Max-dominated strategy

<p>In <a href="/facts/Game_theory/zkEIj1ya">game theory</a>, a max-dominated strategy is a <a href="/facts/Strategy/vnQ3kcLw">strategy</a> that is never a <a href="/facts/Best_response/1yhIpmxB">best response</a> to any possible <a href="/facts/Strategy_profile/VEXD1jyj">strategy profile</a> of the other players. This means there is no situation in which the strategy is optimal to play, even if it is not strictly worse than another strategy in every case. 
</p><p>The concept generalizes the notion of a <a href="/facts/Strictly_dominated_strategy/hRBbhCWU">strictly dominated strategy</a>, which is a strategy that always yields a lower payoff than some other strategy, no matter what the other players do. Every strictly dominated strategy is max-dominated, but not every max-dominated strategy is strictly dominated. For example, suppose strategy A gives the same payoff as another strategy B against some opponent choices, but never gives a higher payoff than B—and is strictly worse in some cases. In this case, A is never a best response, so it is max-dominated, even though it is not strictly dominated.
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Max-dominated strategy open-in-new

Max-dominated strategy