GAME DIAGRAM

( PDF Print Version )

The purpose<= /span> TC "purpose" \f C \l "1" of= this paper is to describe and diagram:

(1): The sequential nature of the moves in a game.

(2): The progression of the ulterior transactional events in a game.<= /span>

(3): The recycling phenomena within one play-through of a game.

(4): The availability of options for the payoff of a game.

(5): The pre-commitment and post-commitment phases of a game.<= /p>

(6): The game as a unit of behavior.

(7): Game playing regulates the occurrence and quality of intimacy. [1]^, [2]

I= ntroduction

Since its introduction in= 1954, the transactional analysis diagram (Figure No. 1) has taught itself to neop= hyte students, advanced clinicians, and clinical patients alike. In 1957 the foundations for game analysis were laid with the presentation of “Why Don't You--Yes But.” [3]^, [4]

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A game is defined as a recurring set of transactions with ulterior transactio= ns, concealed motivation, a gimmick and a payoff. [5] Berne used the particular variation of the duplex transactional diagram shown in Figure No. 2 to represent the ulterior aspec= ts of a game. [6] &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; =

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= &nb= sp; =

Berne added the concept of switch in 1966 and introduced The Game Formula.

Con + Gimmick =3D Response à Switch à Payoff [7]<= /span>

This formula has been= likened to a “multi-variable integral calculus function.” [8]

What follows now will establish a basis for the number of variations of a game a= nd the variableness of a game without contradicting “Berne’s Game Formula.”

Example of a Game People Play<= o:p>

Thirty-three-year-old Sybil, and her 34 year old spouse, Saul, were seated for about a minute in their treatment session when:

(1) Sybil sat erectly, leveling her head, a smil= e came on her face, then brightly she announced: “Well!”=

(2) Two seconds passed as she slumped slightly i= n her chair, her lower facial muscles sagging a little. Then, with a mild angle of her face and the setting of mischievous semi-scowl lines on her forehead, a= nd surreptitiously looking to make sure she had the attention of Saul, she followed with a fading-out voice: = “So.”

(3) Within one second of this and quickly engagi= ng the gaze of her spouse, she sat upright, tilted her head some to the other side= and subtly, archly came forward in her chair. Smilingly eyeing him, she vocaliz= ed: “Okay!”

(4) Another second passed as Saul started to leer-smile back at her while she slumped again, pulling her head and torso back; thus while turning her face away abruptly, and in an emphatic voice: = “Nothing!”

(5) This was immediately followed by both Sybil = and Saul breaking out in a mutual, infectious, warm, rich, sultry laugh.

The above five completed transactions (stimulus and its related response) were played through from start to finish in twelve seconds, including the time f= or laughing. (Saul was moved by each of her single words.) This was a complete game. Each of the four single words was said with a different tone and at a different speed and with a corresponding alteration of her postural attitude. Each of these words exhibited a change= in the ego state of Sybil. Each of the words AND the response of Saul to each = of her words satisfied the criteria for each of their exchanges being called a transaction; that is to say one conversational stimulus and the related response. There were five transactions, counting the mutual and concluding laugh.

Sybil was familiar with the use of the OK CORRAL [9]^,[10] and fairly regularly selected which quality of payoff event she would have for her games. Her Adult was decontaminated and she knew how to manage her Child's “mess-up” racket. This was diagramed. See Figure No. 3.

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The following day, Sybil arrived at her group session late, which was unusual f= or her. The qualities of events directly after her arrival were graphic, and on the ulterior level were similar to those still listed on the blackboard from the day before. The game moves were:

------------------------------------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------<= /o:p>

Coming= through the door after group started, she gave bright, smiling hellos around the gr= oup that successfully invited six hellos in return before she was seated.<= /o:p>

------------------------------------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------<= /o:p>

After = turning around to be seated, she faced the group unsmiling, distant, austere, and somewhat haughty. She slowly looked around the room as if to fill herself in on the group action. Blinking, appearing attentive, she scrupulously avoided engag= ing her look with any one of those who had just the moment before said hello to her. She continued this behavior for about two minutes. The others had an awareness of what she was doing while they continued with group business.

