Luck > Skill?

There's this really, really effed-up stinking smell coming from the grass, in not just in my neighbourhood, but the whole Toa Payoh. I've realised it since new year eve. I don't know what it is, maybe it's some kinda pesticide that the town council decided to use. If that's the case, they should really stop using it. This stink is getting on my nerves.

Alright, just after finishing watching the WSOP Main Event final table and I've decided to wrap up the poll.According to the results, most people prefer to leave their fate to lady luck rather than building up skills and using them to get what they deserved. Even I, myself, voted luck. Hahaha.

This typical argument of praying hard or working hard surely came across the minds of all people. Yes, it will suck when the element of luck overpowers the hours of hard work put in. Just like in the final table of the Main Event, Ivey was probably the best player on that table but he failed to win. The winner is Joe Cada, a 21 year old, who had lady luck smiling at him in most parts of the event. Some other examples that can be related to our daily lives are:

• Being the higher skilled team, you played well for the whole game. But a freak goal by the opponents in extra time killed your chances of winning.
• Spending the whole week studying for the test, you got decent results. But the top student of your class only spent half an hour reading up on one topic right before the test. That topic came out and you got owned.
  
• Holding a better pair of hole cards and being able to read that your opponent has a weaker hand than yours, you called him all-in. In the end, he sucks out on the river to win it all.
• You've been working hard for a few months and saving for that iPod. But when you went to Epicentre, you were told that it is sold out and there will be no stock until next month.
• You are working multiple part-time jobs, but your monthly pay is only half of the weekly allowance of your friend who have got a rich, rich daddy.

Well, of course some of these examples are exaggerated. But they also show how luck is related to everything we do. However, no one can control luck. So, skill just provides an alternative in controlling your own fate. Sure, skill can never win luck but without skill, you can never control your own life.

Btw, I like Joe Cada. He always apologises when he eliminate someone after sucking out. Well, that's the least you can do when you are lucky. At least he does not sit around with some snobbish arrogant look on his face.