It's not easy being a rookie! You've come a long way. From matchmaking newbie to a seasoned veteran of GameBattles, you have practiced MLG settings and even put together a LAN with another team before your first live event. You've prepared to the best of your abilities and now it's tournament time. No matter how much you prepare, a live event will be different than anything else you've ever experienced. Keep these tips in mind to get through your first event successfully:

* Be confident, not cocky. Shoot for the moon but don't be surprised if you take an earlier than expected exit. Top tour veterans have been at this for a long time. While many newcomer teams have fought their way to the top, it takes persistence. Use your first event as a growing experience and never forget that during or after.

* Stay focused all weekend. The events offer a level of socialization beyond any local LAN center or online experience. It's easy to get caught up in all the after-hours fun and negatively effect Halo performance as a result. Have a disciplined schedule that involves enough sleep and time to meet before the start of the day with your team. These types of behaviors will show immediate payoff.

* Enjoy yourself. A competitor loves the high-energy of the big game. Learn to savor the extra attention and energy that comes with live play. Learn to feed off your environment and you will improve with every game.

* Educate yourself. As the tournament goes on the top teams will start to play each other. The best Halo matches in the entire world are played at MLG Pro Circuit Events. Even if you make an early exit at your first tournament spend the rest of your time learning from the pros. A serious student of the game continually improves by understanding the examples set by others.