Game Theory Basics
📋 What it is
Game theory studies how players make choices when the best move depends on what others do.
🗣️ Coach says
Game theory is the math of strategic choices. Its big idea: your best move often depends on what OTHERS will do. Concepts like "dominant strategy" (a move that's best no matter what) and "equilibrium" (where no one wants to change) help designers predict how players will actually behave — and spot broken strategies.
🧠 Memory hook
Your best move depends on others' moves. That's the whole idea of game theory.
😂 Giggle
What did the drafting card say when it was picked last?
"I guess I'm an acquired taste!"
😲 Whoa!
Game theory isn't just for games — it's used by economists, biologists, and even to design internet auctions; a board-game idea that reshaped real-world science.
✅ Quick check: What is the central idea of game theory?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
That the best choice for a player often depends on what the OTHER players will do — decisions are strategic and interdependent.
Game theory analyses choices where outcomes depend on everyone's moves together.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
In rock-paper-scissors, discuss: is there a single "best" move? (No — it depends on the opponent: that's game theory.)