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Player's Poker Face During Bluffing Game Described As 'Clinically Transparent'

Social deduction game reveals that Todd cannot deceive a table of friends who have known him for eight years

Duncan Meeple 2 min read The Boardgame Broadcaster

A participant in a social deduction board game has been informed by all other players that his attempts at deception are so transparent they constitute a form of honesty.

Todd Telltale, playing as a secret traitor in a cooperative game, was identified within the first round by all four other players, three of whom cited his facial expressions and one of whom cited "the way he shuffled his cards, which he only does when lying."

"Todd looked at his traitor card and his left eye twitched," reported player one. "Then he smiled in a way that he clearly believes looks natural but actually looks like someone who has recently been told to smile by a dentist."

Todd's subsequent attempts to appear cooperative were described by the table as "the most suspicious helpfulness I've ever witnessed" and "the enthusiasm of a man who is definitely sabotaging this mission."

"I was being genuinely helpful," Todd protested. "I was helping the team while secretly sabotaging the mission. It's a nuanced performance."

"It is not nuanced," the table responded in approximate unison.

Todd was eliminated as the traitor in round three after volunteering for a mission and then taking four seconds too long to play his contribution card, a delay the group has termed "Todd's Tell."

The group has since adjusted their play style to account for Todd's transparency. When Todd is not the traitor, the game functions normally. When Todd is the traitor, the game becomes what one player describes as "a cooperative exercise in pretending we don't already know."

Todd remains enthusiastic about social deduction games and is reportedly unaware that his tells have been catalogued.

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