As proven throughout the last 24 seasons of Big Brother, it is never a good idea for a houseguest to volunteer to go on the block. This could be one of the worst gameplay decisions made on the show. Despite it nearly always failing, players continue to volunteer to be a pawn season after season. On the other hand, some superfans refuse to go on the block as a pawn because they know that pawns (almost) always go home.
Big Brother 24 has gotten off to a rocky start with not having an eviction within the first week of the game. Almost all past seasons have sent at least one player home within the first week. Some seasons have even evicted a player on the first night; however, due to Paloma Augliar’s sudden Big Brother departure, the season’s first eviction, as well as the Backstage Pass Twist, was canceled. Paloma leaving the game early not only shocked the houseguests but also shook up the game.
As the houseguests began to readjust and prepare for the first eviction of the summer, they did their best to find the perfect target to get out of the house. In doing so, Joe “Pooch” Pucciarelli unknowingly became the target. Prior to nominations, Pooch told Head of Household Jasmine Davis that she could nominate him as a pawn, which is one of the biggest mistakes in the Big Brother game. In fact, many times, this decision makes it more obvious to viewers that a player is a Big Brother recruit rather than a fan who had auditioned for the show. Houseguests that know the game inside and out know better than to volunteer themselves to be on the block. This gameplay move has a history of not ending well for the player.
Typically, when a player volunteers to go on the block as a pawn, they end up being the evicted houseguest on the finale night. This happens for a series of reasons. Sometimes the Head of Household at the time uses it as a way to get a big threat out of the house without getting blood on their hands. Other times the house turns on both the player and the Head of Household with a shocking change in votes on eviction night. Although the individual does have the chance to save themselves with the Veto competition (only if they aren’t a replacement nominee pawn), it is still a big risk to take. Needless to say, volunteering to go on the block can ruin or even end a player’s game.
Like many past players that volunteered to go on the block as a pawn, Pooch’s Big Brother life may be in danger. Had he not offered to go on the block, his name most likely would not have even been on Jasmine’s radar. Now, after making this major gameplay mistake, Pooch could be the first evicted houseguest of the season. Although it may seem like an obvious mistake to make, this is a Big Brother game move that will never retire, no matter how many times it fails.
