You're just greasing them.
I've had matches take 2-3 before I got a good center hit. Each stick is different, and some are more robust than others.
Playing cards are a bitch. Especially when your buddy gives it a tweak. I've hit them 2-3 times before they were cut if they had a bend. You'd aim, only hit front and back, move slightly, only hit the middle 1/8" lower, etc. I've left grease marks on playing cards several times before getting a clean cut. They also need to be dead nuts straight with your shooting position.
I learned through our indoor fun matches, always set your own target and get squared up to the cards. We have blocks cut for 8 matches/toothpicks and then staple a card on each side. I got way more consistent on the cards when I started shifting side to side to get squared up on them.