Granted, there is no entry fee and associated prizes, but there certainly is money on the line in terms of magazine sales, premium web site services and the like. It is definitely advantageous to fare well. As such, going in, everyone wanted to win. Those that went against conventional strategy did so in an effort to win, not to have a built in excuse when they lose. These guys are amongst the best at what they do.
Pride is enough of a motivation to give it one's all.
That being said, I think the best strategy was that of John Hunt. Let the others dump certain categories in favor of others. Let others pay inflated prices in a knee jerk reaction to trends. Just lie in the weeds and play your own game. Let your values dictate your bids, not the strategy and bids of others.