1. Know your weapons
Know your weapons strength, weaknesses, and most of all how much ammo is in it. You should always be using the right weapon for the right scenario. For example you wouldn’t want to go into close quarters combat with a sniper rifle. So, you should switch to your pistols. Vice versa once you made it out of a close quarter’s area and your out in a wide open space switch back to your sniper rifle.

Also make sure your backup weapons are loaded and they are binded in case you need to quickly switch back to them.

Never Spray and Pray’ (Accuracy will keep you alive)

One of the most common mistakes that newbie’s will make is holding down the fire button. Holding down the fire button with automatic weapons will greatly reduce the player’s accuracy. In fact if they hold down the button too long they will hit anything but their target. Usually firing one to three rounds at a time is best.

2. Stay with your teammates
Never try to go off and play Rambo. Stay with friends and use team work to take out the enemy and stay alive. Think of this many real world tactics and strategies use team work. For example house clearing. Wouldn’t it be easier to have three players with you before you go through a door way while one teammate covers your back another watches the overhead area. And another throws a flash bang into the room. You are unlikely to be shot from behind, the enemy can’t rush out and kill you, and finally you never have to let your guard down not having a weapon ready since you are throwing a flash bang.

You might not get great support like this scenario in a pub server. You can still get one or two teammates to help you though. You will have to have your mic and good voice commands you are likely to coerce team members to cover your back and throw in a flash bang for you.

3. Use your Radar
Radar is perhaps the most blown off or unused tool in Counter Strike.
Radar is essential and there is no excuse for opening up on your teammates and friendly fire deaths.

Radar- Is the green circle icon on your screen that helps you know your location and your surroundings

Here are five important icons to remember

-A red dot represents the VIP (Only seen by CT’s on as_maps/bomb carrier is only seen by the T’s on de_maps
-A T shape represents a teammate a level above you.
-An upside down T shape represents a Team member a level below you.
-A yellow square represents a Teammate using the Radio

4. Use communication
IF you are going to excel in clan matches you’re going to have to use team strategies. To use any strategies or tactics you will need to communicate. So, you should bind essential radio commands that will help you communicate with your teammates. You can also get a decent mic and talk to your teammates. Just make sure all talk is not on obviously. Some players will even bind aliases to give text messages.

5. Use Stealth
Stealth is extremely important. Remember noise gives you away! Walking over grates, rooftops is especially loud, and don’t forget climbing ladders.

Use a M4 or usp with a silencer

Use a silenced weapon so you won’t give away your location. If you are a T this is even better; because the CT’s will not expect a sneaky T with a silenced M4a that he has acquired. Also it’s optimal to take out the enemy and not give away your exact location to the enemies.

Step Silent

Use the side of walls to walk along to slow your speed slightly and silence your steps. Even better you can crouch and use the walk key to slow and silence your steps.

Going up and down ladders

You can actually crouch while going down a ladder; and guess what you will make no noise at all. Going up or down a ladder you should walk into the wall while on the ladder. Make sure you only to move your mouse a tiny bit to ensure you go up or down. This way you can stay silent.

You can use stealth and still be offensive. You should practice stalking enemies by using your radar, listen for footsteps, all while keeping quiet and hidden yourself. Coming up on an unaware enemy at close range is an easy kill.

Stay in inconspicuous low lighted areas of the map. There is nothing wrong with hiding if you are low on health. Try this and you will be surprised at the number of players that will fly right by you.

6. Know your location and surroundings
Know where you are, your teammates, and where enemies are likely to be. You should always take a quick check to how many players are still alive too. Plus if you see that a member on your team just died and you know he was in a location ahead of you. You know that the enemy is in that location now.

Keeping the enemy guessing where you are at is crucial. Keep quiet and be prepared. If the enemy knows your location after a firefight you should move out of that area. If you have been spotted or it is too late keep your self moving in a way that you are unlikely to be hit by the enemy. Use quick strafing techniques while you take shots at the enemy. Popular techniques to make your self a hard target include the following.

Strafe and zigzag towards your enemy to take him out. Do it quickly so other teammates do not come to assist him or get to your location in time to help him.

Jump up and down to avoid being shot in the head. Players are used to changing their aim more horizontally than a drastic vertical change. Note: you can only do this now and then for a short time when you cannot avoid taking fire from the enemy. This is great if you have an AWP because jumping will not affect your aim.

Lure the enemy into an ambush. Run towards your teammates and get in position to take out the enemy that is chasing after you. This is great if you have low health and ammo.

Shoot then ambush: fire a few shots in the enemies’ general direction run back and take cover. While the enemy is searching for you take him out with a few shots. The great thing about this technique is the enemy is usually out in the open, they don’t know where you are, and you know exactly where they are at. Plus after you kill them they will feel a little stupid.

Out of game help

1. Setup your controls to optimize your game play

See the control settings article

2. Get the best hardware and tweak your settings

Sites like rage3d.com will give you knowledge and the know how to get the highest CPU speed and FPS in counterstrike strategy

3. Practice, Practice, Practice

There is no substitute for practice. Players that get more out of practice our ones that learn techniques then slowly apply them in real live game play. Also players that succeed are ones that keep an open mind (even if they are very experienced) and learn from strategies and as well as mistakes.