There comes a time in every CS:GO player's career when they have to solo-queue. The first thing we'll be discussing is the risks of solo-queue.

Risks

Many people call solo-queuing "yolo-queuing" because there is always a chance that you get queued with derankers, trolls, smurfs, or hackers.

It's always frustrating to play with a teammate that seems to be trying to lose or trying to get on everyone's bad side. Derankers are usually people that are skilled at the game, but do not want to have to try really hard to win their games so they choose to derank. Usually, derankers queue with a friend so they will not be kicked. Trolls in CS:GO range from people that only use one weapon to people that actively try to mess up their team. Sometimes players will make a new account so they can have fun at the expense of whoever they get queued up with and these players usually do not mind whether they win a match or not. Like derankers, trolls usually tend to queue up with friends who are willing to do the same things they are doing.

It's even more frustrating to play against smurfs or hackers. Smurfs are experienced players that create new accounts so they can play with people who are ranked lower than they are. Some smurfs create new accounts to play with their friends who are new to the game, but other smurfs play to have fun in an unorthodox way such as only using one rifle or pistol. Most smurfs are very good at the game and will dominate whoever they are against. Hackers are players that resort to using cheats to win games. The skill group of hackers is very diverse, so one can find hackers at any rank. It is very easy to tell whether someone is smurfing, but not so easy to tell if someone is hacking. There are a variety of hacks and sometimes someone that is good at the game is called a hacker even though they are not one. Pointing out whether someone is smurfing or hacking can be detrimental to your teammates' mentality because doing so can make your teammates more frustrated and give them a feeling of helplessness.

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Even though solo-queuing has its risks, you must stay positive and play the best that you can!

Rewards

There are a lot of players that are used to playing with a group of friends, so solo-queuing is something they are not used to. A good CS:GO player should be able to solo-queue, or else they will never know how good they are on their own. When a player plays with a group of friends for a while, he or she may grow dependent on their friends. In solo-queue, you are not able to rely on your team as much as you would rely on your friends. Solo-queuing is essential for knowing your strengths and weaknesses as a player because you have to rely on your own individual skill more. If you only play with your friends, you are basically sheltered by your own means. This is the equivalent of a parent that shelters their kid from the dangers of the world. Every CS:GO players needs to be able to rely on themselves, but every CS:GO player also needs to be able to rely on their teammates.

By solo-queuing, a player can learn how to deal with different kinds of players and how to play different kinds of roles in the game. Most friend groups have roles already assigned because they have played long enough with each other to know the strengths and weaknesses of everyone. One could say that always playing with a group of friends hurts your growth as a player because you are not getting accustomed to other roles in the game. If a player always plays with a group of friends, they are not as familiar with the CS:GO community. There are a lot of different players in the game, and not all players are easy to deal with. Every CS:GO player needs to know how to deal with different players.