For those of us outside the US, the Trump entry into the US Presidential race so many months out from the actual election has been entertainment heaven. Sure, he is destroying the fabric of a great nation by bring horrific stereotypes and misinformation to the fore, but sometimes that is the price to pay for depravity.

But there is a strong sense that this will come to an end. There is no one who believes he will be the Republican nominee, let alone President. Our favourite prediction markets have the odds of the former at 7% and the latter at 3%; both actually higher than the priors of most. The real question is how long will he last. To be sure, as viewers our interests are in him lasting some time, but when we put our rational heads on, what prediction do we get?

To apply game theory to all this, we need to make some assumptions:

1. The GOP will not nominate Trump

2. For Trump, running and losing has more disutility than not running. I don’t know this for sure but I am willing to go with it. Trump doesn’t strike me as someone who wants to be tested.

3. For Trump, losing as a third party candidate involves less disutility than losing as the GOP nominee.

4. Trump could not stand to be at an event without being the centre of attention.

5. Trump is not really able to “work for it.” In other words, coming from behind isn’t in him.

That should do us to get some predictions.

First of all, let’s consider the actual primary race that starts early next year. The Iowa caucuses aren’t really that critical for leading candidates but New Hampshire is. The chances are, the field will have shrunk enough by then that, whomever is the alternative to Trump, will actually poll higher than Trump in New Hampshire. Thus, being at that race for Trump means losing.

Second, given this, he won’t run in that race. He has two options. First, to pull out for the GOP race prior to that and run as an independent. Second, to pull out of the race entirely for that citing medical reasons. This last one is appealing as a prediction as it satisfies Trump’s preference assumptions. If this is the case, however, he will want to do this when it was still the case that he had a chance in New Hampshire. That way he can claim “I was going to win, but what can you do?” Effectively, the Republican equivalent of Bobby Kennedy although with a healthier degree of endogeneity to the decision.

Third, what this means is that running as an independent isn’t likely to happen. When we get to just the point where the medical exit or mexit is feasible, the mexit option will be taken. So there will be no opportunity for the independent run at that stage.

Fourth, which brings us to now. The first Republican debate is next week. Trump and nine others will be on the stage for a couple of hours. Think about that for a moment. Trump will be on stage with nine other people presumably with rules that will require him to spend 80 to 90% of the time listening to others speak. We are all tuning in to watch it. But to be sure, we are doing so because we don’t think that can happen.

Fifth, in addition, there is a strategy available to the other candidates. We can term it “Top Trump” or alternatively the “Quayle Fail.” Remember when Quayle stood there like a stunned mullet against Lloyd Bentsen. If one of the other candidates can get that reaction or sometime equally embarrassing from Trump, not only will Trump be out of the race but that candidate will become the leader. Basically, the “vanquished Trump” title is a game winner. But it will take something big and if someone can do it, they deserve kudos up the wazoo.

Sixth, just before you get too excited, the game theorist in me has to tell you that Trump will surely know about the “Top Trump” possibility. He’ll be watching for it. Obviously, if someone can do it, it is too late for him.

Seven, points 4 – 6, suggest that there is a reasonable probability that Trump will pull out of the debate or, at the very least, be off the stage early to destroy it. He’ll claim “why am I on a stage with all you losers” and that will be it. It is a clear win-win for Trump. A debate does him no good and carries risks — especially at this stage.

Will that mean that he forms a third party then and there or that he pulls out altogether shortly after with a mexit? Sadly, this is as far as my game theorist’s predictive lens will take me. My point is: I hope I’m wrong but our entertaining run seems like it will come shortly to an end.