• Open the vote when it appears - do not wait for the last second every time
• If you do not know a map, it is ok to skip or follow a teammate you trust
• Recently played maps feeling stuck? Say so in chat calmly, do not start a war
• Empty-server is for learning plants - full pubs are for playing
• Questions welcome in this thread

I used to freeze and vote nothing. Then the server picked chaos. This kind of guide would have helped day one.

Vote early if you care. Last-second spam is how Radar wins three times.

If you do not know the map, vote with a friend who does, or skip. Random is fine. Do not force a map you hate for "practice" on a full pub.

Plant engies: if the pool has a map you cannot plant yet, it is ok to prefer one you can. Learning empty-server is better than griefing a full house.

Linking for trials. Low drama tutorial, high value.

Good sticky candidate. Short, practical, not a novel.

I will keep this updated if the pool changes. Ask questions here instead of only in voice panic.