------------------------------------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------<= /o:p>

She th= en gave another bright smile to two members of the group, leaned a little forward, = and with a sparkling face and vivacious tone made a remark intended for Gwen, o= ne of the group talkers. This was responded to in a complementary manner by Gw= en.

------------------------------------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------<= /o:p>

To thi= s remark and attention by Gwen, Sybil responded with a chilled tone, face flattening, upper eyelids lowering to the rims of her pupils.

---------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------

At this point this author wrote on the blackboard “ 1, 2, 1, 2 ” indicating the moves of the game so f= ar.

Move #1 A warm up (of self to others)

Move #2 A cool off (of self to others)

Move #3 A re-warming (of the other person= )

Move #4 "Cool It!"

Move #5 PAYOFF

&nbs= p; Sybil played out more moves of her game. And the author wrote more numbers on the blackboard, identifying each of her game moves as she continued playing her game.

---------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------

<= /o:p>

Asked about her cooln= ess by Gwen, Sybil coolly said she was not warm and bright when she first came into the group room.

1, 2, 1, 2, 2

---------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------

When a= gain told about her appearance coming into the group, Sybil again denied being w= arm.

1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2

---------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------

<= /o:p>

Then, sitting forward= with a warm, inviting smile Sybil intoned: "Oh, I see, you mean with the last thing you said to me."

"Yes!" said= Gwen, smiling back.

1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3

---------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------

<= /o:p>

Sybil continuing warm= ly to Gwen, "I thought you meant when I came into the room tonight.”

Gwen: "Yes, and = that, too."

1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3=

---------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------

Sybil = stiffly drawing herself up: “I was not warm and smiling at you when I came in= tonight.”

Gwen: (Beginning to c= ool off herself) “Yes, yes you were!”

1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4

---------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------

Sybil made another chilling transactional offeri= ng to Gwen.

(Note: the two game m= ove #4’s occurred in quick succession.)

1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4

---------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------

Sybil was then seen re-warming towards Gwen. Syb= il did this because she saw she was losing Gwen. So she backed up a step (a game m= ove) in order to hold Gwen’s interest.

1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3<= /o:p>

---------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------

Sybil = then turned and the group followed her gaze to center her interest on the sequen= ce of numbers being written by the author on the blackboard under the Game Moves Diagram. To her bright= -faced inquiry (to this author about what the numbers meant), she was told that th= ey referred to the qualities of the moves of her game “Cool It!” as she was playing it. Then the number “3” was written down on the blackboard.

1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3

---------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------

<= /o:p>

To this she was frost= y and crackling in responsive tone. At this point, someone else began to chuckle a comfortable, easy laugh.

1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3, 4=

---------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------

<= /o:p>

Sybil then turned to = Gwen, who by now was also softly laughing.

1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3, 4= , 3

---------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------

Moment= arily making a wry face to Gwen as if to withdraw from group action and then smil= es which were centered on her, she instead quipped in mock outrage: “How= can you say I was WARM coming into the room tonight?” (It was, in fact, cold outside!)

1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3, 4= , 3, 4

---------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------

This w= as followed immediately by her own lead-off, big laugh and warm face which promptly ignited the same in others all around the room. See Figure No. 3 on the next page.

1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3, 4= , 3, 4, 5 (Payoff)

---------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ---------------------

&nbs= p;

&nbs= p; This was listed as a "Get-On-With" payoff of her “Cool It” game.= The blackboard at the conclusion of this clinical event looked like this: =

Move #1 A warm up (of self to others)

Move #2 A cool off (of self to others)

Move #3 A re-warming (of the other person= )

Move #4 “Cool It!”=

Move #5 PAYOFF “THE MOMENT OF TRUTH”

1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3= , 4, 3, 4, 5 (GOW Payoff)

The numbers shown here represented the sequence = of game moves.

