How to play as a second player？

[tgpyke12eikhh]

For two evenly matched opponents, it's almost impossible for the first player to lose

[Usernameless404]

As second player I feel you have the advantage of reacting to every move, and thus have an oppertunity to counter everything since you always know a little bit more then your opponent. I might not have that much matches in yet, therefore I can be totally wrong, but I dont see how going first is unbeatable, even if you both play a perfect game. With the switching, moving and placing only in the quadrants where you have the least pieces, it opens up to a lot of tactics for first and second player. So that 1 extra piece in the start of the game shouldnt really make that much of a difference.

From the connect 4 perspective, sure it's nice to go first lead your opponent on, distract him, and bam, its to late, you've already got him on the ropes. But from the rock paper scissors aspect in the game, you know what the opponent throws at you, you know how to counter it, that's a huge advantage. So you can actively block paths he could take, while building your own paterns.