Sorry for Your Loss

By: Adam Bixler

            I have a temper that isn’t immediately apparent. I’m normally slow to anger and tend to bottle my aggression up and overcome it. Except for times when I really really should have won that game but god, he was so lucky, and I just didn’t draw that thing I needed and…. You get the point.

There is just something about slowly realizing you’re going to lose a game and there isn’t anything you can do about it. Then, I over analyze things and get frustrated. Not just with myself but with the “luck” aspect of any competitive card game. That rage boils up and over and I start to lose sight of the positives of losing. That’s right, the POSITIVES of losing.  The chance to learn from your mistakes and get better. To see something new that an opponent utilized which lead to your defeat. Also realize that your self-worth is never tied to your record. Success is a long constructive process that happens over time. By ignoring your defeat and chalking it up to bad luck you deprive yourself of necessary tools to surpass your failures.

            When you lose a game, it is quite simple to shrug it off as something out of your control. Most of the times, however, you really can’t blame Lady Luck. You were making the decisions the entire game. What you did on the first turn of the game. Was that really the right call? You need to ask yourself the big question: who are you and what…wait wrong advice. You need to ask what could have been done to make your game more favorable. Pretty sure Uncle Iroh said that at some point. Joking aside, taking that loss and learning nothing is the worst thing you can do. It sets you back for your next game, your next tournament and overall in life. Deep, right?

            For instance, many times I chose a poor way to conduct my turn order. In one game it led to an awkward hand where I needed a ranged character, but I had already transformed and lost the ranged tagline. Not being able to play marksmanship that turn would later have me wishing I still had that Plasma Burst in hand. Optimus Prime Battlefield Legend is a hell of a card but does have drawbacks if you are dumb with your game plan. At the time, I didn’t think there was anything I could have done about that loss. Until I just admitted that it was a choice I made early that affected the entire game. By learning that lesson, I became more aware of my little actions that might affect the game later. Proper sequencing became better as I played and stuck in my brain because of that loss.

            It’s not just about accepting defeat but seeing your opponent’s ability as well. They made decisions that ultimately gave them the win. Was it the deck? It couldn’t have been all luck. What about their play shoved them to the next round while you had to go to the bleachers? Looking down on others doesn’t help your situation. Whether you want to admit it or not, they are still the winner. By determining what made your opponent successful you can form a strategy for your next encounter or adapt a useful tactic they may have implemented. The humility of seeing them as a learning center rather than an unlucky loss is the positive growth needed to become a well-rounded and better player.

         

            I’ll admit that I have looked down on others as lesser players. But guess what? Even if I was the “better” player, I still lost. I had lost to an Aerialbots player shortly after the release of wave 2. At the time I was so mad at the luck that player had and how even through their mistakes they still won, that I failed to see that Aerialbots was an actual deck to look out for. It took hearing a player I respected (Dan Arnold) say how the deck is viable. I was so stubborn in thinking combiners were bad, that I failed to realize that the reason the player won against me was that his deck had a viable strategy. And even though he won through some luck that didn’t negate the viability of his deck. I couldn’t see that and never adapted my decks to take on a threat like Aerialbots.

            Some people staple their self-worth to the success or outcome of any of their conquests. It’s no different in a card game about robots smashing into each other. Their record is what defines them. Loss is unacceptable because it means they have no value. Wins are what matter. To quote Ricky Bobby; “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” Which is a horrible creed to live by as you learn later in the film. Being consumed to achieve a winning record blinds you and creates an attitude where you refuse to learn from defeat. Not because you don’t want to learn, but your quest for the win overwrites everything else you can do. It eventually leads to a point where the player may lose interest and will constantly make up excuses

“This game is so unfair now.”

“I won’t play until “X” is banned.”

“This game relies too much on luck.”

“There is a no skill in this game.”

I’ve heard them all. League of Legends makes me want to say them almost daily…

            The whole point of playing a competitive game like this is to test your mettle against others. In this battle of wits there will be winners and losers. Loss is unavoidable. How you let it mold you is the defining factor. Excuses only inhibit your ability to learn. That is all you are really doing when you ignore your losses. Obviously, there are times where the cards are just not in your favor. But it’s also in those times where you must stay humble enough to see that it is not your place to invalidate your opponent’s win. Take time to see the brighter side of your losses. “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” No that isn’t Uncle Iroh, but he would agree with Bill Gates on this one.