"Cool It!" was played to the other party for a cool off (pushing off) of the other person but in a manner that provoked, incited, and reheated the other party. This colloquialism, this gimmick line, when carried out by a wo= man to a man is "Cool It, MAN!" Here the use of the gendered noun indicates the commitment to duplicity on the part of the woman. For the particular game of "Cool It," the noun (man) can be changed to "Baby," "Boy" or an adverb, as with "Cool It, Now!" [11]

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Game Moves Identified<= o:p>

From the example of the game just described game moves are now named as follows:=

Move #1 - HOOK

Move #2 - ANGLE

&= nbsp; Mo= ve #3 - CON

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; Move #4 - GIMMICK

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Move #5 - PAYOFF

&nbs= p;

Studies of ulterior transactional events of games have revealed each game has four distinct moves (stages) prior to payoff. (See Figure No. 5) Game moves can be played ove= r and over again.

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A Different Payoff

About five minutes after the conclusion of this above second game event Sybil, ("pulled a switch" inside herself) played through another sequenc= e of her game moves, again with some recycling of the moves. Her payoff this time was to bring off a mild "Get-Nowhere-With" instead of “Get-On-With” event; a payoff that supported her childhood-based position. [12], [13] The payoff, this second time= , was a 30 seconds long pout with some obscenities which effectively blocked further transactions between Sybil and Gwen.

When later asked about this instance of playing her “Cool It” game a= gain she said: “I knew after I had started talking the second time that I wasn't being Adult but I felt I just had to go through with it, so I decide= d I would. It was to keep my racketeering Child from going underground and comi= ng out later. So far my Child has a hard time letting me stay being a winner!”

The fact was that at the conclusion of each of the three sets of recurring ulte= rior transactions there was completion. Other events and work did take place in = her group session between these completed units of social behavior.<= /span>

The act of identifying, naming, an= d numbering the ulterior transactio= nal events of a game has the effect of aiding the person in gaining Adult control of his social-psychological, duplex-level activity.

The Ulterior Transactions of <= u>Game Moves<= o:p>

"A game is a recurring set of ulterior transactions!"[14] At some point in his sequenced (ulterior) transactions the player becomes committed to fully playing out h= is game. Before this commitment, the player can back himself off from playing = his game, discontinue playing his game. After some specific and particular transactional event occurs many a player has recognized: =

“I knew if I said one more word I would be= a goner. I knew if I went any farther I couldn't tell when or if.... I would = be able to get out of it alive. I did say the word. And I knew I was a goner as soo= n as I said it. I know. Well, to make a long story short ... .”

Students of games people play have been asked: "What was the last thing you said before there was no backing out? Did you recognize you had reached the poin= t of no return?"

The Pre-commitment Phase of a Game

The fact is that at some point in playing a game, the player makes this comm= itment to his game.[15] The transactions before that commitment are here called the pre-commitment phase of the game.

= (= 1) The HOOK

= (= 2) The ANGLE

= (= 3) The CON

The Commitment and Post-commitment Phase of a Ga= me<= span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'>

The commitment to a game occurs when the game player plays his gimmick move, Move #4, the first time. The gimmick move of a game is the fou= rth quality (ulterior transaction) of a game move in each game. Before the gimm= ick move of a game has been played (the first time) the playing person has alre= ady played the hook move, the angle move and the con move each at least one tim= e. The commitment to playing a game is different from the earlier moves of his particular game.

What happens at the first time Move #4 is played is that the executive in the player (the ego state that is in charge= ) changes from one ego state= to another, for example from Adult to Child in the game of “Cool It.R= 21; This is explained more thoroughly later in this paper.

Move #4 is a gimmick (artful stratagem) in two ways: first, the stimulus that the person offers to the other person (responder) is a trick, and secondly the individual offering his next stimulus changes his ego state with a sleight-of-hand or artful stratagem in order to initiate the change of face= he will wear at the time of achieving payoff.

It is in playing the Gimmick move of the particular game the first time that t= he person’s Child captures the executive, takes over in the person. And there is nothing wrong with this.

The Child in a person wants recognition. The Child wants to keep it a secret ho= w he is trying to get in charge, be the boss of the grownup; that he wants to be= in charge.

The Adult in the person can handle this in many ways: play with the Child, put = the Child out front, be aware, be glad for that.

