Common Practices
Author: Vitaly - mr. Koteo (Brisbane Mafia Club)
This chapter is about day-minute discipline: how to speak, listen, and leave information in a way that wins games.
It is universal for any role:
As a Red player, you usually want contrast and structure: build two teams and force decisions.
As a Dark player, your goal is to survive with your team, so you often benefit from keeping the table uncertain for as long as possible.
The Mathematics part of this book will later explain critical rounds, vote power, parity, and counting. Here we focus on habits and speech structure.
How to Speak Effectively
A good minute has one purpose: Create a clear picture of the table, and make the vote controllable.
What that “picture” looks like depends on your role:
Red minute: build structure, create contrast, connect people into possible teams.
Dark minute: look helpful without becoming a guide; keep options open; avoid giving Reds clean structure.
The universal speech structure (repeat every round)
One sentence: what changed
night kill, vote result, reveal, sudden version flip.
Your version (three buckets)
More Red
Neutral
More Dark
Your vote plan
“Today I’m ready to vote between __ and __.”
Keep it conditional, not absolute.
One request
a question you want answered next round,
or a nomination you support.
This is short, repeatable, and easy for the table to follow.
Don’t use absolutes (simple rule)
Only Dark players (who know each other) and sometimes the Sheriff (through checks) can be truly confident. Everyone else is almost never 100% sure. So avoid “guaranteed Dark” language unless you are forced by structure.
“Illegal persuasion” is not a strategy
No bets, promises, threats, “I swear”, “after the game I’ll…”. It’s not “passion”, it’s a violation category that can cost the game.
Ending your minute
“Pass” and “Thank you” are both valid endings. But you don’t have to “ritual end” every time. If you’re still speaking when time expires, the judge will stop you. If you have one last sentence, you can often squeeze it in as the judge repeats “time”.
Gestures: when and how
Gestures are a parallel communication channel. You can use them during your minute and also outside your minute.
The rule-of-thumb:
In your minute, gestures should support your spoken structure (quick, readable, not a show).
Outside your minute, gestures help you ask/answer fast without stealing someone else’s time.
The core gesture vocabulary (the must-know set):
WHO
Red
Dark
IF
Use them to keep the table synchronised:
“WHO is your Dark?”
“Is #__ Red or Dark in your version?”
“IF #__ is Red, THEN #__ is Dark.”
How to Listen
If you try to listen equally to all 10 players, you will remember nothing. So you need a priority order.
Memory cap (beginner rule)
At any moment, force yourself to hold only:
Two camps (Camp A vs Camp B)
Your top Dark-ish candidate today
One reason that survives tomorrow (vote pattern / nomination pattern / role interaction)
This is enough to play solid intermediate Sports Mafia.
Whom to listen to most (priority list)
The nominators They shape the ballot and force decisions. Track: who nominated whom and why.
The vote-makers People who consistently pull others into a vote (table engines).
The main conflict The two or three names that keep returning as candidates.
The changers Players who flip version or vote. Change is normal. Unexplained change is information.
Role interaction Anyone involved in Sheriff claims, checks, or “not for voting” protection lines.
The three things you must always track
Nominations
Votes
Version changes
Everything else is optional.
The #1 beginner trap: donated vote
If you lose track of nominations, you can donate your vote by accident. If you don’t vote, your vote goes to the last nominated candidate.
So before voting begins, decide: “If it’s A vs B, I vote __.”
Making Your Version
Your version is a living model. It is allowed to be wrong on Day 1. But it must be structured.
Bucket version (base model)
More Red (1–3)
Neutral (most)
More Dark (1–3)
This is your stable core.
Team version (upgrade model)
The next step is to put players into two virtual teams:
Camp A tends to push together
Camp B tends to resist or push elsewhere
This is easier to remember than 10 separate opinions. Even if you misplace one player, the model is still useful: you can correct it by watching votes and reactions.
Day 1 local practice: artificial spotlight
This is a club tool to extract information early:
If you are seat #1: often don’t nominate.
If you are any other seat: you can nominate #1.
If you are seat #10: #1 may gesture you who to nominate, and you follow it.
Goal: Give player #1 to do meaningful table analysis and also listen again the most suspicious player at the table.
Reacting to Suspicion
Suspicion is normal. Your response should be useful.
The clean response pattern
Acknowledge “Okay.”
Ask for one concrete point “What exactly: my vote, my nomination, or my version?”
Answer briefly One reason. No emotional fighting.
Return structure Your version + your vote plan.
The best pressure question
“If you think I’m Dark, who else could be in my team then?”
That forces the accuser to build a team, not just throw a label.
“This seat is not for voting”
This line is a tool, not proof. Reds can use it to protect a seat (often as Sheriff cover). Dark players and fake-Sheriff can also use it.
So treat it as: “A claim that demands structure.”
Supporting the Team After Death
Your last word is not a goodbye speech. It’s your final chance to leave structure.
Last word template (universal)
Final bucket version “More Red: __. Neutral: __. More Dark: __.”
One team statement “I split the table into Camp A: __ and Camp B: __.”
One clear recommendation “Next round, best direction is to vote between __ and .” or “My counter-part is #. Listen to them carefully.”
Keep it calm. No drama.
Don-specific last word (information to Dark team)
If you are leaving as the most obvious Dark chair and your team needs direction: “Mafia shoots player #__.”
Short. Clear. No extra words.
Best Move
Best Move is recorded when the player killed on the second night names three Dark numbers for the protocol. Best Move is “numbers only” — explanation belongs in your last word.
Ready-to-say templates (quick use)
Speech template (any role)
“What changed: ____.”
“My version: Red-ish ____. Neutral ____. Dark-ish ____.”
“Today I’m ready to vote between ____ and ____.”
“One request: ____.”
“Pass / Thank you.”
Reaction template (when accused)
“Okay. What exactly: my vote, my nomination, or my version?”
“Answer: ____.”
“My version is ____.”
“If you think I’m Dark, who else could be in my team then?”
Last word template
“Final version: Red-ish ____. Neutral ____. Dark-ish ____.”
“My main teams are: Camp A ____ vs Camp B ____.”
“Next best direction: ____.”
“My counter-part is #__. Listen carefully.”
“Thank you.”
Last updated