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Aetherfox
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Yes, though depending on the nature of the game and the stakes. they will have varying levels of usefulness.

Sandbagging is a term for pretending to be weak, or purposefully imposing limitations on yourself for some gain.

2d : to conceal or misrepresent one's true position, potential, or intent especially in order to take advantage of

By the 1940s, [sandbagging] was being used of a strategy in which a poker player with a good hand bets weakly, in order to draw other players into holding on to their hands and raising the bet. The use of sandbag has since evolved to refer to a general strategy of playing down one's position in order to gain some sort of advantage.

Source: Merriam-Webster

It could be useful to take advantage of 'Rubber-Banding': a mechanic where last place players are given an advantage in later rounds to bring all players close to even. If you intentionally score last place for the additional advantage, but secretly have a strong 'hand', you can take advantage of both your strong hand and the advantage, and ideally make up the intentional hit you took. The phrase typically applies to a type of mechanic in video games, but there are board games that have this style of bringing back losing players as well.

Sandbagging can also be useful in multiplayer games where players can expend resources to stop an opponent from winning. (The card game Munchkin comes to mind). By being continuously in second, you allow the first placer to draw out your opponents' resources that stop them from winning. Then, with many of their resources depleted, you make your winning move much harder to stop.

Hustling is another term that might be relevant.

d : to lure less skillful players into competing against oneself at (a gambling game)

Source: Also M-W

This refers more to the social engineering aspect of attempting to appear bad, so that players will play against you (or bet more) and then taking advantage of their perception of your skill.

In your description, it would be impossible to intentionally pull off

a move showing you are skilled, while you're not

That would require you to be good enough to be aware that the move is optimal and know generally how the opponent would react, and yet not be skilled enough to intentionally have made that move. That being said if you make this move from luck or a stroke of genius and realize how good it is and that it might lead your opponent into overestimating your skill, you might pretend it was intentional.

Finally, there is a term in multiplayer games with hidden information (such as cards in hand) called pillow forting. The political strategy is to convince your opponents that the cards in your hand are so strong, that any attempt to unseat you will fail and only expend their own resources, with the hopes that they will attack another opponent. (I've only heard this term in reference to Magic: The Gathering, where it is a decently common strategy.)

Generally speaking in strategy games, it is better to pretend to be bad than it is to pretend to be good. If your opponent believes you are good or have a strong advantage, they are more likely to play hard and make fewer mistakes. If they believe you are bad, they may get greedy, become complacent in their lead, and so on.

Yes, though depending on the nature of the game and the stakes. they will have varying levels of usefulness.

Sandbagging is a term for pretending to be weak, or purposefully imposing limitations on yourself for some gain.

2d : to conceal or misrepresent one's true position, potential, or intent especially in order to take advantage of

By the 1940s, [sandbagging] was being used of a strategy in which a poker player with a good hand bets weakly, in order to draw other players into holding on to their hands and raising the bet. The use of sandbag has since evolved to refer to a general strategy of playing down one's position in order to gain some sort of advantage.

Source: Merriam-Webster

It could be useful to take advantage of 'Rubber-Banding': a mechanic where last place players are given an advantage in later rounds to bring all players close to even. If you intentionally score last place for the additional advantage, but secretly have a strong 'hand', you can take advantage of both your strong hand and the advantage, and ideally make up the intentional hit you took. The phrase typically applies to a type of mechanic in video games, but there are board games that have this style of bringing back losing players as well.

Hustling is another term that might be relevant.

d : to lure less skillful players into competing against oneself at (a gambling game)

Source: Also M-W

This refers more to the social engineering aspect of attempting to appear bad, so that players will play against you (or bet more) and then taking advantage of their perception of your skill.

In your description, it would be impossible to intentionally pull off

a move showing you are skilled, while you're not

That would require you to be good enough to be aware that the move is optimal and know generally how the opponent would react, and yet not be skilled enough to intentionally have made that move. That being said if you make this move from luck or a stroke of genius and realize how good it is and that it might lead your opponent into overestimating your skill, you might pretend it was intentional.

Finally, there is a term in multiplayer games with hidden information (such as cards in hand) called pillow forting. The political strategy is to convince your opponents that the cards in your hand are so strong, that any attempt to unseat you will fail and only expend their own resources, with the hopes that they will attack another opponent. (I've only heard this term in reference to Magic: The Gathering, where it is a decently common strategy.)

Generally speaking in strategy games, it is better to pretend to be bad than it is to pretend to be good. If your opponent believes you are good or have a strong advantage, they are more likely to play hard and make fewer mistakes. If they believe you are bad, they may get greedy, become complacent in their lead, and so on.

