Firstly I would like to state that I love the current Goldenballs format, money, greed, psychology and loyalty all in the mix. I would not change the opening rounds at all, I think they are very balanced. For me, choosing the money to win is not skill based enough in the final round but it works well enough. The major change I would make is at the very end of the programme, concerning split or steal.
As it stands, it is a strong part of the programme, simple yet tense. I would sacrifice some of the simplicity for a degree of skill, and an out for the honest player. Currently, many players claim,
"I stole because I knew you were going to steal."
For many this is a cover for their true intentions but there is a real issue there. If a player knows his opponent will "steal", the best outcome for him/her is for both players to walk away with nothing.
I would remove both these outcomes.
In the last round three options should be given: Split, Steal or Block. The current split and steal scenarios would remain exactly the same. However, if one player suspects the other will "steal", then they can choose "block". If indeed, the opponent chooses "steal", the "block" player gets all the money. If the opponent chooses "split", the "block" player will get nothing, the "split" player winning all the money. If both players "block", neither will get the money.
Give honest players a weapon against the dishonest, give them, "Split, Steal or Block"!