How to count votes and the critical day

Why this matters. When a mistake in a vote can decide the game at once, arithmetic matters more than eloquence.

What to do. Before the vote, count the living red and black players in the possible scenarios. Ask whether an organised black team can push through its own candidate if the red team splits. Name a specific safe plan.

How it sounds. "We cannot split between two candidates. I suggest we agree on one version that can be checked and vote together."

Practice. Work out the outcomes with 3 red and 2 black, and with 2 red and 2 black, according to the rulebook.

Typical mistakes. Ignoring the number of votes, or proposing a strategy without taking the order of candidates into account.