Fictional character Barney Stinson is famous for his playbook. A series of 50 hilarious tricks Barney Stinson plays to sleep with women, many of which could get him arrested for “date rape.”

But celebrities, and non-celebrities, have their own playbook, and keep a lot of it legal. Let's review some of their tactics.

Play number 1: “the front.”

Hollywood players will data and marry someone as a “front.” That is, in public, they will be famous for dating or marrying that person.

The “front” will be helpful when it comes to calming their parents' and families' worries that they might be single, and all those pushing them to get married.

The “front” can also be helpful when it comes to showing up as a couple at public events, to avoid unwanted attention from the opposite sex.

Celebrities (and non-celebrities) who have fronts often multiply partners in the shadows, and hint to those partners that their relationship with the front is coming to an end. Even better, they can tell several of those partners the blunt truth, that the front is what it is, a front.

Play number 2: multiplying long-term relationships with celebrities (or people in the circle) and being as public as possible about those relationships.

That is, players will have brief relationships (6 months to 2 years) with many celebrities (or people in the circle) and will try to be as public as they can about them, in some cases even fathering (or mothering) children with some of those celebrities.

When you multiply failed relationships, people assume that you have trouble with stable relationships, which makes it easier to play around.

Play number 3: The family groom (or bride)

That is, celebrities (or non-celebrities) marry someone and start families with someone, and keep their partners in the family sphere.

But when they go back to work, they play around. The family sphere trick enables them to give their parents grandchildren to look after.

Play number 4: The ghost bride (or groom)

To prevent partners from attempting stable relationships that lead to marriage, two celebrities (or non-celebrities) will agree to be married and to be a public couple in name only.

The marriage enables them to play around with several other partners, without the possibility of falling into the trap of marriage, because they are already married.

Play number 5: The professional/business partner bride (or groom)

In the business world, in the entertainment world, and in other spheres, a lot of times getting a job will depend on who your spouse is.

How many times was I able to get a job in the past simply by saying that “my girlfriend is Korean and I intend to marry her” and that did the trick, otherwise I would not have had the job (Koreans don't hire non-Koreans who speak Korean unless they are married to a Korean).

So, being married to John Doe or Jane Roe will probably get you quite a few roles or jobs, that can help further your career.

And the rest of the time, you play around.

Play number 6: The bride (or groom) that prevents partners from coming home (aka the “gatekeeper”).

These players often marry someone so they can have someone at home. When they need to hide from their partners, they go “home.” Otherwise, they just play along with multiple partners.

Play number 7: The exotic “groom” or “bride.”

Sometimes a Cuban husband or a Tahitian wife works wonders when it comes to getting roles or signing business deals.

So these guys and girls play around, but bring their Cuban husbands or Tahitian wives to the table when a deal needs to be signed. And play around the rest of the time.

Play number 8: The “look at my ugly husband/wife... you'd make a better partner.”

Yes, some people like to marry “ugly” (pardon the offensive term) partners that they will publicly show up with. But the husband/wife is really meant to communicate the idea that the “pretty” and “handsome” ones fit into the picture better, and that's how they play around.

Play number 9: The “my husband/wife is famous for playing with Legos and collecting 19th century pennies and you'd be a ton more fun to hang out with” play

These guys marry people who are... let's not use the term “mentally retarded” or “deviant” but let's just say they are “weird” or “difficult to understand.”

So they're basically telling the partners they are playing with that they want to play, to avoid going home to the boring husband/wife.

Play number 9: The “my husband/wife is a social outcast, so let's have fun.”

You know that guy or girl whose husband or wife is not preventing them from ranting on Facebook or Twitter, but who actually encourages them to rant on Facebook or Twitter so everyone can see they are a social outcast.

People who see the rants understand that the husband/wife needs to play around, and is available to play around.

Final play (there are many others, but let's keep this short): The guy or girl who keeps getting married (and failing marriages) and get married 7, 8, 9 or more times.

9 marriages is a code word for “let's play!”

Conclusion

The real question is, “where is the love in all this?” or “does anyone get married because they are in love?”

Yes, a ton of people get married because they are in love, and face ups and downs in their marriages.

But people who get married because they are in love and are in an exclusive relationship tend to keep a low or very low profile.

Why keep a low profile?

Because the minute those couples expose themselves to the public, they get “invitations to play around.” That's how the world works.

So exclusive couples built on a solid base usually keep a low profile, rarely show up at events, and when they do show up, they have a couple of drinks and leave.

They say adultery is not what causes divorce. It is all the dirty tricks played trying to hide adultery that lead to divorce.  

But many do play by the playbook. And I've been a victim of someone in the distant past who dated me for 9 years when I was part of her playbook. She was basically using me to prevent her parents from imposing a husband upon her. Then she chose to become a diplomat specifically because diplomats are not allowed to marry people from different countries. And the only time I ever really saw her was on some weekends and holidays at her parents' house. The rest of the time she always either claimed to be “busy” or “sick” or “in a bad mood, so can't talk.” I lived, and I learned.