History Main / LetTheBullyWin

* The Chewbacca incident mentioned under "Film" above is referenced in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', on Hutta, where a Wookiee is standing near a dejarik board, with a protocol droid missing its arms and its head smashed in.

* The page quote (and semi-trope namer) comes from ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/ANewHope'', when R2-D2 is playing and beating Chewbacca at dejarik.

** It is also referenced in VideoGame/LegoStarWars2, where Chewbacca's finishing move on Stormtroopers is to tear their arms out of their sockets (very easy to do with Lego figures).

** Referenced in ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', on Hutta, where a Wookiee is standing near a dejarik board, with a protocol droid, surprise surprise, missing its arms and its head smashed in.

* The croquet game in Disney's ''Disney/AliceInWonderland'' is rigged in the Queen of Hearts' favor, with the cards playing the wickets moving so that the ball goes through every time. When one misses, he is inevitably sent away [[OffWithHisHead to the chopping block]].

This is often the case when a BadBoss plays a game with his mooks - who are too terrified not to let him win. Other times it happens between a smart but not too strong player and a not-as-smart but definitely stronger opponent. It can also happen between any kind of boss, [[BenevolentBoss benevolent]] or not, and a YesMan. The yes man will always let the boss win because he wants to placate the boss' ego, even if the boss would rather win (or lose) fairly.

* ''{{Literature/Foundation}}'' has a king offering his noblemen a bet about his hunting. No one dares to take the risk of winning.

** Actually somewhat subverted since Mr. Dupette was actually a rather good sport and was completely oblivious to the fact that the executives are rigging the game in his favor. He didn't really mind losing and even congratulates Ed when he does win.

* ''Series/TheWire'' has a variant of this where Mayor Royce will go to play poker with some of the city's high rollers, who lose on purpose to him, so that the money they "lose" to him in turn becomes bribe/campaign donation money for Royce. This way they're not breaking any laws against illegal contributions or bribes, they're just all guys playing a game, and it's a coincidence that the Mayor is walking away with all the cash. Some of the other players grumble about it, however, because Royce has become so greedy over the years that they're starting to get fed up with how much they have to lose in order to appease him.

* DoubleSubverted in Jet Li's ''Film/{{War}}'', which has an Asian mob boss practice sword sparring with one of his men. When he allows himself to be distracted, the other guy accidentally strikes him, and immediately begs forgiveness. The gangster calmly tells him not to worry, and that is was his own fault for allowing himself to be distracted... [[BadBoss and then kills him anyway.]]

* The entire events of the ''ComicBook/BlackMoonChronicles'' are set in motion because of Lucifer playing chess (and always winning) against his minion Pazuzu (who knows exactly how much Lucifer's promise not to kill the one who bests him is worth), who keeps losing so as not to incur his master's wrath. So they decide to play the game with mortals instead.
* ''{{Maus}}'' features a Jewish collaborator during the Holocaust, who deliberately loses money during card games to German soldiers so they keep liking him.

[[AC:{{Comics}}]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WebComics]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

Two (or more) characters are playing a game. John Doe is clearly smarter, more skilled and just plain better at the game than the other. Richard Roe still wins. Why? Because Richard appears to [[SoreLoser not take losing well]] and it likely would be... [[DisproportionateRetribution detrimental to John's continued good health to win against Richard.]]

Often the case when a BadBoss plays a game with his mooks - who are too terrified not to let him win, not after what happened to the last guy... other times it happens between a smart but not too strong player and a not-as-smart but definitely stronger opponent. It can also happen between any kind of boss, benevolent or not, and a YesMan. The yes man will always let the boss win because he wants to placate the boss' ego, even if the boss would rather win (or lose) fairly.

Related to AppealToForce.

This is NOT the DisproportionateRetribution itself, or the act of {{Rage Quit}}ting. ThrowingTheFight is about losing because of an actual threat, whereas this is about losing because of an implied or assumed threat.

* Played with in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'': His underlings blatantly let Wu Zu Mu, a powerful but blind Chinese gangster, win whenever they play anything, including moving the cup when he plays OfficeGolf or lying about their cards in Blackjack, which leads to funny moments when Carl, not caring, beats him regularly. [[AntiVillain Judging]] [[EvenEvilHasStandards by his]] [[AffablyEvil personality]], "Woozie" a nice enough guy, [[BenevolentBoss especially to his men]], that he probably wouldn't care if his minions beat him or not, but to his experienced mooks it's better being safe than sorry.

* Averted in ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' poker game. This trope would have been Worf's edge if he were a real Klingon.

* The page quote (and semi-trope namer) comes from ''Film/StarWarsANewHope'', when R2-D2 is playing and beating Chewbacca at dejarik.

* Played with in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'': His underlings blatantly let Wu Zu Mu, a powerful but blind Chinese gangster, win whenever they play anything, including moving the cup when he plays OfficeGolf or lying about their cards in Blackjack, which leads to funny moments when Carl, not caring, beats him regularly. [[AntiVillain Judging]] [[EvenEvilHasStandards by his]] [[AffablyEvil personality,]] "Woozie" a nice enough guy, [[BenevolentBoss especially to his men]], that he probably wouldn't care if his minions beat him or not, but to his experienced mooks it's better being safe than sorry.

* ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'', "Teed Off": Ed Bighead is playing a game with his boss Mr. Dupette, and is instructed to let Dupette win. The groundskeepers at the golf course strictly enforce this [[NoKillLikeOverkill by shooting Ed's ball down with]] [[PianoDrop pianos]]. However, they did not count on Heffer, who rigs the game back on Ed's favor.