In the Gimmick move the person’s stimulus offering of a transaction type changes from a tentative duplex ulterior transaction to that of a committed duplex ulterior transactional offering.

Ulterior Transactional Diagrams<= o:p>

Each of the game moves has two levels: the social level shown in Figure No. 7; a= nd the psychological level, as indicated by dashed arrows shown in Figure No. 8. <= o:p>

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&nbs= p; Game moves are made of a series of ulterior tran= sactions. An ulterior transaction is made up of a social level and psychological leve= l. These ulterior transactions occur between people and are of two types: angu= lar and duplex. An angular ulterior transaction originates from one ego-state and is aimed at two ego-states of the other person. (Figure No. 9) A duplex ulteri= or transaction originates from two ego-states and is aimed at two ego-states of the other person (Figure No. 10).

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&nbs= p; The “real Self” [16] ego-state is indicated = by shading in one of the circles as illustrated in Figure No. 11. Also, the heavily outlined circle indicates the ego-state having the executive. ¹⁶

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Game Moves

            There are four classes of ulterior transactions in each game. They are: the tenta= tive angular ulterior (Move #1 in a game), the committed angular ulterior (Move = #2 in a game), the tentative duplex ulterior (Move #3 in a game), and the committed duplex ulterior (Move #4 in a game). These classes of ulterior transactions are referred to here as game moves. Each game move has both so= cial level and a psychological level. The psychological level contains the ulter= ior aspect of the particular transaction.

            In the transactional diagrams (Figures No. 12 thru 21) shown on the following pages the other person's responses are deleted for clarity.

The Hook - - Move #1

Tentative Angular Transactional Game Move

  &nbs= p;



            The Hook, Move #1 is the Tentative Angular Transactional Game Move (Figure No. = 12). The HOOK in a game is an Adult-programmed (executive and “real self”) transactional stimulus adapted to the external circumstances a= nd to the internal stroke hunger of the first party, the person initiating this particular social event. This quality of stimulus by this initiator is aime= d at the other person's Adult, but with just enough seasoning added to it to whet the appetite of the second party, here shown by the diagonal dotted line ai= med at the potential fellow game player. The goal is to encourage the potential responder's Parent into nudging his own Adult to ask for more strokes.=

            The Adult of the person initiating his game, in this instance, has used the information at his disposal in making up a program for his Hook stimulus. T= his has included tapping into his own intuitive Child who has personalized information about how best to arouse the response of the other party. This internal dialogue of the initiator (stimulator) is shown by the pair of vertical arrows. The internal dialog is sometimes referred to as “I w= as talking to myself.”

Recycling of Game Moves<= ![if !supportNestedAnchors]><= o:p>

Studies of ulterior transactional events of games have revealed each game has four classes of moves (stages) prior to payoff.= Game moves can be played over and over again. The three factors to take into acc= ount in the recycling of the moves of a game are (1) social variations of the same game move, (2) game move changes, (3) game move recyclin= g.

1. <= /span>S= ocial Variation of Same Game Move<= o:p>

&nb= sp;

A game player can use a variety of words and muscular activities to convey the same ulterior quality in his game move. These variations are the varieties = of ways the particular ego state has at his disposal to keep the transactions going. A game move can be carried out with different words and different muscles, but each variation will be coming from the same functional quality= of ego state, the same point of view inside himself.

The ulterior, the psychological aspects of the second move of a game, the ANGLE move of the ‘Cool It” game described earlier, was accomplished = in a variety of ways by Sybil in order for her to convey the same quality of “Cooling myself Off.” In each of those offerings she was clearly portraying primness, portraying “lady-like behavior”: eyes down, hands folded when not in the conversation, "not acting pushy.&qu= ot;

She was the picture of a proper young matron, determined to “not let anyo= ne get the wrong idea about me just because I was trying to be friendly.” Sybil had her game move organized around a combination of her Adult and her compliant Child play-pouting in order to appear to be leaving it up to the other person and for their benefit, more than her own pleasure if and when = she went ahead.

She did this at different and separated times by:

= a) her haughty distant silence and

= b) a chilled tone, flattened face as she talked

c) first statement of “I was not warm when I came in,” spoken in cracklin= g, frosty syllables.

