- Intro

Part I
- The MM Rank System
- Some Players you will Encounter
- to Solo Queue or not to Solo Queue
- Knowing your own limitations
- Computer, mouse, keyboard, and monitor
- Other Modes, EZ Guns, and your Comfort Zone.

Part II
- Positioning and Angles
- Peeking
- Patience
- Utility
- Tactics and Strategy
- Weapons
- Economy (the Eco round)
- Aiming
- Pre Aiming Corners and Angles
- Team Communication
- Listening
- Team Leader

Part III
- Some Negatives about Competitive
- In closing...
- Challenge for those who think silvers should uninstall.
- Some addtional quick tips

How to get out of Silver
or at least be a better Silver...


Ok so you are tired of being Silver anything ranked but are stuck there. I am not a master, my highest rank being MG1, but I have played CS 1.1 since 2000 (free with Half Life 1) so I can only offer my own personal insight. It's not because you suck, you just don't have a strong game play. Or like Vaas's insanity speech, you keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. You have not researched other viable options. You may have not played long enough or whatever, there is a reason why you are stuck in Silver Hell. So in order to help you out, you must first analyse your own playing. Remember half the game is not on aim alone. How you are playing and how you are approaching the situation can be the difference between winning and losing. But let me say this.

This is not a guarantee on getting out of Silver, it's things that can be put to good use heavily in your favour in getting out of Silver. How you execute these is totally on you. If you are as good as you believe you are, then you will rank up, which leads me to the first point of this guide...

The MM ranking system is in place to put players within the same skill level to play with each other. You get your first skill by winning 10 competitive matches, with a 20 hour cool down after every second win. The system will pit you against players in different skill levels, and accumulates the data on how well/bad you did. After your 10th win (there is no cool down after the 10th win) you will receive your skill level.

Congratulations on your skill level. Now depending on where you rank, you could be happy, surprised, or even disappointed.

List of skill levels

Silver 1, 2, 3, 4, Silver Elite (SE), Silver Elite Master (SEM)
Gold Nova 1, 2, 3, Gold Nova Master
Master Guardian 1, 2, Master Guardian Elite (MGE)
Distinguished Master Guardian (DMG), Legendary Eagle (LE), Legendary Eagle Master (LEM)
Supreme Master First Class (SMFC), Global Elite (GE)

That is 16 levels of different players to play against.



The MM Ranking system is not a "level up" system like the current XP system in place; the more you play, the closer to the next level rank. You can play many games and still not rank up which means you are in the rank where you belong. Until you change something that makes you a better player and rank up.

This is assuming you are not playing against cheater, smurfs, boosters/derankers.

The game takes MVP stars into consideration, rounds won and matches won. You get stars by most kills in a round, defuse/planted detonation. If you play against better skilled players, you get more points towards ranking up if you win, where as you would get less if you played against lower ranked players. So be as PROACTIVE as possible in a game without compromising the objective. Having the most kills is not always the best thing. You can be top fragger all the time, but if you don't have MVP stars, you are not going anywhere.

There is a theory that when you see yourself playing against higher ranked players (like one or two levels higher) you may be close to ranking up. But if you see yourself staying within the same ranked players, you are not going anywhere.

You will need to know the types of players you will encounter on both your own team and your opponents.

Smurfs, cheaters, booster/deranker, griefers, and toxic players.

FIRST let me state something. There will always be players better than you and there will be days where you will have great games, and then have games where you are simply not feeling it. So before throwing out accusations, just make sure that its not you having a bad day in conjunction with them having a great day.


SMURFS
In a nutshell are players who are high ranked players on another account, but play on an alternative account with a low rank to troll and destroy lower ranked players. Basically its like a black belt entering a karate competition under the guise of being a yellow belt and destroying his opponent.

These princesses are just looking for glorification and having their ego stroked. They inherently believe that by playing against them, YOU will be a better player, when in reality, you can only learn very limited things from them. They are really not there to teach you, they are there possibly to boost other players who have low ranks and bringing them up to a higher rank. This is called "carrying a team". The problem is, even if you beat the smurf, you are not awarded the points you would get if he was playing his real rank. It can even work against you if his fake rank is lower than yours, meaning the system will see you are having difficulty and adjust your ranking points accordingly. Imagine getting deranked because the smurf has a silver 2 account but he's LEM in real life. There is the debate of it being legal or not to smurf as Valve cannot %100 prove it, but we can all agree, it is morally wrong.

