Moving from hobbyist to pro player in the world of video games might be a dream for many. Still, a few people somehow succeed in making the leap to professional (and sometimes earning income totaling “telephone numbers” in the process). Let’s take a closer look at just how those who turn pro manage to keep on top of their game – and live their lives, too.
It may come as no surprise to learn that those who’ve succeeded in turning pro invest huge amounts of time immersing themselves in the lore and rules of their favored game, whether that’s a massively multiplayer online role-playing gaming epic like World of Warcraft or esports or playing poker at a virtual table in an online casino. Their study ranges from the tactical to the psychological (Business Insider once described the schedule of pro League of Legends players as “insane”).
While genres may seem diverse (becoming a pro player of an epic battle game like League of Legends may seem miles away from the interests of an online poker pro, for instance), there are some core, common principles to adhere to for anyone who’s contemplating “going pro.”
As far as casino games are concerned, security over identity and banking details are paramount concerns of most serious online gamblers. That is why increasing numbers are gambling with bitcoin (and other cryptos) when they take a seat at the virtual poker table. Playing at up-and-coming new online casinos like Crypto-Gambling Site means that player privacy is subject to dense overlays of security: no personal information is attached to a player’s bitcoin wallet, so no intrusive third party can tell who purchased (or gambled) what.
Back to pro gaming: remember, if you’re a “pro,” you earn your living from gaming. So, anyone considering giving up their day job has first to sink some serious time and effort into honing their knowledge and skills to get to – and stay at the top of – their chosen game.
To begin with a perhaps obvious “pre-qualification”: if you’re going to be spending your working life as a pro game player, you must be intensely interested in your chosen genre – passionate, to be frank – not least because when you’re not actively engaged in a tournament, say, you’ll be spending a great deal of your time practicing your skills and strategies and honing your knowledge.
Many pro players will spend at least six to eight hours each day in structured team practice sessions with fellow team members. But that’s not all: each individual pro will spend several more hours in solitary, self-directed practice each day.
However, a critical observance here is to be aware that passion can insidiously start to morph into obsessionality. To stay healthy, physically and mentally, pro gamers also keep active in the real world – at the gym, in a social running group, at the karate dojo (whatever floats their boat). And they frequently take breaks from the gaming device to stretch and move about.
Last but not least: they ensure they organize a viable sleep schedule to get the full benefit of a good night’s slumber and awaken each day ready to face the challenges ahead, refreshed and reinvigorated.
That’s a lot to pack into 24 hours, but successful pros do it anyway.