Meanest game (Golden Balls (TV Series))

Member Name: Donf18

Product:	Golden Balls (TV Series)
Date:	24/02/09 (164 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You see people for what they are

Disadvantages: It's cruel

We are a very varied race us humans, most of us are concerned about others and have what might be best described as a caring nature. We all perhaps also would like a little more money in our bank accounts, but generally just plod on from week to week and getting by. So for those of us in this category how would you react to the scenario, which is inevitably the finale of this successful game show, " Golden Balls?

Let me explain a little I'm not going to go into all the technical details or go into a really in depth review, just enough to give you a taster so that perhaps you might watch and decide if which category you fall into............"SPLIT" or "STEAL". Basically from the start of the game where there are four players you are in a position where you have to decide whom of the other contestants you trust.

From a selection of Golden ball which are hinged in the middle and can therefore be opened to reveal either a sum of money or a Killer. The sums of money range from small amounts up to a massive £75000. In the first round each player has two golden balls in the front, which have their values, displayed. They also have two golden balls behind those, which are not revealed. You have to convince the other players you have the BIG money so that you will be voted through to the next round. There are also three killer balls of which I will talk later, suffice to say they are not good. Once the voting is complete the back balls are reveal to see who has what and who was lying.

You are therefore judging your fellow competitors, as to whether they are telling the truth, for instance two of them might claim to have the £15,000 ball when only one can actually have it. At the end of round one each player votes of one of the other three, leaving three players. The three remaining players golden ball are carried on to the next round.

Round two is very similar to round one but this time the players have three balls on the back row and two displayed and revealed on the front. Remembering the balls which have been brought forward will help the contestants to decide who is lying, since the person with the killers will not be voted through should the other players discover they have the killers. Once again when the voting is complete the back balls are reveal to see who has what and who was lying.

The two players who are eventually voted through to the final round now face what I consider one of the cruellest game show endings. Since the balls of each player voted through are carried on to the next round the players know the values of the balls, but here another killer in entered into the game. There is now a row of 5 positions and the players take it in turns to pick one of the remaining 10 balls to bin and then a ball to win. The ball chosen to bin is binned and is out of the game, obviously this is when you want to pick a killer. The ball to win is place on the first position of the five and is now the running total of the prize money. The next player does a bin to win and this alternates until the five positions are full and when totalled give the winnings available for that game. The twist her is that should you be unlucky enough to choose a killer ball as a win ball it divides you current total by ten. So if player 1 select a £12,000 ball to win and then player two picked a £2,000 ball to win on his turn the total would be £14,000 when it was then player ones turn to pick a ball to win and he picked a killer then the total would drop to £1,400.

When the final ball is placed in the fifth slot that is the prize money. Now each player is given two ball one marked "STEAL" the other marked "SPLIT". They have to choose one and keep it hidden. If both choose the split they share the money. If one chooses steal and the other split then the one who chose steal gets the lot. If both choose steal they both get nothing. Cruel isn't it. As with the voting in previous rounds there is a small time allocation to allow players to convince each other they are telling the truth, and in the first rounds its just a matter of judgement. In this final round especially if its for lots of cash you really have to be careful. Obviously even if you are going to steal you try to convince your opponent that you will definitely split. It's really wicked and when it goes wrong and someone does steal the f ing and blinding kicks in, but is of course beeped or cut.

The end bit is the best when you yourself try to decide who will do what and see how good you are at judging human nature. There are some really greedy people out there who even when the prize money is way at £50,000 won't split and get £25,000 they steal and try for the lot. Sometimes it pays off sometimes it doesn't.

Summary: A vicious game