Yes, though depending on the nature of the game and the stakes. they will have varying levels of usefulness.

Sandbagging is a term for pretending to be weak, or purposefully imposing limitations on yourself for some gain.

2d : to conceal or misrepresent one's true position, potential, or intent especially in order to take advantage of

By the 1940s, [sandbagging] was being used of a strategy in which a poker player with a good hand bets weakly, in order to draw other players into holding on to their hands and raising the bet. The use of sandbag has since evolved to refer to a general strategy of playing down one's position in order to gain some sort of advantage.

Source: Merriam-Webster

It could be useful to take advantage of 'Rubber-Banding': a mechanic where last place players are given an advantage in later rounds to bring all players close to even. If you intentionally score last place for the additional advantage, but secretly have a strong 'hand', you can take advantage of both your strong hand and the advantage, and ideally make up the intentional hit you took. The phrase typically applies to a type of mechanic in video games, but there are board games that have this style of bringing back losing players as well.

Sandbagging can also be useful in multiplayer games where players can expend resources to stop an opponent from winning. (The card game Munchkin comes to mind). By being continuously in second, you allow the first placer to draw out your opponents' resources that stop them from winning. Then, with many of their resources depleted, you make your winning move much harder to stop.

Hustling is another term that might be relevant.

d : to lure less skillful players into competing against oneself at (a gambling game)

Source: Also M-W

This refers more to the social engineering aspect of attempting to appear bad, so that players will play against you (or bet more) and then taking advantage of their perception of your skill.

In your description, it would be impossible to intentionally pull off

a move showing you are skilled, while you're not

That would require you to be good enough to be aware that the move is optimal and know generally how the opponent would react, and yet not be skilled enough to intentionally have made that move. That being said if you make this move from luck or a stroke of genius and realize how good it is and that it might lead your opponent into overestimating your skill, you might pretend it was intentional.

Finally, there is a term in multiplayer games with hidden information (such as cards in hand) called pillow forting. The political strategy is to convince your opponents that the cards in your hand are so strong, that any attempt to unseat you will fail and only expend their own resources, with the hopes that they will attack another opponent. (I've only heard this term in reference to Magic: The Gathering, where it is a decently common strategy.)

Generally speaking in strategy games, it is better to pretend to be bad than it is to pretend to be good. If your opponent believes you are good or have a strong advantage, they are more likely to play hard and make fewer mistakes. If they believe you are bad, they may get greedy, become complacent in their lead, and so on.

Source Link
Aetherfox
  • 4k
  • 1
  • 17
  • 39

Yes, though depending on the nature of the game and the stakes. they will have varying levels of usefulness.

Sandbagging is a term for pretending to be weak, or purposefully imposing limitations on yourself for some gain.

2d : to conceal or misrepresent one's true position, potential, or intent especially in order to take advantage of

By the 1940s, [sandbagging] was being used of a strategy in which a poker player with a good hand bets weakly, in order to draw other players into holding on to their hands and raising the bet. The use of sandbag has since evolved to refer to a general strategy of playing down one's position in order to gain some sort of advantage.

Source: Merriam-Webster

It could be useful to take advantage of 'Rubber-Banding': a mechanic where last place players are given an advantage in later rounds to bring all players close to even. If you intentionally score last place for the additional advantage, but secretly have a strong 'hand', you can take advantage of both your strong hand and the advantage, and ideally make up the intentional hit you took. The phrase typically applies to a type of mechanic in video games, but there are board games that have this style of bringing back losing players as well.

Hustling is another term that might be relevant.

d : to lure less skillful players into competing against oneself at (a gambling game)

Source: Also M-W

This refers more to the social engineering aspect of attempting to appear bad, so that players will play against you (or bet more) and then taking advantage of their perception of your skill.

In your description, it would be impossible to intentionally pull off

a move showing you are skilled, while you're not

That would require you to be good enough to be aware that the move is optimal and know generally how the opponent would react, and yet not be skilled enough to intentionally have made that move. That being said if you make this move from luck or a stroke of genius and realize how good it is and that it might lead your opponent into overestimating your skill, you might pretend it was intentional.

Finally, there is a term in multiplayer games with hidden information (such as cards in hand) called pillow forting. The political strategy is to convince your opponents that the cards in your hand are so strong, that any attempt to unseat you will fail and only expend their own resources, with the hopes that they will attack another opponent. (I've only heard this term in reference to Magic: The Gathering, where it is a decently common strategy.)

Generally speaking in strategy games, it is better to pretend to be bad than it is to pretend to be good. If your opponent believes you are good or have a strong advantage, they are more likely to play hard and make fewer mistakes. If they believe you are bad, they may get greedy, become complacent in their lead, and so on.