Risk and Return Considerations in'The Weakest Link'

摘要

"The Weakest Link" is a television game show that first ap-peared in Britain in August 2000. It rapidly became popular and was exported to morethan two dozen foreign countries, with virtually the same set of rules as the originalversion. The game involves contestants answering general knowledge questions, witheach correct answer raising the amount held in a temporary "pot." However, beforebeing asked a question, the contestant has to decide whether to "bank" what is alreadyin the pot. If a decision to "bank" is made, the money in the pot is transferred to apermanent account and the pot is reduced to zero. Alternatively, the contestant mayforgo the banking option. In this case, the contestant gambles the pot in the hope ofincreasing it by answering the next question correctly. If, however, an incorrect answeris given, the pot is lost and reset again to zero. Each round consists of a series of suchscenarios, proceeding sequentially through the group. At the end of each round, oneplayer is voted off by the others, until two players are left, at which point they playa round with payoff amounts for correct answers which are twice or three times whatthey were in previous rounds, and then answer a straightforward series of questions,the winner taking all, the other players receiving nothing.