GAME 2 The Tire Story

Another game that we have successfully played in the first lecture is based on the “We can’t take the exam; we had a flat tire”. Even if the students have read ahead, the discussion in the text makes it clear that there is no obvious focal answer to the question,“Which tire?” Bring along a stack of index cards and, when you are ready to play this game, hand one card to each student. After relating the story, ask each student to pretend he is one of those taking the exam and must answer the tire question on the card. Collect the cards and tabulate the answers on the board. Start a discussion about why different students chose different tires; focus on the difficulties of obtaining a focal equilibrium when players have different backgrounds or concerns. You can also relate the discussion back to the material in the text regarding the necessity of being prepared to face a strategically savvy opponent at any time.