Melbourne man Stephen Hall won $672,357 in tax-free cash and prizes on Channel 9’s Temptation in 2005, and was later named ‘Australia’s Brainiest Quiz Master’ on a Channel 10 show of the same title.

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Stephen has just released his e-book that offers wannabe contestants his advice on how to beat the system, based on his own experiences and interviews with other game show winners and industry insiders.

He shares his top 10 tips below.

1. Study the show – religiously

Studying the format of the show, including its patterns and rhythms, is a must, Stephen says.

“When I went on Temptation I could tell you how many questions were in round one, how many in round two and generally what to expect. Get to know the format intimately.”

Stephen explains that knowing how the show works will help you anticipate the types of questions hosts are likely to ask. For example, in Temptation they had three ‘Who am I?’ questions about celebrities and high-achievers, so Stephen studied Time magazine’s list of influential people.

Knowing the format is also good from a tactical point of view; if you know how many questions are yet to come, and how many points each is worth, you can calculate how risky you need to be, including whether it’s worth taking a punt on a question you’re unsure of, or sitting a round out.

2. Take it seriously, and practise

If you want to clean up in a game show, it’s important to spend time honing your skills.

While this might seems like an obvious statement, Stephen says the vast majority of contestants he encountered during his seven nights on Temptation turned up to the studio with little or no practise, believing “it’s all general knowledge, it’s all just a bit of fun”.

When people expressed such views, Stephen knew they weren’t a threat, because he had spent time practising in game conditions and training his brain to recall information quickly.

“I set up my own training regime where I would pre-record shows and use the pause button as a buzzer to play along with contestants,” Stephen says.

“If I pressed the pause button when I knew the answer before the other contestants hit their buzzers (on the pre-recorded shows) I would award myself a point. I drew up tables with my name and the other contestants and played against them. It’s like training for a physical event – you train and train in as close to game conditions as you can.”

3. Study lists

Lists are fodder for game show writers, Stephen says, as they’re cheap and quick. So study up on Academy Award winners, Australian Prime Ministers and Melbourne Cup winners, all of which can be easily accessed by simply utilising your old friend Google.

For those with a little more cash to splash, invest in a Britannica Encyclopaedia – you won’t regret it.

4. Become a quiz-writer

Writing your local pub trivia questions will not only make you a hero in the local community, it is also one of the most useful things you can do to prepare for going on game shows, Stephen says.

Before going on Temptation, Stephen had been writing questions for his weekly pub trivia nights for years, so he was familiar with how questions were sourced and formatted.

“Start thinking like a question writer by being a question writer!” Stephen says. “There are even sites where you can set your own quizzes, like QuizBean, which is totally free. Write a quiz, then come back to answer the questions later, to cement the information and enhance your neural pathways.”

5. Watch the show in double time!

While Stephen is yet to test this theory, he’s confident that it will work. What you do is, record the show on your computer, then change your settings so you can watch it back at twice the normal speed. This will force your brain to process information at lightning speed, and when you’re actually on the show it will feel like you have an eternity to answer given questions.

“It’s like lifting heavier weights than you need to lift then when the ordinary weights come on they seem really light,” Stephen says.

6. Watch the host’s mouth

When Stephen was on Temptation and Australia’s Brainiest Quiz Master he would fix his attention on the host’s mouth. This not only helped him remain calm and focused, but he could sometimes garner clues as to what the next word might be, giving him a jump on his opponents. Those crucial couple of seconds could determine whether you take home a life-changing amount of cash, or nothing.

7. Don’t be a guilt-monger

No matter how much you’re losing by, keep your cool – and your dignity. Whether you’re behind in your mortgage payments or really need a holiday, this isn’t your opponents’ problem, so don’t expect any favours, Stephen says.

“I had a bloke sitting next to me who was getting trounced and he leaned over and said ‘come on, mate, let us get a few’, because he was losing face. And I just smiled and nodded and did not let him get another one because as if! As if I would throw the game for your bruised male pride. That’s just the mark of a clueless person.”

8. Don’t try to psyche out your opponents

If you find yourself locked in a room with your opponents before going on stage, stay quiet and don’t give too much away, says Stephen. Whatever you do, don’t try to psyche them out.

“It never works and it will make you look like a d***head,” Stephen says.

“Often the people who are mouthing off are the ones who are the most frightened and reveal too much of themselves.”

9. Stay positive

Like professional athletes, game show contestants at the top of their game don’t fret if they miss a question, Stephen says. Instead, they concentrate on the task at hand and remain positive.

“All these balls are being thrown at you and some you’ll catch and some you won’t but you don’t scramble around on the ground trying to pick up the ones you missed,” Stephen says.

“Any time I got one wrong or didn’t know it I would have a little mantra in the back of my mind saying, ‘I know the next one, I know the next one, I know the next one’, so it’s always looking forward.”

10. Enjoy it!

Stephen’s final tip is to have fun: “Your time on the show is really short, so make the most of it!”