HOW TO STRIKE A PAUDIE BLOW

Strategies and mind games tips for show's new hopefuls

- BY OWEN CONLON

TRAITORS Ireland was the smash hit show of the year, with producers saying they have already received tens of thousands of applications from people hoping to emulate star contestant Paudie Moloney.

But how can those who make it through casting emulate the canny Limerickman and win the competition?

Dr Suzanne Egan and Dr Marc Scully, lecturers in psychology at Limerick's Mary Immaculate College, delved into the behaviours, strategies and mind games that defined the first series to show what gave the top players a competitive edge.

The show caught the imagination of the Irish public, landing RTE with record viewing figures to boot.

Dr Egan and Dr Scully came up with four key insights that might help future contestants outwit, outplay, and outlast rivals in next year's edition of the show.

Manage your self-presentation

Survival in the game rests on convincing the other players that you are "100% Faithful" while being careful about how you do it.

Adopting a leadership role, like David and Niall early in the series, or coming across as too 'savvy', like Mark, leaves you liable to murder by the Traitors. But attempting to keep a low profile was seen as suspicious.