Other examples of the= se social variations in another game would be:

The more sophisticated game of “Why Don’t You, Yes, But”. Pla= yers of this game have a wider repertoire of phrases to use, such as:=

“That's entirely correct, just as you say..., and then on the other hand, there is = the other point of view”, or the shorter versions: “Yes, however,” “That's true, although”, and “Although wh= at you say is correct, there is the other side of ...” (All synonyms of “Yes but … .”)

In the game of “Do Me Something” (DMSO) the variations of phrases a fifty-year-old woman used in the third, the CON move of her DMSO game were:

An oscillating movement of her ankle.

An oscillating motion of her wrist.

Increasingly long intervals taken to respond to = the words of the other person as if considerately waiting for the other person = to say more, finish what they were saying, and as if they had not yet told her anything useful or understandable yet to herself.

In each of these three examples shown above, the social variations at the ulte= rior level were meant to convey at the psychological (ulterior) level: “Ca= n't you see I am waiting for help, I need help and I am trying not to impose on= you even though it almost makes me cry!”

2. Game Move Changes= <= u><= o:p>

The act of CHANGING from one GAME MOVE to another involves changing from one ego state function to another. This means that in changing from one psycho= logical quality of game move to the next one to be played, a corresponding change of ego state (appearance and set of words) will show in the player.=

Changing from one ego state function to another is the method of going from one game move to another.

The game player self has at his disposal all of his ego states and their functions from which to draw while carrying out the m= oves of his game.[22] The= se include the nurturing Parent, the scolding Parent, the make-believe-Mother’s helper, (compliant) Child, the Adult, the overwhelmed Child, helpless compliant Child, the rebel Child, the natural Child, etc.

The game player looks, acts, behaves, sounds and feels differently with = each change from one game move to the next. He is a different person for each of= the four different pre-payoff game moves. And at the time of payoff he is yet another different person again= .

In the “Cool It, Now” game described earlier, the functional quali= ties of the ego state were:

· = ; &n= bsp; Hook (Mo= ve #1): Friendly. “Warming myself up”: Thi= s was an Adult program, tinged with the spirited animation of a natural Child in a pretty, vivacious young woman. This quality regularly attracted responses f= rom others. She conveyed, “It sure is fun to be here!”

· = ; &n= bsp; Angle (M= ove #2): In the “Cool It̶= 1; game the Adult monitored (chaperoned) compliant pouty Child who is being internally cautioned by her internal Parent: “Don't be pushing yourse= lf onto others, you don't want people to get the wrong idea about you, do you?”

· = ; &n= bsp; Con (Mov= e #3): “Re-warming the Other Person” was = portrayed by the function of a saucy, vivacious young woman, the natural Child with spontaneity, with touches of rebel Child appearing to be shaking off the internal Parental cautioning yet also complying with mother's teaching, “Be nice to your friends, dear!” This natural/rebel Child in being A= dult monitored (chaperoned) is at the same time implying “It sure would be= fun to get to know you better.” She showed evident pleasure at being able= to create a stir in another person.

· = ; &n= bsp; Gimmick = (Move #4): “Cool It, Now!”= ; This was conveyed by the scolding, bossy, playing-mother function of her complia= nt Child with a touch of Parent disciplining added, probably via an internal dialogue. This initial gimmick move was made to look reasonable as it was carried out. This is the element of a seeming-Adult reasonableness: “I was too, cold, when I came in tonight!” referring to the fact that it= was cold outside as she came into the building and group room. The wrinkle was = to chase off, scold off the other person just hard enough so that they turned around and came back for some more warm up (or a payoff) with her. Either w= ay it came out this player would have done the right thing as far as her inter= nal Parent was concerned. Also, in case the other person's Child asked for reassurance about pushing ahead, she could scold “I already told you = to leave me alone!” without, in fact, restating it.

