LogFAQs > #986500806

NBIceman posted...

I really, really want to get to a point in my life that I overcome my anxiety and start going to local tournaments sometime. I think I'd have a great time, but it's a very tough obstacle for me to get over. If you have any advice for that sort of thing as someone who went so often, I'd love to hear it.

There's not too much advice to give other than just pick one and go to it. I wouldn't worry about it too much. The worst that really happens is you go and play some video games and then come home. The first couple I went to I was kind of hanging back and not interacting with others much but you should get in the groove eventually, and that's fine.

I guess it would be better to start with a relatively local tournament that happens weekly/biweekly or something, as opposed going to a huge major event or whatever. Something small-stakes that you can return to repeatedly is generally easier from the social side of things, and they're probably going to be more active in welcoming new players. At a major event it's a lot easier for everyone to just kind do their own thing while you get lost in the crowd not really knowing what to do.

For me I had the advantage of living near a college campus which is a natural place for this sort of thing, but I just started by going a biweekly tournament series in the basement of a local restaurant that was maybe 15 minutes from where I lived. After going to that for a few months I kind of felt like I was part of the community there and was also getting better at the game, and from there I started also going to larger tournaments throughout the state. (Which I was never really a high or top contender in the statewide events, but they were a good time nonetheless.)