First of all, congratulations on a remarkable season, finishing #1 with a phenomenal winrate. you're set for the next open now right?Thanks! Yep I will be at the open in March. I'll probabaly take a bit of a break for the next 1 or 2 weeks and then start preparingWell deserved rest. How did the last day grind turn out for you? Was there any moment where your #1 spot was severly threatened? How much did you have to play that day to secure the spot?I actually did not play much the last couple of days as I had a pretty comfortable lead. On the last day Tailbot got somewhat close and I played another 3 games or so to make sure I stay at 1st place ;)People asked me about an an article about how to approach the Pro Rank or laddering in general. I'm not a pro player myself, that's why I asked you for this interview. How do you approach a day of laddering? Do you have a specific preparation before hopping into ladder or do you just go right away?I don't have a special preparation. I do however try not to play the first 2-3 hours after waking up as my brain is not yet fully functional at those times. I usually don't play more than 2 hours straight before taking a break and I also try not to play the last 1-2 hours of the day as I get tired (although I sometimes break that rule when I feel like the meta is really good at the moment for a deck that I am currently pushing a peak with)Say you're on peak or on a winning streak, but you've passed your 2 hour mark. Do you also keep going or do you only do that when the meta is right (I guess they are kind of connected in a way)In that case I'll probably take a small break and then keep playing but it always depends on how I feel. If I feel like I'm still playing good I also sometimes play longer than 2 hoursWhat about the other way around: What do you do if you're on a losing streak (if you even have those) or after a bitter loss, maybe to draw RNG?What would be the right thing to do in these situations is to take a break and sometimes I'm able to follow through on that. Unfortunately I'm also not beyond tiltability and often will keep playing in order to try and "make up" for the lost mmrI assume ladder anxiety isn't something that you have problems with, but do you have any tips for people who do?I don't think ladder anxiety plays much of a role on Pro Rank due to the peak mmr system. The only situation where it could come up is if you are on peak and are afraid to lose it. The easiest way to avoid that situation is to not stop playing when you are on peak but instead to keep playing until you lose 1 game so next time you play you don't have to start on peak :)You said earlier that try not to play more than 2 hours. Do you manage your time in a specific way? Do something to balance out the time in front of the computer? Lifecoach for example used to split his day in "blocks"I don't structure my day in such a specific way. I just try to make sure I don't play when I can't fully concentrate anymore but I don't keep time and say I need to stop playing after 2 hours for exampleFair enough. Let's move on from ladder to tournaments, where a lot of money is on the line. How do you deal with such immense pressure? What mindset do you enter each series with?I just try to purely focus on the games and not to think about anything else like the implications of winning or losing a match. That usually worked out well for me and I don't really struggle with pressure too much in these situationsSo is there a difference in how you play in a tournament environment compared to ladder? Or is it "business as usual"?There is not much of a difference. In a tournament I will take a bit more time, counting everything multiple times to make sure I did not miscount but not much else. After all you are still playing the same gameAlright I think we can start wrapping things up here. Is there any specific tip you'd like to give any aspiring pro player out there?Try to learn from every game. If you are not sure why you won or lost a game think about that before queing up the next one. It can also be useful to record your games and rewatch and analyze them, especially those where you were not sure about some playsThanks a lot and good luck with your open preparation! Enjoy your time offThanks, was a pleasure