If you want to learn more about gameplay, you can watch videos of Globals vs Globals. You will learn a hell of a lot more than any smurf can "teach" you.

Here is a good video about smurfs...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBwFr1_2A60

CHEATERS
These people ruin the experience for everyone because simply, they are just lesser men who haven't learned to "man up" in life. I am sorry, I am old skool. Real men (or women) don't cheat. Real men play honest and always push to do their best. Doing so, you will be the better player than the smurf and cheater. If you queue up with one, don't be afraid to report them, even if they are on your team.

But sometimes you can tell by the attitude of certain players if they are smurfing/cheating. The players have an ego they like the hide behind, and will tell you to "git gud", or "mad cause bad" and talking like a complete imbeciles, usually slinging childishly insults around. They smurf/cheat to deal with their own short comings in life (or in the game). Legitimate players usually offer their insight willingly because they have nothing to hide. They don't feel threatened if you try to call them out as a smurf or cheater.


Boosters/Derankers
Players get boosted to higher ranks because they don't feel they deserve the rank they are currently in. Derankers are the opposite. They find the rank they are in is just too hard to handle, thus, they want to go back to their lower ranks. This can affect you because you want to play to win, but it's hard when everyone wants to lose the match on purpose.

If you choose to want to get boosted, I do understand the need of wanting to get boosted. You are stuck and you feel you are better than the rank you are currently in. Consider the consequences.You may get boosted to a new rank and then find out that you cannot handle that rank. You will be upset, angry and everything which leads most players to create "derank matches". Firstly, think of the games you are going to ruin to the other team by getting boosted. You will boost with a smurf and the enemy team who has no chance, unfairly loses the match. So they lose their points leading them closer to losing a rank. Not a nice thing to do. Secondly, you find yourself wanting to derank, so imagine the players who play with you who are looking to rank up, how they feel knowing you want to throw the match. Not fair to them as well. Really, boosting is a no no. You should always try on your best merit to rank up honestly. There is no excuse to ruin someone else's gameplay for the sake of your own. That is just plain selfish. Be the better man. Just don't do it.


Griefers
These are really negative people to play with. They are the ones who purposely make the game bad for their own team. They vote kick people (new update does not give them a bot anymore) off, they block entrance ways. If you throw a molotov, they will step in the fire killing themselves which will trigger an automatic kick from the game if you "teamkill" 3 times. Basically, just jerks in the game. They can be permanently banned if they are found guilty twice by an Overwatch report. DO NOT under any circumstance start a fight with them as if you start griefing in return, you may be reported as well. There isn't anything you can do about it except play the match until the end and hope for the best.


Toxic Players
Well we have seen it and I have found myself at times to be guilty of being toxic. Hey, when we are losing and all hope is lost, it's hard to remain positive. Sometime it just takes someone on your team to give positive reinforcement to change that attitude. I have played matches where we did win in what would have been the slaughter of my team of the year. Things can turn around. If you have a toxic player, be the uplifting one. BE THAT GUY. And if you find yourself being toxic, try to shake it off. A good attitude in losing is better than losing with a bad attitude.


But you will meet lots of positive players as well. The leaders, the fun guys, the skilled guys, the team players. Friend them when you get a chance because it's better to queue up in Competitive with a friend than solo queing. Playing with positive people makes the chances of playing a match more successful. Or at least if you lose the game, you know you all did your best.

To be or not to be....

To have a better game play, it is no secret that it's always great to queue with a friend. But in order to play with friends, one must play the game to make friends, which means that no matter what, you will in the beginning have to solo queue for a few games until you build your friend roster. Don't worry it's not the end of the world. I can't guarantee you won't be playing with a bunch of jerks who will vote kick you off because you are not good enough, or they find it funny to do so. But if you play with a friend, if the team calls for a vote kick, your friend can vote against it. Out of 5 players, 4 have to say yes. A 3 to 2 vote to kick will not work and you will be safe.

But along side with solo queuing, you can play with a variety of different players and don't know how well they play, how they function, and how they interact within the team. At least if you play with someone that you have already played with, you have some kind of idea what to expect and increase your winning chances.

We all cannot be Global Elites and we all cannot be Silver 1's either.

So with that said, you have to take into consideration your own limitaions and drawbacks. This game depends on your attitude, your frequency of your playing, and your reflexes.

