The team or player which can place by losing can be in a situation
where if they win the point, the next post in the rotation is
of top quality and almost sure to defeat them.
This adds a little complexity to the ethics aspect.
And, their fans who bet them to come in 1st or 2nd would actually
want them to lose, too. So, by winning the point, they
are causing their backers to have a much greater chance of losing
their bets.
That's why I said that it's an unfortunate conflict of interest.
It's strategically not that different than a football team choosing
to allow a safety, ie not trying to advance the ball, when they
think that is the best way to win the game. Or taking a knee to
let the clock run out.
In other words, from a purely Game Theory perspective, 'not
trying' is the winning play. But from an Ethics perspective,
trying your hardest is the correct play.
Or is it?
