Online gambling has become big business in the US since the Supreme Court effectively gave individual states the choice about legalizing sports betting in 2018. But one of the real growth areas in the industry in that time has been esports. Betting on esports has now gone completely mainstream.
Online sports betting sites like Everygame now offer esports betting markets for League of Legends and CS:GO events, just like the markets for more traditional sports like football and basketball. There is a lot of money involved. But how do you go from gaming at home to competing in international esports tournaments?
Pick Your Game
If you are like most gamers around the world, you will probably play a wide range of titles. You are more likely to move around the games, playing what you feel like at any given time. If you are serious about making the step up to competitive gaming you may need to be a little more discerning.
Think of what kinds of games you are good at – and would want to play more of. Whether it is an FPS like CS:GO, or a sports title like FIFA, you should already have your favorites and that should inform your decision. If you are going to be serious about this you want to actually enjoy playing the game.
Upgrade Your Equipment
This may not be quite as important if you prefer to play your games on consoles – although you should think about having the latest model. But if you are a PC gamer, upgrading your equipment is important. Obviously budget plays a role here but you can try to get extra work to help as well.
Just like any traditional sport, you want to have the best gear. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to have the most expensive equipment, but you should expect some greater financial outlay. With better equipment, you can put in more hours honing your craft.
Practice, Practice, Practice
And that brings us to this next step in becoming a competitive esports athlete. No one becomes good at anything overnight. Hopefully, you will already have some basic skills in your chosen game, so it is a case of playing more and honing those skills to an acceptable level.
This may sound like heaven to gamers who grab a few hours here or there to play their favorites. But this is serious training. You probably need to be mixing it up as well, as just doing the same thing over and over again can bring diminishing returns. Focus on getting better to move on to the next level.
Study Other Gamers
This should really be part of the last aspect of becoming a competitive gamer. Although you obviously need to practice your gameplay, you should also look to others to see where you can get better. Watch and attend events to see how better players than you play your chosen game.
It will depend on your chosen esport, but look at what kinds of tactics are used by players already successful. There are thousands of YouTube channels with handy tips and hints on playing. Take note of what they say and you can start developing your own strategies.
Get Your Name Known
All the aspects that we have covered are ongoing processes. You won’t suddenly have practised enough to become a professional esports gamer. That time needs to be put in for as long as you want to keep going. But there is a point when you will need to make the jump into competitive esports.
Creating a good online presence and meeting people at events are good ways to get known before you even compete. Once your name is better known you can think about trying to join teams and leagues. From there it is up to you and your talent to how far you go.