ATTITUDE
Having a good attitude is probably the best thing you can do for yourself. Attitude is also seen by the other players and hence they can draw on it as well. Even when things seem bad. It's easier to slip into negativity and get sour at the game you are playing. Quiting can be an option, but the cooldowns stack against you if you do it often, and will hit your current rank hard after a few rage quits. Yes it does suck when the other team has an obvious smurf/hacker. You can't really do much against the lesser men who most likely stuggling with their own gender identity. Keep in mind, REAL men (and women, unless you are Clara) don't need to smurf or cheat. Knowing that, you should know that automatically, it makes you the better player, even if you get destroyed in the game.


FREQUENCY
How often you play also dictates you skill as well. The more you play, the better you are and less likely to be rusty when you start a game. Not everyone can put in the hours like other players. Some people want and can only play less than 10 hours a week. It will be harder to rank up if you play minimal hours. Not saying you have to make a bigger investment, life is important too. It's just something to keep in mind as well. Pro hockey players practice hours every day. That's why they are in the NHL.


REFLEXES and LIMITATIONS
Not everyone is lightning fast with their controls. Some need pracitce, some just simply can't. Your age doesn't help if you are an older player like myself, almost 50!!! But my reflexes are still pretty good. I mean, I am not KennyS great, but I would say above average. I also play alot as well. But again, are there physical limitations? Keeping up with training maps and using those can help you improve. Know what you are capable of and work with it or around it. Maybe you don't have the greatest aim, but you can compensate by creating distractions, getting intel, playing a more passive aggressive game. But eventually, you will have to fight LOL


Maybe you will be silver all the time, but at least you should have and will have a better play sense.

Well needless to say, having a good gaming system DOES make a difference.
Here are the major points on what you need.

Computer (CPU, Hard drive, Memory)
Mouse
Keyboard
Graphics card
Monitor

I know not everyone can afford the best. But I am just saying that quality does pay off. Second hand gear can be an alternative to save some bucks.

Computer
You can have great everything else, but if your computer is deficient, the struggle will be real. Having a great CPU and sufficient memory is a must. SSD drives work much better than HDD drives. It is not uncommon for have multiple drives. Enough drive space is required so if need be, get a second SSD and dedicate it to STEAM games, if you find your system running slow and drive space is really limited.

Mouse
By far, a gaming mouse is better than standard. A good gaming mouse will have and could have up to 10 buttons on it, and all at your finger tips. This stops the need from raising your hand on a keyboard and fumbling and finding a certain key to hit because your Microsoft mouse has only 3 buttons. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, and if you can shorten that distance with your fingers, even better.

Now you need to set up your mouse sensitivity to YOUR needs, not what the PRO's use. You can research on YouTube and figure out what you need to do. Finding the right sensitivity is key. No point in having a high sensitivity if one movement makes you spin out of control and a low sensitivity causes you to barely move your mouse. Also consider the mouse acceleration if you want it ON or OFF.

Keyboard
You get a better response with the keys on a good keyboard. They are built better as well and easier to maintain. Non gaming keyboards tend to be less reliable over time and keys get sticky and less responsive.

Graphics Card
Do you want to rock at 30 FPS or at 400 FPS. Anything less that 60 is unacceptable. Anything above 60 is better. The better your graphics card, the higher your FPS output. Now you may not see 400 FPS on a 60hz screen (see Monitor), but at least your game won't run choppy. Your 60hz screen will display 60 FPS visually, but your card is still outputting high FPS which is good.

Monitor
Refresh monitor rates. 60, 144, 120, 144, 240... and higher
Having a monitor with a high Hz will improve your game. Well sort of. I found that I was already a good CS Player (MG1 was my highest rank), but having low standard gear hindered my ability to aim properly, see what was actually happening, lengthened my response time, etc. I felt like I was driving an old car in a racing competition. I went from 60Hz to 240 and immediately saw the difference. I would say my game play improved, but it was more like my game play came back on par to my standards.

With my graphics card hitting well over 300 FPS, I can now visually see 240 FPS on my screen as opposed to 60 FPS. So what ever Hz your monitor is, is what you will visually see on your screen.

Here is a link to refresh monitor rates. It's the best video that explains it all.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUvx81C4bgs


CLEANLINESS
Always keep your fans clean in your computer. I noticed a good jump from 80-100 fps to 150+ in fps when I dust off my fans and motherboard.

NOTE: I'll say the obvious. DISCONNECT your computer from the AC outlet when you use those compressed cans of air dusters because it does tend to LIQUEFY. And wait a few minutes after use of those air cans.

