The real power is matching the shape of a value and naming its parts at the same time. A plain name in a pattern doesn't compare anything: it captures whatever is in that position.

def run(command):
    match command.split():
        case ["quit"]:
            return "Bye"
        case ["go", direction]:
            return f"You walk {direction}"
        case ["take", item, "from", place]:
            return f"You take the {item} from the {place}"
        case ["say", *words]:
            return " ".join(words).upper()
        case _:
            return "I don't understand"

print(run("go north"))
print(run("take key from drawer"))
print(run("say hello there"))
print(run("dance"))

["go", direction] only matches a list of exactly two items whose first item is "go", and it names the second one direction. *words collects the rest, just as it does when unpacking.

An if after a pattern, called a guard, adds a condition that a shape can't express:

def where(point):
    match point:
        case (0, 0):
            return "the origin"
        case (x, y) if x == y:
            return f"on the diagonal at {x}"
        case (x, 0):
            return f"on the x axis at {x}"
        case (x, y):
            return f"at {x}, {y}"

print(where((0, 0)))
print(where((3, 3)))
print(where((5, 0)))
print(where((2, 7)))