When the Live! Casino & Hotel came to us with a request to use the clickers as a method to play a cutthroat, “Winner Takes All” game at their property in Philly, we didn’t hesitate for a minute. The first game took place on November 20, 2021 and the second on February 19, 2022.
Meridia has the experience to match the request. In the past, we’ve partnered with America’s Got Talent and Heineken to create cool, animated displays that are controlled by people voting in real time.
This event was a bit different, though. The simple, high-stakes rules and the fact that real money was on the line made it many times more exciting.
First, there’s the $25,000 pot that you and your fellow players can split. That’s no small change – am I right?
Then, there’s the basic rule – Split the Pot, or Split the Group. About 160 players have a single dilemma to vote on: “Do you want to split the $25,000 among yourselves, going home with ‘pennies’ or risk being eliminated from the game altogether for the sweet possibility of winning some real money?”
Just imagine winning only $150.60 with all 166 people in Round 1 versus the possibility of getting $1,250 in Round 4, or even $2,272.73 in Round 5, or splitting the $25,000 between the last two audience members right down the middle – $12,500!
The game started out with everyone understanding the main rule: the room MUST be unanimous in choosing to “Split the Pot” in order to win the money – whatever it might be per person at that time. If even one person does not want to split the money, but rather risk the elimination by “Splitting the Group”, then we split the group.
Next, the Live! Casino & Hotel chose which half got eliminated by spinning the wheel that could land on either “Top” or “Bottom” – as in: keep the Top or keep the Bottom half of the current participants into the next round.
The action was handled entirely by Meridia’s easy-to-use voting keypads, which allowed the participants to see the round’s results instantaneously after making their choice.
As we progressed through the game, the audience got more and more excited. The prize money continued to increase with each successive round as more and more people were eliminated. With the help of a professional DJ and lovely showgirls that presented the results of each round in a ‘boxing match’ style, the anticipation was rising, with each half of the audience either reacting with elation or disappointment when they learned the result of the vote.
At the first event in November of 2021, we made it to Round 4 where the final 20 contestants decided to split – taking home $1,250 each, and in February of 2022, each of the 17 players took home almost $2,000.
Disclaimer: Meridia is not a gambling operator and does not provide any online, or physical gambling products and services whatsoever. Meridia does not promote or endorse any form of wagering or gambling to anyone. If you, or someone you know may have a gambling addiction, please contact the National Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-522-4700. The hotline is open for calls 24 hours a day and is completely confidential.
