How The Top Gamers Hold Their Nerve
Yuriy SheremetFor the most of us, gaming is something we do in our spare time to distract us from the stresses and strains of day to day life. For others however, it is a way of life and winning and losing means so much more.
When you are at the top of your game, winning and losing come down to the finest of margins and any edge that can be gained becomes vital. In high pressure situations the players that can hold their nerve come out on top more often than not.
But what does it mean to hold your nerve and how do you apply to that to certain situations and specific games? Read on for our ultimate guide of holding your nerve from the final circle of Warzone to the crucial poker hand.
Thinking Rationally in Verdansk
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has been the game of the year with the free to play Battle Royale mode Warzone garnering 50 million active players just one month after its release in March. The aim of the game, if you’re unaware, is to drop into the fictional city of Verdansk and outlast 149 other teams and escape the gas that slowly encroaches on the map.
Coming out on top and winning a game of Warzone is incredibly rare with most players being lucky to grab 1 or 2 wins from hundreds of games played. Luck plays its part of course, but nerve is often the most crucial skill needed to turn a top 10 finish into a win.
Thinking rationally and not getting carried away in the emotions and nerves of the situation will help you in the final circle. Are there /tall buildings out of gas? If there are prioritise holding one down, height will give you the edge in a gun fight.
Got spare cash to buy back your teammate? Do it, numbers will be vital and if you’ve got a full squad – regardless of their loadout – you’re in a good position to win. Also remember your lethal ammo and any killstreaks you’ve picked up along the way, these will come in clutch and could make or break your game.
Finally, don’t rush. Hold the high ground if you’ve got it and if not try and make your enemy come to you. Follow these rational tips and you’ll convert those Top 10 finishes into wins in no time.
Mindful Poker
If you think the final circle in Verdansk is stressful try the final hand in a high-stakes poker game, that’ll be sure to get your heart rate pulsing and your brow sweating! It’s easy in a final hand situation to get carried away by the onslaught of thoughts flowing through your brain.
Ignoring those distractions is a key part of remaining cool, calm and collected which will put you in a great position to scoop the prize pot. Mindfulness is a practice that encourages people to remain in the present moment and avoid the temptations of thinking too far ahead or scolding themselves for past mistakes, and it’s a great tool to use in casino games, particularly poker.
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Instead of closing your eyes and fully meditating, focus on your body and your surroundings to pull yourself into the present. Count your breaths, notice your posture and take note of all of your senses.
Even if you only do this for thirty seconds it will give you the clarity of mind that you need to make those killer moves and make sensible decisions. A huge part of playing casino games is keeping your discipline and making informed choices, so if you’re playing with a PA online casino try and make your gaming environment as calm and relaxed as possible too.
Be Decisive on League of Legends
League of Legends is one of the most played video games in the world with literally millions of games taking place every day. Unfortunately, LoL isn’t one of those games that you can pick up and be immediately good at, it takes time, knowledge and practice to get to a decent standard.
If you feel like you’ve already completed that stage of LoL and are still experiencing problems in crunch moments, then you probably aren’t being decisive enough. In every team based online multiplayer game you’ll have to be able to communicate efficiently with your squad.
In LoL you’ll need to take that communication to the next level by being clear, coherent and decisive when you make choices. If your teammate wants to engage in a fight that you don’t think you can win, be decisive and say no, don’t get stuck between going in and running off.
Likewise, if you say you’re going in make sure that you’re fully prepared for the fight and you’re running right on in. Indecision can be your biggest enemies so practice sticking by your decisions and going for it to improve your chances in high pressure situations.
Three Final Tips
Feel like your particular game or genre hasn’t been covered so far? Fear not, here are three general tips that can be applied to any online gaming situation.
You mad bruh? If you are, put down the controller or turn off the PC because there’s no point trying to play angry. Getting mad is counter-productive and will force you into making rash decisions which will do your chances of winning no good.
Don’t give up. Anything can happen when the heat is on, your opponent can get a rush of blood to the head, you could benefit from a lag spike or you could get a sudden rush of inspiration, so don’t give up.
Communicate. If you’re in a team game, then the key to your collective success is communication. “On me bro” just won’t cut it if you want to thrive under the pressure. Be concise but informative, your words should be an extra pair of eyes and ears for your teammates.
Yuriy Sheremet – Expert in mobile gaming and esports among shooters and MOBA games.
At EGamersWorld, Yuriy, as in 2020 when he joined the portal, works with content, albeit with adjustments to his area of responsibility.