Hey all. Lemme just say that if this is the wrong forum for this, mods, plz feel free to move.

I'm going to be a contestant on a game show in a couple of days. To be safe, I can't say what it's called bc frankly even though I'm anonymous on here I don't know if I'm already breaching something by just saying that I'm doing it, but I don't think I am. It hasn't been around that long though, but with minimal research anyone should be able to figure out what it is. Anyway, reason why I'm posting is because it involves a good deal of strategy not just as far as games go, but the social aspect. The game definitely rewards those who are good at persuasion. Onto the rules:

4 people on a team. It's just you and this team for the whole 30 min episode (You're not up against other teams). It's similar to Millionaire in that you're asked a series of questions, locking in $$$ after each correct one, and the value amounts increase. First one starts at $5k and I think the last one is $25k. Each player has a button to lock in the answer in front of them, either A, B, or C, and before the answer for the team can be officially locked in, everyone has to unanimously have the same answer. Here's the main twist: as soon as the host asks the questions and the 3 possible answers, a 30 second timer starts and the $$ amount of the question goes down. After 30 seconds, it hits 0 and is considered an incorrect answer. So the amount of money you can win for any particular question is whatever is left by the time you and everyone else is unanimous. If you get it right, you get that $$ added to your bank. Get it wrong, and you lose 50% of however much money you've banked up until that point.

After 2/3 of the way through, each person on the team decides to vote out someone on the team. It also has to be unanimous (as unanimous as possible, 3 votes for the same person). If it's 2-2 or 1-1-1-1, then a clock starts and all your money starts dwindling down to 0. You have 1 minute to make a decision before all your money is gone.

The remaining 3 people answer a couple more questions, and then begins the final part of the game. The total amount of money banked is divided into 3 amounts: 60%, 30%, and 10%. Then the 100 second clock starts. Everyone has to take a different share. Obviously, everyone wants A, the 60% share, but someone has to be willingly take C, the smallest share, and B, the middle share. As you're arguing, the money is dwindling down to 0. When all 3 have agreed on who gets what share, the clock stops and you now get whatever is left. After 50 of the 100 seconds have passed, the clock stops and 1/2 the money is gone. Then, everyone gets 10 seconds to speak their peace on what they think they should do. Then the clock starts up again and the money continues to go down. If no decision is reached after the 2nd 50 seconds, the bank hits 0 and no one walks away with a dime.

I've watched a bunch of episodes of this show and it seems like 50% of the time the teams walk away with nothing because people are inherently irrational, stubborn dicks. I've already come up with a few different strategies but before sharing them I'd love to pick 2p2's collective brain on this. Keep in mind that the average contestant picked for this show is the average American, so glean from that what you will (as far as rationality, acting from emotion, level of risk averseness vs reward, intelligence, etc. etc. etc.)

So what would be your strategy going in?

Any type of deal making possible?

Can you try and flip a coin or something?

I would try and get 2 people to flip for 60% and 10% and the 3rd take the 30%.

No deal making possible. You sign a million contracts saying you won't do that. Also, you don't meet your teammates until you're literally playing the game.

The coinflip idea is literally what I'm going to propose IF I feel like I'm up against 1 or 2 people that will in no way take the 10%. Obviously, everyone tries to project that image but the real skill will be to sniff out who has it in them to crack.

That's why the game play itself is really important, because you (and your teammates) are building an image the whole time that will determine how to best approach them at the end.

Prior to the elimination round, you obviously need to be an asset to the team, being confident and smart will help with that. You'll also need to be planting seeds about a particular player you want vote out. Calling out someone if they cost the team money wouldn't hurt.

I'd make sure I let everyone know that I'm picking 30% no matter what, and they need to decide on the other payouts. If you can make deals, this part of the game is pointless, but if you can find a way to deal then just do that.

What is your estimated equity ($) going in? It should be meaningful cash (or career boosting) to dance like a monkey under these rules.

If you assert yourself as the team leader and immediately go for the 10%, it's almost guaranteed that the other 2 quickly decide the 30/60. Seems like a winning play, sadly.

It's definitely not. Usually the team banks 20-40k total before the last round, so we're looking at usually 18kish, 9k, 3k. Of course what people walk away with is all overt the map. Like I mentioned, half the eps I watch, people end up with nothing.

it also seems to me like taking the 10% is smartest - if its really that common that people walk away with 0

if you have any time, cant you just agree to do a quick rock paper scissors? it can be done 3 way pretty easily (if its 1-1-1 you do it again, if its 2-1 then the person who loses takes the 10% and you do it again heads up, if its 1-2 then the person who wins takes the 60% and the others do heads up, etc.)

agreeing to something random by chance seems like the quickest way to get people to agree. i dont see logic/persuasion working too well because people are gonna be stubborn, and mostly because time is such a scarce resource here

Rock paper scissors is a good idea.

My strat would be just to offer to flip a coin/rps/etc. (or offer to take 2nd and let them flip for first and last) and if they aren't willing to agree or back off on their word after the contest you are locking in 60% and best of luck to them.

vote off any A-types, particularly if they are male.

if they're aren't any a-types left in the % round, lock in the 60% and tell them to flip for the rest

if there are, force them to flip

This is how you walk away with $0.

