Marco Morales

What 10 years of competing taught me about tournament mindset 🧵 Just got back from the Warsaw One Piece TCG Regional and it was really interesting experience seeing how different people approach these events. One Piece TCG has exploded lately. Top 64 cards alone can go for around €2.000 now, so the pressure at these events feels very real. Wanted to share some things I’ve learned over the years competing in games like Hearthstone and other TCGs. Not saying this is the “correct” approach, just what personally helped me. Back in 2016 I started competing in Hearthstone. My first tournament ever I got Top 16 and made some money. Huge confidence boost. The problem was… I started thinking I was REALLY good because of it. High ladder player that immediately toped a tournament. For the rest of that year I barely had results, but I kept putting huge expectations on myself while also thinking I already had things figured out. Neither helped me perform. At some point I noticed some of my friends who were “taking the game less seriously” were consistently outperforming me. That forced me to rethink how I approached competition. One thing I realized is:
thinking you’re good can either help your confidence… or make you blind to your mistakes. For me it was definitely the second. I blamed bad luck for almost every loss instead of asking:
“What could I have done differently?” Of course luck exists.
Bad matchups exist.
Bad draws exist. But focusing only on things outside of your control doesn’t help you improve. What actually helped me was focusing on what was under MY control: • preparation
• matchup knowledge
• mental recovery after losses
• understanding bad situations and finding the lines that can still win
• staying adaptable An open mindset helped me way more than trying to protect my “ good player ego”. Another thing I notice a lot at tournaments: People carry losses with them for WAY too long mentally. I used to do this constantly too. Most of us rant to friends after a bad loss or unlucky moment, and it helps. Get it out of your system. But then move on. You can seriously review mistakes later. During the tournament your focus should be on the next round, not replaying the last one in your head for 3 hours. Go one game at a time. Probably the biggest thing that changed my results over time was letting go of expectations and the pressure that came with them. I remember a friend once telling me: “I’m not going to tournaments expecting results anymore. I’m going to have a good time, and if the result comes, great.” That mindset genuinely changed a lot for me. Now whenever I travel for events, I always make sure there are other things I’m looking forward to outside the tournament itself. Good food.
Friends.
Exploring the city.
Funny moments. It takes away a lot of the pressure. The funny thing is that the less I told myself “I HAVE to do well”… the better I started performing. Preparation still matters a ton obviously. Practice.
Prep hard.
Learn matchups.
Take competition seriously. But once the event starts, try to let go a little and just play. Last thing. STAY HYDRATED during events 💧 I genuinely think this matters way more than people realize at long events. Electrolytes help me a lot personally. For food I avoid heavy meals before/during tournaments. Usually something lighter with protein/carbs works best for me. Still improving my mindset every year, but these are some things I’ve noticed after competing for a long time. Some of these might work for you, some might not. Everyone approaches competition differently. But even just keeping some of these ideas in mind during big events can help, and over time you’ll figure out what works best for you through trial and error. Curious how other people approach tournaments mentally. What are some things that helped you compete better? 👀