Because it wasn't said, general tournament etiquette:
I just wanted to show support for your favorite character, Sharpie. I thought you'd like it.
Pools are each their own small bracket, usually capped at 16 person. My guess is that there will be 8 pools. The top 2 from each pool move in to top 16. One in winner's bracket, one in losers.
The entire tournament for all games is double elimination. Everyone starts in the winners bracket. When you lose you are placed at a certain point in the losers bracket, depending on how far you made it in winners. When you lose in losers bracket you are out of the tournament.
Don't be nervous, or at least try not to. Have fun, first and foremost.
That question is a large one and outside the parameters of this thread. Combos, setups, things you have trouble dealing with, casual matches/sets, all of these things are useful to work on. The Training Diaries section might be of good use for you in terms of understanding how people train and improve.
Warming up has always solved my issues relating to cold hands, nerves, adhd, and dropping fiber loops/squigly links constantly. I think it is very important. Even if you don't have execution issues, you need to be comfortable moving around in neutral so you don't freeze up. It's also a good reminder that even though you're in a new place and probably playing in front of people, that you still have all the tools you need to win.
If it's your first offline tournament you have the chance to play with and learn from so many new people in person. Not to mention it's easier for other people to help you in casuals offline. Every time I play offline with sage I learn something critical that levels me up just a bit.
I like warming up and shaking out nerves by entering a completely different game that I have never played and then either
- losing horribly so I hit the bottom very quickly and remind myself that I am playing video games, but in a game that has no real bearing on my purpose there
- somehow accidentally kill people with 15-minute Merkava or 5-Minute Teddie and laugh hysterically
This needs to be shouted over the loudspeaker over and over again.
All is fair in love and war, mate.
Forfeit if I play you and we've got a deal. :^P
Mike Z wants to see me use interactables?!??
About shio? Did he actually guess that in advance?