The much more relevant question, when you've really observed and gone into this for yourself is why do human beings want to be programmed at all?
This is a complex thing to go into because it requires a deep delve into how the human mind actually works.
What you are describing at the start of your post is clearly and observably true when it comes to playing poker:
Poker is played within the context of your life.
If things are going well for you say poker results wise and in life in general (for e.g. you just entered into a exciting new relationship) then our minds tend to deal or react to losing in a more favourable fashion.
So what is going on here?
The human mind is always recording. And our memories are intrinsically linked to emotional responses of pleasure and pain.
This is a brief description and to be honest deserves a complete understanding by observing this in action in the moment.
What I can recommend is to take a look at the
Losing Stress Podcast. Which is a podcast series I'm releasing going into topics related to the human mind.