# Centering an asymmetric tabular

I'm trying to center a payoff table asymmetrically but I give up and I ask to you.
The problem is that this type of table appears different than how LaTeX sees it. In fact, the first column should not be considered part of the table when centering. How can I tell this to LaTeX?

Here is the table:

As you see the table appears right shifted.
And here is the code found on tex.stackexchange.com and modified:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{caption}
\newcommand{\mc}[3]{\multicolumn{#1}{#2}{#3}}

\begin{document}

\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{rcccc}
\label{tab:inspectionGame}
&&$a$&$b$\\
\cline{3-4}
&\multicolumn{1}{p{0.3cm}}{\vfill\centering$A$}&
\multicolumn{1}{|p{1.5cm}}{\hfill $4$\newline $3$\hfill}&
\multicolumn{1}{|p{1.5cm}|}{\hfill $1$\newline $-3$\hfill}\\
\cline{3-4}
&\multicolumn{1}{p{0.3cm}}{\vfill\centering$B$}&
\multicolumn{1}{|p{1.5cm}}{\hfill $4$\newline $-3$\hfill}&
\multicolumn{1}{|p{1.5cm}|}{\hfill $-1$\newline $-4$\hfill}\\\cline{3-4}
\end{tabular}
\captionof{figure}{ Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul.}
\end{center}

\end{document}


EDIT: curiously someone had exactly my same problem (Center table by end of cell) just few hours ago. I try to apply that solution and if it works I'll delete my question.

EDIT2: Maybe that solution is not exactly what I need or maybe I'm still too noob to generalize :-(

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Take a look a this question, it may be usefull for you tex.stackexchange.com/questions/162046/… –  Tarass Feb 24 '14 at 9:48
@Tarass thank you, but it's what I said in my EDITS ;-) I'm still trying, anyway. –  HAL9000 Feb 24 '14 at 9:51
It's a rather visual thing so exact measuring and ignoring first column (which you could do) may not look right, I'd simply put \hspace*{-3em}\begin{tabular}{rcccc} and adjust the -3em to whatever looks right. –  David Carlisle Feb 24 '14 at 9:55
@DavidCarlisle I don't know if it's a solution or a workaround but it works great for my problem, thank you! –  HAL9000 Feb 24 '14 at 9:59

Make the left labels zero wide, and also remove the intercolumn space around the first column. I also straightened the input.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{array}
\usepackage{caption}

\newcommand{\leftlabel}[1]{%
\makebox[0pt][r]{#1\hspace{\tabcolsep}}%
}
\newcommand{\toplabels}[2]{%
\multicolumn{1}{@{}c@{}}{}&\multicolumn{1}{c}{#1}&\multicolumn{1}{c}{#2}
}
\newcommand{\payoff}[2]{%
\hfill#1\newline#2\hfill
}

\begin{document}

\begin{center}
%% just to show the center
\hspace*{\fill}\hspace{-.2pt}\rule{0.4pt}{1cm}\hspace*{\fill}

\begin{tabular}{@{}r@{}|m{1.5cm}|m{1.5cm}|}
\toplabels{$a$}{$b$}\\
\cline{2-3}
\leftlabel{$A$} & \payoff{$4$}{$3$} & \payoff{$1$}{$-3$} \\
\cline{2-3}
\leftlabel{$B$}& \payoff{$4$}{$-3$} & \payoff{$-1$}{$-4$} \\
\cline{2-3}
\end{tabular}
\captionof{figure}{Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul.}
\label{tab:inspectionGame}
\end{center}

\end{document}


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Thank you, this is a good solution even for similar problems! –  HAL9000 Feb 24 '14 at 10:01
@HAL9000 Note that \label must go after \caption and definitely not inside the tabular. –  egreg Feb 24 '14 at 10:03
Ok, but why not inside tabular? –  HAL9000 Feb 24 '14 at 10:06
@HAL9000 It must refer to the number generated by the \caption (or \captionof) command. Inside the tabular it makes no sense. –  egreg Feb 24 '14 at 10:08
you're right, thank you! –  HAL9000 Feb 24 '14 at 10:09
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{array,ragged2e}
\newcolumntype{M}[1]{>{\Centering}m{#1}}
\newcolumntype{R}{>{\RaggedLeft}p{1em}}

\newcommand{\MC}[1]{\multicolumn{1}{c}{#1}}
\newcommand\Cell[2]{$\array{@{}R @{\hspace{7mm}} R @{}} & #1\\#2 & \endarray$}

\begin{document}

\begin{table}\centering
$\begin{array}{r|M{1.6cm}|M{1.6cm}|} \MC{} & \MC{a} & \MC{b} \\ \cline{2-3} A & \Cell{4}{3} & \Cell{1}{-3} \\ \cline{2-3} B & \Cell{4}{-3} & \Cell{-1}{-4}\\ \cline{2-3} \end{array}$
\caption{ Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul.}\label{tab:inspectionGame}
\end{table}

\end{document}


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The vertical rule in the middle of the table is not in the center of the text block; the minus signs are all wrong. –  egreg Feb 24 '14 at 10:41

A solution with multirow:

        \documentclass{article}

\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{array, multirow}

\begin{document}

\begin{center}
$\begin{array}{@{}r *{2}{|r@{\hspace{2.4em}}r}|} \multicolumn{1}{c}{}& \multicolumn{2}{c}{a}& \multicolumn{2}{c}{b}\\ \cline{2-5} \multirow{2}{*}{$A$}& & 4 & & 1 \\ & 3 & & -3 & \\ \cline{2-5} \multirow{2}{*}{$B$}& & 4 & & -1 \\ & -3 & & -4 & \\ \cline{2-5} \end{array}$
\captionsetup{font = footnotesize}
\captionof{figure}{Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul.}
\label{tab:inspectionGame}
\end{center}

\end{document}


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