How to Defeat Top Players, By Top Players:
Francesco Pio Pero (@pero_francesco)
🧵🔽
Francesco Pio Pero (@pero_francesco)
🧵🔽
Question 1: You’re paired vs Marco Silva for a win-and-in to Top Cut. What are you thinking when you first sit across from him?
"This is actually funny because I played Marco in the 2024 LAIC top cut, but anyways! Whenever I play against a top player in a big tournament, I don’t feel afraid.
My confidence comes from all the practice I’ve done. Even in a tough match, I know I have at least a 50% chance of winning if I prepared well. I’ve trained with some of the best players ever, so I’ve been in this situation plenty of times before.
I remind myself that my opponent is probably just as nervous as I am. They may be more so than I! Fear isn’t something I need to get rid of. It’s natural, like a survival instinct, but I can feel fear and still be confident at the same time.
For me, tournaments are all about chasing the strongest players and testing myself against them. That’s what makes competing exciting. After spending thousands of hours playing, I want the challenge of battling the best. That thrill and adrenaline rush are something I don’t get from an average ladder match."
"This is actually funny because I played Marco in the 2024 LAIC top cut, but anyways! Whenever I play against a top player in a big tournament, I don’t feel afraid.
My confidence comes from all the practice I’ve done. Even in a tough match, I know I have at least a 50% chance of winning if I prepared well. I’ve trained with some of the best players ever, so I’ve been in this situation plenty of times before.
I remind myself that my opponent is probably just as nervous as I am. They may be more so than I! Fear isn’t something I need to get rid of. It’s natural, like a survival instinct, but I can feel fear and still be confident at the same time.
For me, tournaments are all about chasing the strongest players and testing myself against them. That’s what makes competing exciting. After spending thousands of hours playing, I want the challenge of battling the best. That thrill and adrenaline rush are something I don’t get from an average ladder match."
Question 2: How do you make reads vs the best players in the world? How would you teach someone to make these plays? Is doing this even necessary?
"Bobby Fischer once said, "I don't believe in psychology. I believe in good moves." This applies to chess, but in VGC, mind games can change what the "correct" move is.
To train a player to make game-winning reads, I focus on teaching them how to fully understand matchups.
They need to explore every possible situation, know how to avoid bad positions, and figure out ways to escape if they end up in trouble.
Sometimes, opponents, especially the best ones, will play unpredictably. That’s when reading their habits and decision-making becomes important.
A strong player can put you in tough spots, but a top player can see all the possible plays and find a move that changes the game in their favor.
Instead of playing too predictably, they look for opportunities to break the cycle of expectations and surprise their opponent.
In big tournaments, top players don’t just study the game; they study each other. Like how Kabuto in Naruto had data on all the ninjas, the best VGC players analyze their rivals' playstyles. When it comes down to the toughest matches, understanding an opponent’s tendencies can give an edge in mind games.
Mastering this, reading habits, breaking prediction cycles, and studying opponents, is what leads to championship-winning plays."
"Bobby Fischer once said, "I don't believe in psychology. I believe in good moves." This applies to chess, but in VGC, mind games can change what the "correct" move is.
To train a player to make game-winning reads, I focus on teaching them how to fully understand matchups.
They need to explore every possible situation, know how to avoid bad positions, and figure out ways to escape if they end up in trouble.
Sometimes, opponents, especially the best ones, will play unpredictably. That’s when reading their habits and decision-making becomes important.
A strong player can put you in tough spots, but a top player can see all the possible plays and find a move that changes the game in their favor.
Instead of playing too predictably, they look for opportunities to break the cycle of expectations and surprise their opponent.
In big tournaments, top players don’t just study the game; they study each other. Like how Kabuto in Naruto had data on all the ninjas, the best VGC players analyze their rivals' playstyles. When it comes down to the toughest matches, understanding an opponent’s tendencies can give an edge in mind games.
Mastering this, reading habits, breaking prediction cycles, and studying opponents, is what leads to championship-winning plays."
Now is a good time to mention that Francesco is a coach for VGC Corner. If you are interested in getting coaching from Francesco, shoot me a DM!
Question 3: Say you're down 0-1 in a set vs a top player in a key match. How do you mentally reset?
"Mental resetting after losing Game 1 to a top player is all about staying calm and using logic to battle doubt. I experienced this firsthand against Luca Ceribelli, the reigning World Champion, in Round 9 of the 2025 EUIC. We were both undefeated, and the match mirrored our encounter from the previous year, where I had been completely overwhelmed.
