A player's best choice, if it exists, that will yield a higher payoff than any of the other strategies that are possible, no matter what choice of strategy is made by other players A game in which the amount one competitor gains must be lost by other competitors The strategy where players select the strategy that yields the maximum payoff on the assumption that the opponent will do as much damage as it can The result that occurs when each player adopts the strategy that gives the highest possible payoff if the rival sticks to the strategy it has g