I would say its pretty much like gambling due to pvp being so unbalanced at the moment, the hits are ridiculously high and armour doesn't seem to do much.
And btw I'm also maxed with ovls and such and it just seems very hard trying to pk even if you try to get into it.
Of course there are some things that you can use to increase your chances of winning but its pretty much common sense. (do not high on vengeance with axe, try to venge when your opponent uses axe, use best food available such as rocktail soup + brew combo, use bonfire to boost hp).