In Game 1, I lost almost immediately. Instead of panicking, I delayed my forfeit for a few turns, using that extra time to think. Luca had prepared a specific strategy just for facing me, but now that the element of surprise was gone, I reminded myself to focus on the facts. I had trained for this scenario by playing in countless tournaments, learning that even losses were valuable experience for the future.
With both of us fully aware of each other's strategies, I knew my matchup was slightly favorable. I refused to let his surprise throw me off. I wasn’t the same player I had been last year. Staying composed, I played with confidence and executed a clean comeback, proving that my preparation and mentality had paid off.
Managing emotions is key in moments like these. We aren’t robots. Sometimes, pressure can overwhelm us, and we won’t always handle the situation perfectly. However, emotions themselves aren’t bad; they can fuel motivation when controlled properly. Balancing logic, preparation, and emotional awareness is what leads to strong decision-making, even in the most intense matches."
"Mental resetting after losing Game 1 to a top player is all about staying calm and using logic to battle doubt. I experienced this firsthand against Luca Ceribelli, the reigning World Champion, in Round 9 of the 2025 EUIC. We were both undefeated, and the match mirrored our encounter from the previous year, where I had been completely overwhelmed.
In Game 1, I lost almost immediately. Instead of panicking, I delayed my forfeit for a few turns, using that extra time to think. Luca had prepared a specific strategy just for facing me, but now that the element of surprise was gone, I reminded myself to focus on the facts. I had trained for this scenario by playing in countless tournaments, learning that even losses were valuable experience for the future.
With both of us fully aware of each other's strategies, I knew my matchup was slightly favorable. I refused to let his surprise throw me off. I wasn’t the same player I had been last year. Staying composed, I played with confidence and executed a clean comeback, proving that my preparation and mentality had paid off.
Managing emotions is key in moments like these. We aren’t robots. Sometimes, pressure can overwhelm us, and we won’t always handle the situation perfectly. However, emotions themselves aren’t bad; they can fuel motivation when controlled properly. Balancing logic, preparation, and emotional awareness is what leads to strong decision-making, even in the most intense matches."
Question 4: How has your mentality changed over time, playing against top players? Do you see these matches differently?
At one point, I felt like I had the skillset, but I was not able to win key matches and get world-class results. Over time, I realized that having the skills wasn’t enough; I was missing the "killer instinct," the hunger to win. To fix this, I started visualizing my goals, writing them down, and looking up stories that reminded me why I was competing. This helped me stay consistent and maintain a high level of play.
My mentality toward top players hasn’t changed; I’ve always enjoyed facing them. The issue wasn’t my opponents; it was my mindset. Once I found my inner drive, I became more confident and prepared for these high-stakes matches.
At one point, I felt like I had the skillset, but I was not able to win key matches and get world-class results. Over time, I realized that having the skills wasn’t enough; I was missing the "killer instinct," the hunger to win. To fix this, I started visualizing my goals, writing them down, and looking up stories that reminded me why I was competing. This helped me stay consistent and maintain a high level of play.
My mentality toward top players hasn’t changed; I’ve always enjoyed facing them. The issue wasn’t my opponents; it was my mindset. Once I found my inner drive, I became more confident and prepared for these high-stakes matches.
Question 5: What advice do you have for newer players who face a top player at their next tournament?
"Don’t be afraid of losing; it’s part of the journey. Top players have a lot to teach, so focus on learning and enjoying the experience.
If you keep working hard, in a few years, you might face the same opponent again and pull off an upset.
Challenging matches help you grow, and easy ones get boring fast. Embrace the challenge and keep improving!"
"Don’t be afraid of losing; it’s part of the journey. Top players have a lot to teach, so focus on learning and enjoying the experience.
If you keep working hard, in a few years, you might face the same opponent again and pull off an upset.
Challenging matches help you grow, and easy ones get boring fast. Embrace the challenge and keep improving!"
That's all I got for this thread, I am looking for some feedback:
- Do you like this type of content? Let me know!
- Who should we interview next?
- How are the questions asked? Should we ask more impactful ones? If so, which ones?
Thank you for reading til the very end! Follow me for more content just like this 🫶
- Do you like this type of content? Let me know!
- Who should we interview next?
- How are the questions asked? Should we ask more impactful ones? If so, which ones?
Thank you for reading til the very end! Follow me for more content just like this 🫶
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