* On the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short "My Little Duckaroo", DaffyDuck plays a game of poker with feared outlaw Nasty Canasta. Daffy deals Canasta one card, then keeps the rest for himself, giving him a "royal straight flush full house with four aces high." Canasta wins with the three of spades... and a revolver shoved down Daffy's gullet.

* The page quote (and semi-trope namer) comes from ''StarWars'', when R2-D2 is playing and beating Chewbacca at dejarik.
** Referenced in StarWarsTheOldRepublic, on Hutta, where a Wookiee is standing near a dejarik board, with a protocol droid, surprise surprise, missing it's arms and it's head smashed in.
* Played with in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'': His underlings blatantly let Wu Zu Mu, a powerful but blind Chinese gangster, win whenever they play anything, including moving the cup when he plays office golf or lying about their cards in Blackjack, which leads to funny moments when Carl, not caring, beats him regularly. [[AntiVillain Judging]] [[EvenEvilHasStandards by his]] [[AffablyEvil personality,]] "Woozie" a nice enough guy, [[BenevolentBoss especially to his men]], that he probably wouldn't care if his minions beat him or not, but to his experienced mooks it's better being safe than sorry.

* On ''Series/TheAdventuresOfPeteAndPete'', a school bully with a paper motif, nicknamed "Papercut", was so intimidating to the other kids that they would always pick rock whenever he challenged anybody to a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
* Webcomic/{{Bug|Martini}} has this problem with Grizzlies.
* Averted in ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' poker game. This trope would have been Worf's edge if he were a real Klingon.

* The entire events of the ''ComicBook/BlackMoonChronicles'' are set in motion because of Lucifer playing chess (and always winning) against his minion Pazuzu (who knows exactly how much Lucifer's promise not to kill the one who bests him is worth), who keeps losing so as not to incur his master's wrath. So they decide to play the game with mortals instead.
* ''{{Foundation}}'' has a king offering his noblemen a bet about his hunting. No one dares to take the risk of winning.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': During the annual Nuclear Power Plant company picnic, everyone has to let Mr. Burns win the sack race.
** Similarly, in a comic story in ''Simpsons Illustrated'' magazine, Homer lets Mr. Burns win at golf.
* In ''FamilyMatters'', Carl lets his boss cheat at Golf. Initially.
* On the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short "My Little Duckaroo", DaffyDuck plays a game of poker with feared outlaw Nasty Canasta. Daffy deals Canasta one card, then keeps the rest for himself, giving him a "royal straight flush full house with four aces high." Canasta wins with the three of spades... and a revolver shoved down Daffy's gullet.
* ''RockosModernLife'', "Teed Off": Ed Bighead is playing a game with his boss Mr. Dupette, and is instructed to let Dupette win. The groundskeepers at the golf course strictly enforce this [[NoKillLikeOverkill by shooting Ed's ball down with]] [[PianoDrop pianos]]. However, they did not count on Heffer, who rigs the game back on Ed's favor.
** Actually somewhat subverted since Mr. Dupette was actually a rather good sport and was completely oblivious to the fact that the executives are rigging the game in his favor. He didn't really mind losing and even congratulates Ed when he does win.
* The croquet game in Disney's ''Disney/AliceInWonderland'' is rigged in the Queen of Hearts' favor, with the cards playing the wickets moving so that the ball goes through every time. When one misses, he is inevitably sent away [[OffWithHisHead to the chopping block]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'', Jake convinces Finn to play an outlandish card game with him because his girlfriend won't play with him anymore. Finn, who's never played before, does much better than expected, causing Jake to become increasingly agitated. Eventually Beemo tells Finn that Jake gets extremely upset whenever he loses a game, so to make things easier on both of them, Finn throws the game.

* In one ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' strip, Calvin deliberately loses the ball to Hobbes.
-->'''Calvin''': I'm losing the game, but winning an ambulatory adulthood.

* Played with in ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle''. Both Francis [[DrillSergeantNasty Commandant Spangler]] are highly skilled at pool, but Francis has been throwing games because Spangler will be upset about losing and take it out on the cadets. When Spangler learns about this, threatens to cancel everyone's privileges if Francis doesn't give his best. Francis [[TakeAThirdOption takes a third option]] by losing on purpose, and the match eventually devolves into a competition to see who can play the ''worse'' game of 8-ball, with both players using all kinds of trick shots to sink the cue ball at the same time as the 8. By the end of the exhibition, everyone's lost track of who has 'lost' more games, so it's impossible to declare a winner.

* Played with in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'': His underlings blatantly let Wu Zu Mu, a powerful but blind Chinese gangster, win whenever they play anything, including moving the cup when he plays office golf or lying about their cards in Blackjack, which leads to funny moments when Carl, not caring, beats him regularly. [[AntiVillain Judging]] [[EvenEvilHasStandards by his]] [[AffablyEvil personality,]] "Woozie" a nice enough guy, [[BenevolentBoss especially to his men]], that he probably wouldn't care if his minions beat him or not, but to his experienced mooks them it's better being safe than sorry.

* In one ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' strip, Calvin deliberately loses the ball to [[JerkJock Moe]].

* ''{{Yeralash}}'' has an episode where two boys are playing chess, and the stronger one constantly makes hidden threats. At the end, the weaker one brings an even stronger guy to sit in his place.

* On ''TheAdventuresOfPeteAndPete'', a school bully with a paper motif, nicknamed "Papercut", was so intimidating to the other kids that they would always pick rock whenever he challenged anybody to a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.