Bad Sportsmanship / Being a 'sore loser' - How do you deal with it?

PumpedAaron

PumpedAaron

S Type Armor
Member
I did a terrible thing today with my Pokémon colleagues: I got whiny, lost my temper, and complained about the nature of me losing in a casual match.

It was Luxchomp(He has a rather unique name... I forget) vs. Donchamp (Me) , and I had felt rather mentally tired overall, so I made a few misplays, not out of a lack of forethought, but out of shear boredom, like using Junk Arm for a Pokémon Communication to fetch a third Donphan that I didn't need at all, just to show off, rather than retrieving Random Receiver to get a Draw Supportor to get my last {F} Energy in my Deck that I needed, to gain the upper hand.

It was a thrilling match where we were constantly neck-and-neck, we were practically trading prizes, and the pace of the match was very slow and suspenseful. Rather than appreciate that, though. I just complained how I was in bad form and just carried myself in a disturbing and disgruntled way in front of people, I had minutes ago felt fun and enriched to be around... and at a restaurant too!

I'm just so ashamed, and I needed to vent. Everybody hears horror stories about some whiny twat who ruins the whole environment and the "love of the game, as its famously called, and in that moment, I was one of them.

Have any of you guys ever struggled with any moments where you suddenly did feel angry because you got obsessed with winning, and you surrendered in some way to your inner evil? I just hope there are people out there who know that I'm not a pure prick, deep down, and I'd like some advice and sympathy. I will never forget this horrible mistake. From now on, I will play as one enjoying the intricate colors and textures of an energetic battle!

While this issue happened in a Pokémon match, the issue itself could also happen in a variety of games, and its definitely more of a social and cultural matter, so I'd say it fits in this forum very well.

Thank You,

Paul "Pumped Aaron"
 
RE: The whiny loser...

No need to be rude, but was this thread necessary? I also get mad at SMB for NES alot when I can;t beat world 8-1!
 
RE: The whiny loser...

Salamencetrainer34 said:
No need to be rude, but was this thread necessary? I also get mad at SMB for NES alot when I can;t beat world 8-1!
Click to expand...

I understand your point. I'm not exactly contributing something directly to the community, but I was just so emotionally tense about it and wanted to get it off my chest. It is an issue about good gaming ethics, though, so perhaps other people here can relate to it.
 
I changed the title of the thread to make it clearer what the thread is about & maybe get some attention & discussion going.

I'm not calling a sore loser haha, but that is often what it's called when you whine after losing. :]
 
RE: The whiny loser...

I know the feeling of getting way to upset over the game, when everyone else there is having a good time and I'm sitting a seat away telling everyone how my opponent topdecked something to win or whatever. It's usually only at tournaments, or when this annoying kid at league bugs me enough to make me battle him and get's stupid luck, though.

I feel like you have to do something if you get upset over the game, and not just try to act like it never happened, but probably over in the corner, and not to your opponents face. Like analyzing what went wrong in your head, or just stop before you start fighting a frustrating battle you know you can't win, or maybe just bang the table once. When it comes down to it, if you're not having fun, stop before you get mad about it.
 
I used to get super upset over important ladder games on PO during the early days. Even now, I still get a little irritated when I get stomped playing Halo 4 or something like that during online play. Competitiveness is to be expected when you put your heart and soul into doing what you love, and it's understandable to be angry when you feel that you were cheated out of a win. But stuff like that happens, and I've learned that playing stuff like that with friends is twice as enjoyable as doing it alone. Getting a party of 4 people on XBL is always something I enjoy doing, because I don't focus on winning or my personal score, I focus on having a good time with my friends. In my opinion, it's the best way to cool down or have fun after a bad loss.

This may not have been the exact standpoint you were looking for on the subject, but I thought my view on the issue might have been of some help! In short, keep doing what you love and strive to be the best.
 
I used to be terrible for raging over losing a game. Over time I learned to stop complaining and to start reviewing. I'll look back at why I lost and learn from my mistake. If all you do is cry and moan about how you should have won, you're going to get yourself nowhere. Not only is my way of handling a loss a better solution than complaining about how hurt my butt is, it also helps improve my skill.

If you have a habit with this, perhaps it's time to leave the game for good (or at least take a break). If you're finding more stress in the game than enjoyment, I don't think it would be healthy to continue playing. Too much stress isn't exactly good for the body, especially when it is over a game.

If you want an example of extreme rage, look at SOMALIA haha.
 
My friend used to do this all the time back when Brawl first came out and I repeatedly crushed him with ROB. He'd win like one match to my five or six, sometimes more. I just take it in stride; no point getting upset over a video game, after all.

(That doesn't mean to never be upset at any game you lose at--bad things happen--just take a break and come back later.)
 
I used to take losing a lot harder when I was younger. I remember wallowing in pity right after it happened, and then laughing at myself the next day when I looked back at it. I think it's something that comes with maturity, and something we need to be understanding of with others.
 
I've got a buddy who hates to lose but he's a good guy otherwise. Just don't let it get to you and focus on the good side.

(PMJ, i beat my buddy in brawl and he taught my sister two curses.)
 
Hey at least you didn't do this:
tumblr_m0najymJSy1qia2dho1_500.gif

Probably the best and most cliche advice is it's just a game. Also when luck is involved, there's really nothing you can do about, so you just have to shrug it off and carry on. For example, I was in this wifi tournament in which I made it to the quarter finals(final 8 out of 256). It came down to our final pokemon and we each had a jolly choice scarf flygon, so it came down to a speed tie in which he won. Yeah it sucked, but it literally came down to a coin flip in which I had zero control over, so I didn't fret over it too much since sometimes, that's just how the coin lands. You can't really do anything about, you just have to accept it.
 
I've had a lot of raging moments not with Pokemon but with league of legends. That game ends friendships faster than anything else. The key to preventing yourself from raging is going in with the right attitude. A lot of my rage moments in LoL were because I expected to succeed and then someone did something awful and we lost the game because of it. Often, being upset makes players play worse than they normally would. It's a snowball effect whereby once I do something stupid, I would do more stupid things because I got upset. Rage moments come even more when the game is high stress. I've been known to yell at my team mates in LoL after we lose an important tournament game. In Pokemon, when I lose a I stress game, I usually tilt my hat down so that no one can see my face.

The key to prevent raging is to detach your emotion from your playing. Emotion makes you play worse on the whole. Also, go in with a happy-go-lucky attitude -- play the game for the game -- not for the win. Even in tournaments, you should logically say to yourself "Winning this game would be good -- I want to do my best to win this game". Your goal should not be to win -- that is a goal that emotion can get in the way of. Your goal should be to play a perfect game in an effort to win. Be analytically about your games and constantly think several steps ahead. If your brain is too busy calculating, there's no room for emotion. This will also help with your gameplay indirectly. If you aren't emotional, you'll base your plays more on probability or deciding that you can't win if X bad thing happens. Emotional gameplay often involves taking more unnecessary risks than usual with, on the whole, doesn't play off.

To achieve a nonemotional state do tons of math and science homework before every tournament just practice using your head instead of your heart. This skill will definitely come with age and experience, but there are some things you can do to improve. For one, when I was young, I would repeat "cool, calm, relax" in my head whenever my heart started pounding. This mantra, while goofy, brought my heart rate down and helped me play more logically. Also try to be chill about the game. I LOVE PTCG, and showing my love for the game helps me remember why I play. Make an active effort to show your opponent respect and smile a bit. Remembering your love of the game will help you be more chill when you lose or win. Directly after a game -- win or lose -- don't think too much about it. That's in the past. Remember to talk to friends, play more games, and just have fun. Worry about your errors and whatnot later when the game has less emotional baggage to you.

Remember, if all else fails, find your favorite stress ball or carry a pillow around. Pillows serve many purposes at PTCG events -- mid-round naps (something I'm nearly known for by now), making chairs more comfortable, and punching bags. You can also get friends and opponents to sign the pillow for memorabilia.

Have fun my friend. Hope this helps.
 
You know what can be a good cause to go "sore loser" in Pokemon? Losing because you couldn't draw good off an N. Such a sacky card costing you a win is just warranting a rage. Otherwise, I just try to keep my cool especially during casuals.
 
If I ever get angry while losing it's generally aimed at myself doing stupid things or making stupid mistakes.
If you're not one of those people then raging happens from time to time. I remember the crap me and my friends gave each other when losing on Goldeneye. Ah, good times of intense name calling and shouting.

Also crits are a legitimate warrant for raging.
 
I know that feel. I only rage when they get ridiculous luck (T2 Blastoise with 6 energy. 6. wtf). If its a good game with just good plays and someone just outplays the other I'll be happy.
 
I have a terrible temper. Literally I have one if the shortest fuses of anybody In my entire school. One time my friend beat me in Call Of Duty, yes, COD, and I literally took his controller and flung it against the wall.

I deal with it by cursing and just in general calming down. I just realize it is a game after about 10 minutes if punching and breaking whatever is in front of me.
 
Calling a line judge on the first accused infraction in the game during a tennis match. You're supposed to wait until the third infraction, n00b.
Cheating.
Noobtubing.
Camping.
Hacking.

The above are all reasons for rage.
 
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