but once you enjoy win after win in tournaments it can be hard not to feel on top. One of the most successful Dota 2 players, Danil ‘Dendi’ Ishutin, once stated in an interview: “As more people praise you the bigger the fall. But I am going to crush everybody.”

To be fair, he has stayed true to his word. However, whilst confidence is key, it’s important that you don’t let yourself get carried away with the hype surrounding your gameplay. 

5. Deal with stress
Dealing with stress is an important aspect of everyday life and professional gamers know all about conquering the pressure and easing nerves before a game. E-gaming is like any sport and all athletes get pre event jitters. Jonathan ‘Loda’ Berg, leader of team Alliance and Dota 2 veteran, believes that: “You can’t think too much about it… the closer you come to the games, you start to calm down. You start to get that you’re in the zone…” 

6. Stay committed 

When it comes to climbing the ranks in professional gaming and making it into a team it’s important that you stay committed to the cause. For example, Asian teams take training very seriously and players move away from their hometowns once they are selected for a team to live with other players and train together. 

7. Invest in some tech 

If you want to be the best you need to use the best, so don’t hold back when it comes to spending on your computer and accessories when you start out. Another tip is to turn down the graphics settings on your computer whilst playing, it will make your gameplay smoother and most games, which lend themselves to tournaments, are more concerned with strategy than the look of the game. 

8. Take it seriously

Gaming should be fun, yes, but when it’s your income then you need to work hard to ensure you maintain a high level of skill. It’s a good idea to treat it like a 9am to 5pm job, although most gamers put in around 14 hours of play every day!

This article was brought to you by Brighton’s very own, Louise Wood, who's an experienced journalist and blogger with a thirst for knowledge and a passion for writing. Bless her.