Sunday 12 August 2012

Deal or No Deal - 6th-12th August

Well, after Nong’s sensational win last Sunday, I expressed fears on the forum that this week’s players could get carried away. Pleasingly, there has been no evidence of this at all.

Monday 6th: Gary
Winnings: £2,800
Dealt at: 3-box extra offer
Highest offer: £11,000
Box value: £50

Well, this was fascinating. At the second offer of £11,000, Gary asked for the question, and said ‘DEAL’ before Noel could finish it! Noel then reminded us (as if we needed to be) that no-one has ever dealt the second offer before. He asked Gary the full question, but this time he said ‘NO DEAL’! Audience regular John, along with some others on the forum, said they weren’t happy, as Gary likely would have dealt had Noel not said that extra thing. Sure, Noel’s influence may not have been intentional, but it still leaves a very nasty taste in the mouth.

The game collapsed afterwards, leaving £15,000 as the highest remaining sum. Gary eventually recovered, through being allowed to play the final round one box at a time, to an offer of £2,800, which was enough to bail out. And the right thing to do to, as the £15,000 went immediately afterwards, leaving an all blue finish.

Tuesday 7th: Deb & Jan
Winnings: £14,000.50
Dealt at: 8-box
Highest offer: £34,000.50
Box value: £1

The presence of two chairs at the table made it obvious that the twins Deb & Jan were playing. It was interesting to observe the different reactions the twins made to the offers. For the first three offers, they said ‘NO DEAL’ in unison. However, at the 8-box offer of £14,000.50, Jan said ‘DEAL’ first, and Deb followed shortly afterwards. Deb later revealed she’d have gambled had she been on her own! They failed to uncover the £75,000 or the £250,000 in the fifth round, and the offer would’ve (allegedly) risen to £34,000.50 (the 50p motif was due to an audience member lending the twins a 50p to toss to decide who picked the box first), but the £250,000 went in the final round and, although the £75,000 stayed to the end, it wasn’t in the box, so a good result to an enjoyable game.

Wednesday 8th: Hayley
Winnings: £6,000
Dealt at: 2-box
Highest offer: £6,000 (2-box)
Box value: £15,000

After 27 shows of waiting, Hayley was finally called out on her 28th show. A tough start left £100,000 isolated until 8-box, and, after it went, £15,000 was isolated. The Banker allowed her to play the final round one at a time, and, incredibly, her final three (1p, £50 and £15,000) was the same as Gary’s on Monday! After declining the offer Gary took (£2,800), the 1p went, resulting in an offer of £6,000. Hayley decided to bail out at this. Alas, the £15,000 was in her box, but no-one (well, almost no-one) really seemed to mind, not even Noel! A result as good as a ‘Banker spanking’ really.

Thursday 9th: Neil
Winnings: £2,200
Dealt at: 5-box
Highest offer: £4,000 (11-box)
Box value: £250

Neil was a likable young chap, but another tough start left £50,000 and (again) £15,000 isolated as the only big sums left at 8-box. The £50,000 went in the final box of the fifth round, but Neil was still offered a respectable bailout of £2,200, which was enough for him to deal. And the £15,000 went in the first box of the final round, so a good result from a fairly unlucky game.

Friday 10th: Margy-Rose
Winnings: £2,200
Dealt at: 2-box
Highest offer: £6,850 (17-box)
Box value: £5,000

A good opening round, for once, saw a first offer of £6,850, which would prove to be the top of the game. Margy-Rose was unlucky, as she found a big sum in pretty much every round afterwards. At 5-box, £15,000 (again) remained with £5,000, £500 and two other blues. After the two others blues went in the final round, £15,000 gave a sting in the tail, leaving £500 and £5,000. A low enough stakes gamble for most to take, but Margy-Rose decided to deal at £2,200. Alas, the £5,000 was in her box. This was softened somewhat when, in one of his occasional RAOKs (Random Acts of Kindness), the Banker gave Margy-Rose and her husband (an absolute legend) a two week cruise on the Mediterranean.

Sunday 12th: Phil
Winnings: £13,000
Dealt at: 8-box
Highest offer: £13,000 (8-box)
Box value: £250

Another tough start saw three of the Power 5 go, but the 1p and the 10p went as well, so not as bad as some. The subsequent discovery of £75,000 left £100,000 isolated. Phil managed to keep it to 8-box, along with £15,000 and £20,000, which initially saw an offer of £11,500. After a show of hands on who would deal, the Banker, shocked at how many people would gamble, upped the offer to £13,000. This was enough for Phil (and most on the forum) to call it a day. And, pleasingly, it proved the right thing to do, as the £100,000 went in the final box of the next round, and £15,000 and £20,000 went in the final round, leaving an all-blue finish.

So, a pretty average week, then, which is sort of what we needed to restore a sense of normality after Nong’s game.

Don’t forget, University Challenge returns from its Olympic sabbatical tomorrow, so stay tuned for a review of that sometime tomorrow evening.

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