Before you play Competitive, playing other modes such as above can help you improve on different weapons and aim. Arms Race is great, you have a different gun at every second kill. Demolition, you just need to make one kill in the round to get the next weapon on the next round. This is good cause you can't choose the gun you want. But it has it's limits too. If you are not a good player, you won't advance very far in the match.

Deathmatch is probably the best place for you to practice with other people. Now how you approach this is up to you. You can choose your weapon, or put it on random. Now the problem I am seeing here and this is where I hear silvers wondering why they are not ranking up and why they are getting owed even in deathmatch. It's quite simple. Most people are using all the EZ "run and gun" guns. You know, the smg's with almost no recoil, the P90, the CZ75 pistol. The XM Shotgun. All EZ guns to use and get EZ kills.... at close range. To me, this is bad because it gives the player a false sense of skill, thinking they are a GOD because he's mowing (usually other silvers) down. So why learn rifles or anything like that when he's already a GOD on the smg's? Oh yes, and the auto sniper. But they always seem to have a hard time with the people who do use RIFLES because those guns are great for medium to long range, where the smg has very slim chance for long range kills.

Bottom line, if you want to get better as a player, LEARN YOUR RIFLES....
Terrorist - AK, SG-550, Galil
CT - M4, Aug, Famas

AWP and Pistols

Practice with these guns in Deathmatch and I swear, really I do, it will not take long for you to become good with it and you will wonder why you even relied on the EZ guns to begin with. You will mentally level up and really, isn't that a nice feeling?

When you start your round, the first thing you need is to get to a good position and cover an angle/area. Be mindful of your objective. Be mindful of your time. Know the blatant obvious hiding spots and try not to hide there. Half the kills you can get is usually from someone "not" looking in less susceptive spots. Cover your corner angles well. Keep in mind the other team may be doing the same. So be ready to move at all times.

I have learned not to peek when someone has a corner already. Usually the player who ducks out first loses when he tries to peek back. If you are not skilled enough to re-peek, just don't do it. Either smoke, flash and/or simply go to another position. It may even be a 50/50 chance you can re-peek for the kill, but I prefer to have the higher odds on my side. By smoking of flashing, you may get the advantage, but the enemy may also hold his ground and start shooting pop shots in the dark so to speak and still kill you. You have a choice to take a wide peek at this point.

I have learned that less skilled players will repeek and I have learned that when I am shooting a corner he ducked out already, I will kee tap firing until my clip runs out, which usually the other lesser skilled player will try to repeek in your line of fire. I don't know why they do this, but I think maybe they think you will stop firing ang they will gain the advantage. They usually don't. You can even fake stopping to fire for like half a second and the continue and they will pop their head out. Doesn't work all the time, but it is something that has benefitted me.

You don't see pro players in the Major Tournament running amuck Rambo style. If you are an impulsive player, you will die to the patient one. In hunting, it's usually "let the prey come to you."
Just this alone can improve your playing. There is no need to rush right away. Use that time to gather info if you can. LOOK at your radar and listen for footsteps and noise. This is essential. You hear noise and you are alone on your radar area, chances are, it's the enemy. You may rely on the fact that there would and could be players that just rush out for no reason, but at least, you will be better prepared and take them out easier.

Playing for Time
REMEMBER your objective. If you are CT and the bomb is down. Don't go hunting for the enemy. Let him do his objective, keeping in mind they he is also looking for you. And vice versa, if you are Terr and the bomb is planted, don't engage unless you really have to. Too any times I see the Terr try to take on the CT who now has the objective of defusing, only to die and the CT wins by defusing. Keep in mind of your round time as well. Or the CT that impulsivly comes out when the Terr is trying to plant (which he was fake planting) and then dies because he rushed too soon.

Always try to make the odds in your favour. A passive aggresive gameplay is key. Try to stay alive as long as possible. Don't engage if you don't have to...

Watch the pro games. Watch how they throw their nades. Like being a Terr in Mirage, you can throw a smoke over the wall and block the vision of the CTS on stairs at CT spawn. Sometimes forcing the other team to change their play is beneficial for you. Learn to long toss properly and even the short toss, you may not use it as much, but it is very useful for the guy on the other side of the wall 3 feet away from you. Use your utility wisely. I am sure there are times you wished you didn't throw away that certain grenade so early in the round. Learning to use utility is a skill on its own and can make the difference in winning or losing.

Round 1 suggestions
Try buying a flash and/or smoke on your pistol round. Could be a benefit. Also, maybe have everyone buy a regular nade and everyone throw in the same place where you know the enemy will be.

