Deal or No Deal - 29th October - 4th November (Show Me The Mummy)

So, it’s been Halloween week on Deal or No Deal. If the players got the 5-box, a game of skill known as ‘Show Me The Mummy’ was played, in which they would try to knock the head off of a model mummy with brain balls. They would get three shots. They had two choices of where they could stand: the ‘Minor Feet’, a reasonable distance from the mummy, or the ‘Major Feet’, which were further away. Hitting the mummy’s head when standing at the ‘Minor Feet’ would win the player a holiday, with no penalty for missing; hitting it from the ‘Major Feet’ would get a holiday and the final round would be played one box at a time, but missing would result in the Banker being allowed to look in the player’s box.

Got all that?

Monday 29th: Versila

Winnings: £13,000

Dealt at: 8-box

Highest offer: £13,000 (8-box)

Box value: £35,000

So, like Banker’s Birthday week earlier this year, the first show of the week did not see the twist played out. At first, it looked like Versila had done the right thing in dealing before the twist, but she was denied a Banker spanking when £35,000 was revealed in the box.

Tuesday 30th: Richie

Winnings: £50

Opened the box

Highest offer: £13,500 (11-box)

Box value: 1p (swapped for £50)

Richie was a great board reader on the wings, and was likely to give the Banker a good fight. But, unfortunately, the boxes just weren’t kind to him. At least the twist, which he played from the Minor Feet, got him a decent consolation prize of a holiday to Barcelona.

Wednesday 31st: Emma

Winnings: £26,000

Dealt at: 5-box

Highest offer: £81,000 (2-box)

Box value: £250,000

So, on DoND’s official seventh birthday, we had a pretty tense game. Emma did manage to keep the entire Power 5 in play quite far into the game, but, by 5-box, she had been reduced to £50,000 and the £250,000. She might have failed the twist (from the Minor feet, so no penalty), but she still got a decent £26,000 offer, which she sensibly dealt, but, once again, a reasonable deal was made to look bad by the jackpot being in the box.

Thursday 1st: Sam

Winnings: £7,000

Dealt at: 2-box

Highest offer: £8,500 (17-box)

Box value: £500

This may not have been terribly spectacular, but it was still a good result considering the game appeared to be falling apart after the opening round. And Sam did succeed at the twist from the Minor Feet, which won him a holiday to Egypt. A decent result on an offer arguable either way on a final two of £500 and £20,000.

Friday 2nd: Mahmoud

Winnings: £30,000

Dealt at: 4-box extra offer

Highest offer: £50,000 (3-box extra offer)

Box value: £100,000

Definitely an exciting game, with multiple tough calls. Mahmoud succeeded the twist from the Major Feet, which got him a holiday to Spain, and also extra offers in the final round. With three of the Power 5 (£35,000, £75,000 and £100,000), it was worth a punt. His decision to deal at 4-box was perhaps cautious, but perhaps the right thing for him to do. He may have had £100,000 in his box, but he didn’t seem terribly bothered, and who would if you had £30,000 consolation?

Sunday 4th: Laura

Winnings: £25,000

Dealt at: 5-box

Highest offer: £30,000 (2-box)

Box value: £50,000

Another tense game, with tough calls from 8-box, which got even more interesting when Laura failed the twist from the Major Feet, which saw the Banker claim he’d seen the £250,000 in her box. It may have been a low offer, but perfectly acceptable given the £250,000 and the £50,000 were exposed.

So, not a terribly bad week; there may have been four Power 5 undersellings, but there was plenty of tension, and some very interesting decisions. Not a bad week; yes, kinda disappointing given what could’ve been won, but then, if everyone opened their box, the show would be really boring and predictable, and wouldn’t still be on after seven years. We need different players with different gameplay tactics to make the show what it is.