When everything is on the line and you are competing against the toughest of oppositions on the biggest of stages, pros are willing to do anything to gain the upper hand and secure valuable information. Whilst there is nothing but the pro and his screen when competing online there are many more factors that play a role when teams are competing on the biggest of stages in front of a crowd on LAN.
Whilst the pros are unable to hear everything that the crowd yells or chants, they are still a major factor in establishing momentum and confidence. Sometimes the crowd can even be useful in gaining information in regard to the active round. Circling his crosshair around a popular position for CT’s to hold ramp on Nuke, “NiKo” awaits a reaction from the crowd before peeking around the corner – take a look:
Whilst is very rare that pro players utilize this aspect of competing on LAN it has happened a handful of times – some more controversial than others. Take a look at some of the times where the crowd has helped pros by giving a reaction to the active round:
