I often remember that all the dirty tricks and annoying habits do result often in a higher winning percentage. Do the players that you are matched up against, simply irritate to throw you off your game? I am reminded on one such case where I went up against a fellow Axis and Allies player that couldn’t stop talking. I’m serious; the whole ordeal was simply excruciating, and this coming from a guy that usually kept to himself! Every single move I made, whether it was simply placing my units or routinely refilling my transports, he would question and nitpick at it. Always pressuring you to hurry up and end your move, whereupon the start of his, he would spend 5 minutes intentionally pondering on what to purchase.
Did he win? You sure bet he did. And it was not the fact that he was a better player tactical wise, but because he could convince you to reconsider your own sound moves and making senseless judgment errors. I still believe that the 99% of all Axis and Allies players are fine, upstanding individuals, but there are just some people who will go to any level to win. And when you go up against these like, question yourself if the game is really worth playing against him.