It's not a game you play competitively. It's just for fun.
I totally agree that it's just a fun crapshoot game, but in my experience it takes far too long for such a game. I can have a quick, fun, luck-based game by playing Dutch Blitz. Or, I can have a quick, fun, strategic game by playing 7 Wonders. And since no one I know has really figured out a strategy for 7 Wonders, it's also a balanced game.