If the contestant pool is like most game shows (Price is Right, whatever new trash is airing on GSN these days, etc), then almost everyone will be "A-types", or at least people who think of themselves as "A-types" (which makes no difference in this context).

I'm not positive if RPS is ideal or not. The "fair" RPS might work fine with poker players, but not so sure about the general public. So you say "The fairest way to divide this up RPS. One person gets 30%, and I'll RPS someone else 60/10". You have to convince them fast. This whole process might take like 30 seconds to convince them even if they might be amenable to it. People already had their hearts on getting 60 going in, and probably aren't looking to divide it fairly, so they'll just say, no I WANT 60 because of xyz. Best chance it works if you can quickly give an ultimatum: "I'll take 10% if you can RPS for 30/60 in the next 15 seconds or I write 60 and I will refuse to negotiate. 15, 14, 13, ....". I'm not even sure if you'll be able to get this all out with everyone shouting back and forth. If they don't RPS in the 15 secs, write 60, put your head down, and hope for the best.

Yeah, RPS can be very problematic in that situation. You'll already be trying to explain to two bewildered idiots under the pressure of time and a live studio audience how to do a 3way RPS, and then you have the issue of all 3 doing it at the same time, then you have one guys shooting on 3, another guy going 1,2,3, then shoot. Too much hassle.

Obviously, going in, everyone's plan is to argue for A (the 60%). Everyone tends to fall into 2 categories: Those who really want A, but will settle for B, and those for whom it's A or bust. Of course, everyone at first projects the image of the latter when the clock first starts, and technically, that is the correct play. If by stubbornly sticking with A, it ends up working better than 1/6 of the time, it's better than taking guaranteed C.

The problem is with everyone arguing and yelling and trying to make a case for why they deserve A, so much of the time any merit based arguments go out the window, and the jackass who says, "I don't care that I got a lot of questions wrong or wasted time. I want the big piece or nothing at all." and then the others acquiesce. So truly, the game favors whoever can be the most convincing that they're the most stubborn jackass who won't budge from A. The true key is figuring out how to persuade someone to take C. I'm really going to spend a lot of the game trying to sniff out who I think I can get to settle for C, and how.

Here's my plan going in (and if you have suggestions on how to improve on this I'm all ears):
- When answering questions, if my answer differs from my teammates and I'm outnumbered 3-1 I'm going to acquiesce to their answer right away. I'm only going to fight for my answer if I'm 80% certain or better. It's a lose/lose/lose to argue unless I'm certain. It wastes time and we win less money, or if I do convince them and I'm wrong, it hurts my rep going forward.
- Vote to eliminate the person who seems to be the most stubborn and irrational, and least susceptible to persuasion. . Usually they cast a middle aged Mid-West lady in the group who ends up hemming and hawing on questions, wasting time (and money) before finally being convinced. As tempting as it will be to vote her out, she's actually the kind of person I'll want at the end.
- I didn't mention this before but during the game there are two freebies that can be used by anyone at any time, where if they hit the button, their answer locks in for everyone in the group. I'll only use this if I'm 100% certain on an answer, and it's going to take too much time to convince others.

For the endgame:

Try to argue for the big share during the first 50 seconds. If we still haven't come to a decision then during the paused clock period, I'll suggest the coinflip. To get myself the best chance at flipping and not taking B (since flipping has 35% equity and B is 30%) I'll offer to the other two individually if they want B, and I'll only take it if neither wants it. I'll also let whoever takes B to flip the coin for me and the other person, and I'll let the other person call it just bc in the moment I don't want to be called out for using a trick coin or something.
If one of them still objects, I'm just going to say "**** you" then and lock in A, and walk out of the ****ing studio. They're not allowed to touch my button, and they won't be able to call my bluff at that point since I'll be gone.

I've seen this show. The key is to get cast with people who are only a little bit dumb. It's a total crapshoot.

When i first read this it sounded like a great idea to me, but after i watched a few end games i think now that it comes down to you gotta just suck it up and take C money as quickly as possible and then use that sacrifice to solve their bickering over A and B money.

I've seen this show. I wasn't really a fan of it.

GL OP.

I would just immediately go to your last option. Shove and put the other players to the test.

The problem I have with this show, from the few episodes I've watched, is that the questions aren't really trivia. It's doubtful anyone knows for sure the correct answers, so they always just end up taking their best guess.

Could you bring some dice and ask everyone to quickly roll them? Seems like it would be just about as fast as RPS and more easily understood as random.

Well sure, but those who have a high awareness of pop culture and society and how people think will overall be better at the questions than those who aren't, like say Family Feud.

I wish I knew what this show was it sounds awful enough to deserve a watch.

definitely want to see this show with cody, makani, alex, and gina as a team.

Pretty sure we already know the end result of that one...they'd end up owing the show a couple thousand dollars apiece

Can someone pm me the name of the show please? I want to watch an episode.

This game has elements of psychology.
Poker has elements of psychology.
This game does not have poker elements.