Example. You are CT on Mirage. Everyone throw 5 nades and Terrorist stairs. Maybe the T's will go ther or maybe they all went B. But if they do go there, you may get 1-2 kills and/or serious damage done to them? Or combo 1 smoke and 4 nades... Be creative if you can.

It's a gamble and the enemy won't expect it.

Well try to formulate a tactics. Sometimes someone needs to play bait or create a distraction just to get info. Also try not to crowd each other. If everyone is walking, make sure there is good distance between you. A good spray from the enemy jumping out with a p90 can take 3 of you down in an instant if you are huddled together. Just like in hockey, how you have the square formation, nobody breaks rank unless an opportunity presents itself or is needed. Work as a team, even if there are only 2 of you left. That means, wait for back up to come or get in position even if the bomb is planted. Going in together is better than one by one while the Terr plays for picks. Good communication is key. A team well organized and communicates well is a team that will succeed.

Learn the AK, M4, Aug, SG guns. If you rely solely on the EZ guns like the p90, bizon, ump, and other smg guns, you will not get very far. They are good for eco rounds, and can help you get some kills, but you will be mowed down by the rest of the enemy team. Not saying you can't win the round, it has been done, but again don't rely on it to win the match. Teams have won pistols on Round 2, but to play the game solely on pistols is very unwise. So why do the same with smg's.

Learning your weapons recoil pattern certainly helps. Learn to burst fire as well. Don't reload after every kill, I am sure half of your deaths are from reloading alone. Make sure you can reload. Be prepared to switch to pistol right away when you run out of bullets. Again, reload when you are sure or have no choice. Listen for the enemy reloading too. That would be a good time to take him out.

There are many custom maps that can help you with learning weapons recoill. Take a look at them.

To eco means to buy minimal of things. An smg, and $650 armour. Be mindful of your teams money and who is buying what. You don't need everyone with and AWP, one is enough. If you are losing more than winning, you will find yourself on eco rounds more and stuck with smgs, and almost no utility. If you have money, make sure you buy for your team if they can't get a gun. If you pick up/have a gun, and don't want it, let your team know before the buy round. Don't wait till everyone buys and then say, "anyone want this m4/ak?"

Your eco is your lifeline. Even if you have to save for a round. Everyone saves. A team saves, knowing they will lose that round anyway. If you buy a gun while everyone saves, chances are, you are gonna lose your gun, lose the round, and then next round everyone will have money to buy a good gun except you. Know when to buy, know when to eco, know when to save.

Yes it does come down to aim at one point, if your aim is terrible, what I mentioned all above is completely useless. Use aim maps and everything and learn the better guns like the rifles and recoil patterns. Learn to burst fire. Try not to crouch as well, as not only does it make you an easier target, it's harder for you to move if you are being shot at. You can learn to fire and move at the same time with training maps. There are also reflex maps to help you improve your reflexes. All these maps can really help you with your aim, your reflexes, and your weapon discipline.

Fix your sensitivity. I have my mouse acceleration ON. Most people have it off. I used to have it off, but I found that I had a hard time "closing in" on long range target. So I put my sensitivity to 1 and put my acceleration ON. My game and aim improve significantly. So the pro tips can help, but in the end, its up to your comfort. You cannot use the exact setting of your favourite player. Just like how I cannot copy the exact drum style of other drummers. It's their style, not mine.

Learning to have your aim already set before you come around the corner can be a life saver. BUT it is also that time that as you look away from the front of you does someone come out and get you from the side. The pros do outweigh the cons on this.

So when you are coming around the corner, just aim your cross hairs a bit off the corner. This way, you can be better ready to engage should someone be there. It really does improve your chances, but be mindful if that corner is not being already peeked by the enemy.

Too many times I see people get to a corner and then they move their cross hairs to look ahead (unless they are focusing on another area of the map). The shorter the distance you have to move your cross hair on the enemy, the better your chances.

You have a mic? You'd better. Nothing is more annoying that playing with a player who cannot communicate. Well no.. Nothing is more annoying than a team that is not willing to cooperate. They come into Competitive and tell everyone, "it's only a game." or "why so serious." You know, those players that take on a casual approach to Competitive. What can I say, that match is probably a loss because of them. It is frustrating when you are trying your best and players are not trying at all.

