What Are The ‘BB17’ Houseguests Playing For?

A lot of people would assume that the Big Brother houseguests are all playing the game for that huge prize at the end. But, believe it or not, there are actually a lot of things that the houseguests are playing for. Especially this season — with players from all walks of life and financial situations — winning Big Brother isn’t just about winning a ton of money.

Of course, there are definitely players for whom the game is all about that final payout at the end of a long summer of voyeuristic fans and too many cases of cabin fever to count. Why else would they coop themselves up in a “house” for almost one hundred days? For many of the Big Brother contestants, winning the game is all about winning that money. But for other houseguests, the money is the last thing on their minds.

When it comes to the Season 17 cast, the answer to the question, “What are you playing for?” is as different as they are. Depending on which player you ask, the reason why they are playing the Big Brother game will differ widely and wildly. The thing Jason was playing for, for instance — as a cashier at a local grocery store — is probably totally different from what Vanessa — a nationally-ranked poker player who has already won millions of dollars at the poker table — is playing for.

So what exactly are the houseguests playing for this summer? Take a look at the following list to find out.

Money

There is $500,000 on the line here. For players like Jason, who works in a grocery store and lives in his mom’s basement, that kind of money could seriously change his life.

Pride

For a lot of players, knowing that they played the game well and beat out all of the other houseguests is probably enough of a reason for them to sacrifice three months of their lives.

To Be On TV

Maybe they’re already superfans of the show and just want to be on it to say they were apart of this thing that they love — but for many of the houseguests getting on TV has its own pull. Like Clay, who only just recently started watching the show, but also has a football and modeling career that most likely won’t be hurt by being the star of a reality television show.

Fame

I’m sure a lot of the houseguests are secretly hoping to walk out of the Big Brother house and walk into a boatload of fame. Like Jordan and Jeff — the golden children of the Big Brother franchise — who have gone on to have pretty successful careers in the entertainment industry because of their start in the Big Brother house.

The Game

For a lot of players, it’s also just about playing the game well. Take Vanessa: She studied game theory in college and plays professional poker for a living. She seems to be happy just being thrust into this wild social experiment and trying to find her way out.

Love

I know Shelli wanted to win this thing from the very beginning, but she also broke up with her boyfriend before coming on the show. Is it possible she was looking for love, too?

Connections

And then, of course, there are some players who are solely in it to advance their careers. It’s what Austin might be playing the game for: In a letter he allegedly wrote to his girlfriend back home before leaving for the show, he admitted to playing for career advancement and opportunities.

So as much as the money might be the most obvious prize in the Big Brother house, there are a lot of other things that the houseguests are playing for.

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