Would you rather be lucky or good?

JoeArthur

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One of Cpl Uhl's phrases is "I'd rather be lucky than good". He usually says it after I've called him a lucky bastard :)

I was playing the Chicago tourny and after I won a game was called lucky.

So - would you rather be lucky or good?

Napoleon and Eisenhower's thoughts on the subject:

"When Napoleon Bonaparte was criticised for winning battles simply because of luck, he famously retorted: “I'd rather have lucky generals than good ones.” More than a hundred years later, Eisenhower reaffirmed this point by saying: “I'd rather have a lucky general than a smart general. They win battles.”
 

BattleSchool

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Admittedly, there is something to be said for making your own luck. A recent match between two top players in the Chicago Open illustrated how one player won because his opponent rolled "snakes" on the last turn. In fairness to the winner, a win was only in his grasp because he had fought a fine delaying action.

IMO, the most satisfying wins are those where your opponent played at his best, but which you nevertheless won by playing just a little better. A purely "lucky" win takes something away from that victory. IOW, I'd rather be good, and my opponent likewise, than lucky. But then we armchair generals are only playing with cardboard lives.

In a real-world conflict, I'd welcome all the luck I could get. :)
 

Vinnie

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I'd rather be lucky. There's little chance of me being much more than competant but stick with a game and luck poften evens out.
 

WuWei

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Playing a good game (whether I win or lose) is way more satisfying than winning a game by pure luck. But to be honest: I don't complain when I play a good game against a good opponent and win because I get a lucky roll in the end.
 

bendizoid

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My estimate is, 20% of the competently played games, between a solid player and a excellent player, are decided by luck. It’s the 1-in-5 rule.
Continuing, +-20% of the games with excellent play vs awesome play are decided by luck.
 
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Vic Provost

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Admittedly, there is something to be said for making your own luck. A recent match between two top players in the Chicago Open illustrated how one player won because his opponent rolled "snakes" on the last turn. In fairness to the winner, a win was only in his grasp because he had fought a fine delaying action.

IMO, the most satisfying wins are those where your opponent played at his best, but which you nevertheless won by playing just a little better. A purely "lucky" win takes something away from that victory. IOW, I'd rather be good, and my opponent likewise, than lucky. But then we armchair generals are only playing with cardboard lives.

In a real-world conflict, I'd welcome all the luck I could get. :)
Totally agree, I would rather win a hard-fought, close game any day than one that I did mainly through hot dice.

If you ever get a chance to see Steve Pleva play, he is at the top of skill level in this hobby and can overcome bad dice better than anybody.

I have lost to him twice, learned much both times, one a blowout, the other he just did beat me on the last turn. At least that was a competitive game and one of my better efforts to hang in. Great guy as well, I hope to see him in Albany this December, Vic.
 

Old Noob

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If you're a good ASL player, fine.
If you're a lucky ASL player, fine.
If you are good AND lucky, you really got it.
 

Sparafucil3

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Too funny.

The player I was referring to was none other than...

This was Steve's walkup music at his first ASLOk. It forced the ASLOk venue to remove the audio system from the event when the city of Cleveland actually evacuated in fear over Gor-gor being in Cleveland. It was all quite amusing to us ASL'ers. -- jim
 

Sparafucil3

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In the long run, GOOD will always beat lucky. Good often creates it's own luck. But in the microcosm of a single game or a small series of DR's, Luck will generally prevail.

Amongst equally skilled players, playing a well balanced scenario, playing mistake free, luck will be the deciding factor. In real life, anyone in a fair fight like this, didn't plan very well. In ASL sense, that's well executed :)

Personally, I would rather just not be "un-lucky", you can otherwise keep your luck. -- jim
 

malorum

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While watching sports games my son and I have often overheard fans discussing the "bad luck" due to the referees or the umpires or the bounce of the ball.
And we agree that basically, you need to be good enough that bad luck doesn't matter.
But the reality is, I need a bit of luck.
 

Vic Provost

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For the vast majority of us, good luck is very much welcome, bad luck, not so much.

How you deal with either might help define you as an ASL player, Vic.
 
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