3. Recycling and Progression of Game Moves=

A game move may be successively replayed several times in a row in order to m= ore firmly bring along the other player, to seduce (lure, attract) the other pl= ayer to join up with the other party. If a player finds that at some point in the mutual activity (game) he is losing the interest of his fellow player or has gotten out of step (for example) with the fellow player, he can “backspace” to anyone of the preceding (ulterior) moves of the game. If the players miss coupling onto each other at some transactional exchange, then they will recycle back to some one or more of the previously engaging moves in order to mutually bring their game along.

A player of a game, even if he has the opportunity, will rarely go directly in sequence through the four buildup moves to get to his payoff. This is clear= ly in contrast to the example of Sybil and Saul written about at the beginning= of this paper. A quality game can be likened to a quality seduction, where the buildup of tissue tension, moisture, turgor and psychological suspense heightens the satisfactions and gratifications on the horizons for the parties.

A quality style of Get-On-With payoff to a game has more than a few similarit= ies to a quality seduction. A short game, as in the first example of twelve seconds, was a “Quickie” (Sybil and Saul).

This latter quickie is in contrast to the situation of a new person coming into a treatment group who is in the position of adapting his game to one or more = of his fellow group members in the room. He is seen making tentative moves, testing out various members for receptiveness to playing a complementa= ry game back to him. He may make several false starts with different individua= ls before finally locating one with whom he can count on playing through to a vivid “moment of truth” (Payoff) for himself.=

In playing through the moves of a game, it may happen that the other person wi= ll be successfully hooked and remain engaged for the first two moves, but then lose interest in talking further to him (the new group member) as move #3 is first tried. The new game playing group member has the option of going back= to either of the two previously successful qualities of self with his earlier = game moves. He may decide to backspace to the ANGLE move. This is diagramed= in Figure No. 22.

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A game player may also decide to backspace to the HOOK and replay back throug= h both the Hook and the Angle moves again. This is diagrammed in Figure No. 23.

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To repeat once again: the first time a person has played the Gimmick move of h= is game, it is very unlikely he will forsake the search for one of the four qualities of payoff event. Each pre-payoff move of a game, whether the Hook, the Angle, the Con, or the Gimmick move may be played through any number of times prior to payoff.

Once a commitment to duplicity is made by a person, the other person, whether patient, therapist, or social acquaintance does well to take note of this f= act and then see if events can be influenced in order to regulate the quality a= nd intensity of that reciprocated payoff event conducive to his own reasoned objectives.

At times an individual is seen playing more than one move of a game in one transaction. This is exampled in the use of the prefatory phrase “Wel= l, it seems to me that...” as one game move is followed by the next game move with its change in voice pitch, tone and angled countenance; as the pe= rson goes ahead to recite his opinion.

On occasion a player is seen going through three game moves within one vocal offering, but in these instances observed, the responding fellow player is visibly, manifestly following along with his own complementary game moves a= s he is seen shifting his responsive physical posture and physical listening attitude. The listener here is seen to be confirming that the talker's words are producing a related moving and shifting of both physical and psychologi= cal attitude; i.e., a complementary shifting of his own ego states which are bo= th internally experienced and externally perceived. The non-vocal person in th= ese instances was not ever more than one game move behind and usually was seen keeping up with the talker. Interestingly, in the transactional analysis of listening, there have been those occasions where the non-vocal listening pe= rson is seen anticipating the next move of the vocalizing fellow player.[23]

The Rules of Game Moves= <= ![if !supportNestedAnchors]>

The Rules of Game Mov= es can be understood in terms of “the game flow chart.”

(See Figure No. 24)

1. At the moment of realizing his payoff, the pl= ayer will have just previously played through his GIMMICK for the last time in t= hat particular game.

2. At some time prior to the last time the Gimmi= ck move was played, the game player will have played out his CON move at least once.

3. Just before the Gimmick was played for the fi= rst time in a game, the CON move had been played.

4. A HOOK move (with enough come-on in it to per= suade the other person into giving some form of acknowledgment and responsiveness= ) is the first transactional event which counts in the sequence of a game.<= /o:p>

5. Any transactional offering, one party to anot= her, will have a psychological level in it, e.g. “You are OK” or “You are not OK”. This is in addition to any social level information that the offering may contain. For example: “It is warm today, isn’t it?”

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