A matrix game is strictly determined if there is an entry in the matrix that is the smallest in its row and the largest in its column. If the game is strictly determined then, when the two players R and C use conservative strategies, the pay-off is always the same and is the value of the game.
The game given by the matrix on the left below is strictly determined. The conservative strategy for R is to choose Row 3, and the conservative strategy for C is to choose Column 1. The value of the game is 5. The game on the right is not strictly determined: