Tetris icon Henk Rogers reveals how to become a pro ahead of the Red Bull Tetris Finals

As the Red Bull Tetris tournament qualifiers continue, Tetris legend Henk Rogers is sharing tips on how to achieve greatness while playing the classic game on your phone. 

Rogers is often credited with making Tetris an international success after purchasing it from the Soviet Union in the 1980s and then founding The Tetris Company. He saw Alexey Pajitinov showcasing the game at a trade show back in 1988 and was "mesmerized." He brought the game back to Japan and "everybody went crazy" for it as well. 

Since that fateful trade show, Tetris has become one of the OG esports. Even those that aren't super familiar with the competitive Tetris scene have probably heard the phrase "boom, Tetris" and understand the incredible concentration, skills, and hand-eye coordination involved in being the best-of-the-best at this puzzle game. 

"The very, very best are dedicated. They're like athletes – they practice, they analyze their game, they improve," Rogers told Red Bull. "That’s what the top Tetris players do. I’m positive the Red Bull Tetris finalists will embody that same level of dedication!" 

If you want to also become a pro Tetris player, Rogers suggests you "put in the hours." The top players are past the point of thinking, apparently. They play with their body, not their mind, Rogers said. That's because they have a "short-circuited path" from their eye to their hand. It's almost automatic. 

They also probably have gloves, from what I've seen. 

       

 

Red Bull Tetris World Finals 

Want to see some of the best Tetris players in the world show their insane skills? The Red Bull Tetris World Final event will take place in December, bringing players from 55 different countries. 

"Most people have no idea what great Tetris truly looks like. I’ve met so many people who think they're really good, but they haven't seen what top-level play really is, so I’m looking for 'Ooh, ahh.' I want people to react and say, 'Oh my gosh, this is so amazing,'" said Rogers. 

The Red Bull Tetris World Final will take place in Dubai and is set to feature 2,000 drones creating the first-ever live playable Tetris game in the sky. We've come a long way from the trade show in the 80s.