I played a game of risk recently where we had an idiot. It was me and her in north america, and I suggested that rather than fighting it out and accomplishing nothing, allowing the usual suspects (australia and S. america) to get an early lead that we just split N. America and guarantee ourselves a friendly border and some room to grow in the early game. She flat out refused, and managed to succeed in kicking me out of N. America by turn 3 (unbelievable rolls, damn her), but, as promised, we were both crippled.
I was starting fresh on T3 in east asia with a hungry australia having no incentive to not swallow me up, and she had a unified S. America looking to expand her way. Both of us were dead by T5. Well played! Sorry for the risk story, but the things I learned of patience, alliance, and strategy in dip definitely do apply to other games as well.