A Very Serious Business

Carl Balediata, a San Diego lawyer and contestant who went on to win $14,000, didn’t expect the seriousness in how contestants were handled. Aside from spending almost half of the day waiting with the other contestants for the taping and getting escorted for bathroom trips, there were also compliance officers who made sure that none of them were able to talk to audience members or anyone else, for that matter. He remarked that it was like being on jury duty, what with all the restrictions in place to prevent cheating.