I actually don’t think Vinnie is “playing the game”. If he is, he’s doing a terrible job at it.
What has been perceived by many from the very, very beginning is that Vinnie had an agenda going in. Aside from the obvious being that he is quite literally the definition of the
“fame-hungry”, influencer type that they promised would not be on the show this year. He hasn’t hidden that fact at all. He also went in, like Conor, with a bit of a preconceived expectation and ego about how the public will view him. The way he constantly speaks directly to “Australia” is another red flag.
I’m not saying he’s the only current HM who does things like this, there’s a couple, but he does continuously play up for the cameras and has attempted to plot narrative devices centered around him since day dot - but doesn’t own it, which is partly why he’s labelled “fake”. The UWB club, the podcast, feeling left out (and commenting about it) when other HMs get secret challenges, always being the one seen to console others but actively avoiding getting himself directly involved in situations that might harm his chances, talking about how many followers he’s gonna get when evicted. Those are some of many examples observed (predominately on the live stream) and the list goes on. Psychologically, his behaviour says it all. There’s a reason why he completely panicked and spiralled after being called out on it.
Some will see it how they want. I personally prefer not have those types on BBAU. I appreciate some BBAU game players (i.e. Paul, Tim/s, etc). But I don’t appreciate what Vinnie has brought to the series (in fact, he hasn’t really contributed much at all), nor the exposure he confidently expects (and will inevitably still receive) after being on it. He needs the chip off his shoulder knocked off and a reality check.