My Experience

by Steven H Silver

After my second show (the third of the day), we got a lunch break. While my family went off site to have their own lunch, I was escorted, along with the six remaining contestants to the studio commissary. While the rest of the contestants generally had their own handlers, I, at this point, had one of my own. They aren't trying to segregate the champion from the others, although it does have this effect, it is just that there are things the champion has to do, for instance change clothes, which the other contestants do not take part in.

I wound up eating with the other contestants and talking a little about what it is like being up on the stage and actually playing the game. A few joked about slipping a mickey into my drink when I got up in the same manner we had joked about slamming Jason's thumb in the door frame before his games. We didn't damage Jason's thumbs and, as far as I know, my drink remained unadulterated.

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