But in the event you are playing with other good sports, always make callouts, when possible. Always communicate. Even when you are dead, communicate, unless there is someone else making callouts. You also have to know when to remain silent. If there is one guy left and needs to concentrate, don't start talking unless you have %100 info to give him. Let him focus.

Aside from listening to your team, let me touch back on some points.

Listen to your environment.

Listen for someone reloading. If you engage with the enemy and you both duck out of cover but close enough to hear him reloading, you can use that to your advantage.

Listen to footsteps. Check your radar if you are not sure if it's friend or foe.

Listen to the sounds of the guns being fired. Not all guns are shared on both sides. So learn the gun sounds. Now cannot guarantee that if you hear and AK, that it's going to be a Terrorist firing it. Could be CT that picked one up. So again use caution. But this does help on Arms race, Demolition, and Deathmatch games.

Listen for bomb plant and bomb defuse.

You can even fake reloading, bombplant, and bomb defuse to your advantage.

No one is appointed team leader, but sometime one guy can rise to the occasion. It doesn't always have to be the top fragger. I mean a team leader can communicate info where his team takes the kills. A team leader is someone who you will know if he's doing a good job or not. You will know by if you find yourself listening to him or not. Suggestions are surely welcome on the buy round, if you have one to say, say it. Sometimes you may get on a team where no one is assuming team leader role. Perhaps this is an opportunity for you to shine.

In order to become a better player to rank up, it only makes sense to have people on your team better than you. You can have players on your team around the same ranks as yourself, but I don't know how easy it will be to rank up to the next level if you are playing against other players around the same rank as you.

Having players on your team with higher ranks forces you to play with higher ranked players on the other team. In turn you will learn to be better with the help and guidance from your higher ranked teammates.

If you are silver 2, you can play with Gold Nova 1 or 2 and even have an SEM on the team. The enemy team will be matched accordingly to your rank and your teams ranks. Don't be afraid to friend some of these players and ask to play with them. Also don't be afraid to not be the greatest player either, you will have your limitations pushed and that is the key to your success out of Silver Hell, or at least lower silver hell. You will get destroyed in the beginning, but you will get better as you start adapting to higher level of playing. Give it time.

While the game is generally fun, there are downsides to it.

Smurfing, griefers, hackers, bullies, pretentiouse players who have no patience for those who are learning. You know, the immature bunch that seems to flood the game when least expected.

Again, these are just some helpful tips to help anyone out. If anyone wants to share their views, by all means I would love to hear about it. I am pretty sure I could cover more on other areas, bring to my attention, I can certainly edit a new section in.

With that GLHF...

Some quotes from the discussion.

Silver hell doesn't exist...
You must be really bad to be silver..
Silvers blame everyone...
Git gud...

And all those other comments that seem like these people either didn't read the guide or simply did not comprehend what I was saying. They truly are reading to reply and not reading to understand.

What I wrote was some things that people should understand and put into practice to help them play a better game. People are silver not always cause they are bad, but lack of comprehension of the game play and stuff.

But of course, people who are ignorant to just sayin Git Gud, and whatever else dispenses from their facial cavity with teeth, are also prone to not be able to offer a point of value as well. If I confused some of you, that mean's offer a tip that can help another player out. Telling everyone to git gud and all that only shows your arrogance and immaturity to play this game and LOL you are the first ones to complaing about squeakers.

So here is my challenge to you. Try offering a helpful tip instead of a useless remark.

Some addtional tips to help you win. It actually is not something that you need to learn skill wise, it's something you can lean to implement in your playing. Learn these little tricks and it can give you that advantage you need.

Fake plant
Fake defuse
Fake where you arere going (ie. Throwing a smoke and decoy at A site on Mirage, but you are all going to B)
Fire nade to stop defusal
Smoke to ninja defusal
Picking up better weapons/utility before the round ends
- If the bomb is planted and other team mates are around, wait for them to get weapons if time permits. So wait till the 10 second mark if you don't have a defusal.
Know when to move silently
Check common corners
Know your economy and know when your enemy's eco is weak.}
Don't crowd your teammates. You don't need two people watching the same spot or covering the same angle.
Clutching is not always an option. Keeping your weapon or getting that AWP for your mate is better for your eco.
Watch pro matches
Learn your spray patterns. Learn to burst fire. Learn to one tap
Learn you map callouts
Hide when reloading/Listen for enemy reloading (Possilbe kill)
Learn the Rifles. The smg's are good for eco, but rifles will still tear someone to shred's faster.


If there is anything that should be added, let me know.

:-)