One-Armed Bandit

The battle quickly begins
with this armored, stationary beast.
All the while thinking you can win,
your money is its feast.
 
Coins are your weapon,
but psyche is its power...
The bandit stands unbruised
as the losses start to tower.
 
Thinking you can beat the odds,
you continue to pull its arm.
Who’s the one that's being fooled?
Your pocketbook feels the harm.
 
Knowingly you picked this fight
and could have avoided the defeat
by leaving the arm upright
while making a retreat.
 
Without a willing opponent,
the bandit wages no war;
its lighted smile goes unnoticed
as a winner walks out the door.