Dominated Strategies

A dominated strategy occurs when, regardless of what others do, one option is always less favorable or less beneficial than another option available to a player in a game. In other words, if there's a strategy that results in a worse outcome no matter how others behave, it’s considered dominated. Rational players tend to avoid dominated strategies because they are never optimal. Recognizing dominated strategies helps simplify decision-making by eliminating options that are clearly inferior, leading to better strategic choices in competitive situations.