The HOH competitions in the US Big Brother. Strategically, you don't want to win HOH because it puts a target on your back as you reveal your targets and sometimes your alliance to the house; and you're often seen as "getting them out" even when all you did as HOH was nominate them for eviction, very easily someone can flip the votes around with you having nothing to do with it. HOH only votes in the event of a tie. So naturally, people try to avoid this until much later in the game, but the competitions are designed so that somebody has to win, and it's not uncommon to have someone win by default. A common strategy is to throw it to your own alliance members.
On some occasions? Challenges are set up to record time even when the determining factor is score. So why is this a case? In case of a tie.
The final veto challenge in 12. It was actually set up like most multiple choice tests where you can eventually narrow it down to two possible choices. This was what allowed Hayden to win it, since he still had that skill of removing the blatantly-incorrect choices due to being a college student, whereas the other people in the challenge were a hotel sales manager, oil company worker, and insurance agent who had long finished school, or hadn't even gone to college.
Josh's master plan in 19, which seems cowardly at first glance, but is actually an innovative and incredible idea. He used the goodbye videos to tell evicted houseguests the truth about himself being in an alliance with Paul, and to rat out Paul as the mastermind behind their eviction. The thing is, these videos are completely confidential, recorded in the Diary Room and only played outside of the house after someone gets evicted. Which meant as long as Josh kept his mouth shut, there was no possible way Paul could ever know Josh's strategy, and Josh was able to completely destroy Paul's game without him ever knowing about it. And anyone bound for Jury who sees them will go off to Jury with the knowledge Paul is a backstabber. Rinse and repeat several times, and you have multiple people in Jury who respect you for being honest and like the fact you are not totally on board with the guy who backstabbed them. Josh laid the foundation for his victory well in advance of Paul, and Paul was unable to secure the jury votes he needed to win.
Not just that, but several of Josh's own actions after that double eviction were actually a lot smarter than originally thought. Why nominate Alex and Kevin? To give Paul another rope to hang themselves with. By nominating Alex and Kevin, Josh continues to push Paul's narrative that Josh&Christmas had gone rogue on Paul and Alex. Thus making it look like he and Christmas were still unafraid of Paul - and were able to intimidate Paul into not using the veto then Paul of course tells Alex that they were surprised that a tie happened - even when Paul wasn't lying about trying to get rid of Kevin. Then, in the final four, Paul wins head of household and the veto... but doesn't use it. Paul may not have realised it, but them being able to send Josh or Christmas to the jury house was actually their last chance to potentially have Alex or Jason's vote: By not using the veto to ensure the duo that had "Gone rogue" (per Paul's own narrative), Paul basically told the jury that they were more comfortable going to the final three with people who had, by Paul's own admission, played them for a fool three weeks in a row. Why shouldn't Alex and Jason have voted for Josh? He It's perhaps no surprise that Josh took Paul to the end: had Josh taken Christmas, he couldn't continue Paul's own narrative, and Christmas could easily say "We beat Paul".
The "Chain of Safety" in the 10th season of Canada wasn't just a way to have a no Head of Household instant eviction: It was a way to force everyone to reveal their own allies and targets. Similar to the "Rope Chopping Challenge" in Survivor, instinctively everyone would give their safety vote to someone who they felt comfortable with going forward. So you would pick someone who wouldn't put you up. Revealing your allies can be just as bad as revealing your targets.
Tim's use of the Australian nomination system (Gummy bears) was actually this - it seems as if he's just Genre Blind and unaware of how things work in the Canadian and American system. However, what he was actually doing? Inviting the entire house to name their targets - that way, he gained valuable intel on who wanted who out all while using the "Will of the House" excuse to avoid having blood on his hands. And unfortunately, Dallas (who saw right through it) called him out on it, which made him an easy target. Plus, the fact that Dallas had shown that he was able to see through Tim's Obfuscating Stupidity, Tim had every reason to go straight for Dallas - since Dallas wasn't so easily fooled.
In, the 24th season of the US version, Jasmine was medically cleared to compete in a challenge, but chose to sit out. Jasmine actually may not have made a good gameplay move - so much as a move for her health. Even if she could have competed, the movements required in the challenge could have aggravated her sprained ankle, which would potentially make her unable to compete in a future challenge she needs to win.
A few houseguests spoke in their sleep (notably Michele in US season 11). Sometimes, these sleep-talks unnerved everyone, because one can only imagine what on earth was going on in their dreams. The answer? Probably something you do NOT want to know...
At least once a season, a houseguest with children has a nightmare about their children being hurt while they were on the show.
In BB 20, Brett takes a moment during the third live eviction night to turn Rockstar into his scapegoat. That is sure to make anyone mad, but for Rockstar, this is especially below the belt and enough to make it personal and send her into hysterics as the following week progresses and she drops out of an HOH competition first, breaking down in tears. Rockstar getting extremely angry at Brett and her subsequent meltdown seems a little unjustified at first. However, one fact changes this- when Rockstar reveals that Brett did this on her daughter's birthday. This means her daughter likely just watched her mom get insulted and trashed on LIVE TV that night and spoiled her special night. Rockstar has every right to want to get back at Brett, and she does.
