Zero-sum Game

Definition: a Zero-sum Game is a competitive philosphy and Game Theory scenario in which the accumulated gains (profits, benefits) of one or more participants in an activity is offset by the accumulated losses (disadvantages) of one or more other participants.
For instance, poker is a zero-sum game. If 5 players each bring $100 to the table, there is still $500 among the players at the end of the game; it just is distributed differently among the players.
Many collaborative business and management activities including strategy formulation are aimed at identifying and pursuing positive-sum games - also called non-zero-sum games or win-win situations.

More on zero-sum games. More on competition: Competition Levels, Competitive Advantage, Competitive Intelligence, Cost Leadership, Differentiation, more...