THE GREAT PRETENDER

The Rules

The object of the game is to win the question and answer rounds but conceal that win from your opponents. If you successfully achieve that you take away that day's bank.

If you do not win the question and answer rounds you still have a chance to win a share of that day's bank by correctly identifying that day's pretender and convincing everyone else of your choice.

Six contestants play. There are six question and answer rounds.

Other than the buzzer round, you only answer the questions addressed to you individually.

'Passes' are not allowed - it's up to the contestants to come up with plausible answers.

Chris does not say if answers are correct or not - it's up to the contestants to judge.

Questions are generally guessable, for example, requiring a city, a soap character or a number. Some rounds have single points, some have double points.

No scores are given. Each player is unaware of their own score, or anyone else's. It's up to them to use their general knowledge, memory and plain intuition to keep track of who's doing well.

Each correct answer adds money to the prize pot.

After two rounds, there is an elimination vote. Each contestant votes for the player they think is the biggest threat. Whoever gets the most votes is out. However, eliminations aren't guaranteed. If there's a tie, then no one is eliminated.

If contestants succeed in eliminating a player, then the money for each correct answer goes up. If they fail, the money stays the same.

Round 3 is a buzzer round. There are as many questions as there are players. In the buzzer round the first player to buzz in answers the question, but be aware that the other players will be trying to make a mental note of who has answered. If a question goes unanswered any money available for that question will be lost.

After Round 4 there is another elimination vote. If the group successfully eliminate then the money per correct doubles again.

After six rounds, if a winner hasn't emerged, there will be a tie-breaker. The players will be told that a number of them are joint leaders (we do not say how many, or what their score is). A 'closest to' estimation question will be asked, which all the contestants answer. For example, 'How many miles is it from London to New York?' Only the answers of those in the lead count at this stage. The person with the highest score who is closest to the correct answer will be the winner.

When a winner has emerged we send the players to the waiting room. They are free to discuss the game, go over the questions and sound each other out.

One by one they will be called back into the studio to have an individual interview with Chris.

They will be asked about their own performance, and who they suspect.

Chris will inform them whether or not they are the winner. The host and player discuss strategy, and they return to the waiting room.

When the winner learns of his victory, it is up to him to conceal it from his rivals.

All the players return to the studio, and the second part of the game begins.

Chris will give each player the opportunity to look him in the eye and say that they are not The Great Pretender.

When each player has had their say Chris takes a straw poll to find out where suspicions lie at this stage.

Out of this Chris chairs an open discussion. The players can accuse each other, defend themselves, recall questions and attempt to tot up the various scores. It is important during this that you clearly put forward your thought process.

At the end of the chaired discussion, Chris gives the players a 60-second free-for-all. It is essential here that you get your point across; you have a very short amount of time and must have your say.

By the end of the sixty seconds it must be all against one - so all the nominations (bar the nominated Great Pretender) must target the same contestant. At the end of the 60 seconds there can be absolutely no further talking, each contestant privately locks in their final vote for the Great Pretender.

The votes are locked in. One by one the players reveal their nominations and we see if they have succeeded in reaching an agreement.

If the players can reach an agreement and correctly identify the winner, then they'll steal his money to share between them.

If they agree but identify the wrong person, then the winner keeps his money. This means that if they get it wrong there may be more than one accusation, as Chris goes down the line accusing potential candidates before finally unveiling the real Great Pretender.

If they fail to reach an agreement, then the winner gets away scot-free. Again, this creates a series of reveals and is particularly frustrating for the losing players since they wilfully threw away the opportunity to win money.