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Deal or No Deal
represents what is the best in skill, chance and nerves.
Contestants compete individually for the big price, which is
typically $1,000,000. As of this date, no contestant has walked away
with that much money, but one has taken home $750,000! Yes,
you heard it right, $750,000.
The show intrigues
millions because the premise is so simple yet to win big requires
both nerves and luck. Logistically, the game is easy to play.
The show is hosted by Howie Mandel.
Howie is the
ringleader of an entourage that ranges from the beautiful to the
mysterious. The game starts when Howie sounds out the
famous line: "Ladies Please."
Twenty-six
beautiful models come out carrying silver cases marked from the
numbers one to twenty-six. Each case holds an amount of money,
typically from a single penny up to a million dollars. The
object of the game is to pick the case that holds the cool million?
It seems simple, right?
The contestant
picks a case which he or she is free to take home at the end of the
game, keeping whatever amount is inside. They don't let you
off that easy though. Once picked, the fun really
begins.
The contestant is
asked to open additional cases. Initially they open six cases,
then five, then four, until just a few remain and they are opening
just one at a time. What is obvious, is that every time they
open a case, they learn what amount IS NOT in their case.
They may open cases with large amounts or low amounts. It is
random and beyond the control of anyone.
After each group
of cases is opened, the mystery man makes a call to Howie.
It is the banker's
job to try to get the contestant to go home with as little money as
possible. He will make an offer, which if accepted, is
guaranteed to the player. It is based on the odds depending on
what amounts remain on the board. Offers can be
extremely low, or at times, well into the hundreds of thousands of
dollars. To date, the largest single offer has been $880,000,
which was turned down.
The game comes
down to skill (understanding the odds), luck (opening small amounts)
and timing (knowing when to get out before your luck turns).
Each time you get
an offer, the contestant must choose. They either get the
guaranteed amount or they take the chance that they will not open
the wrong cases in the next round. They have to choose, "Deal
or No Deal" albeit the name. And that is all there is to it.
There are
sometimes incredible changes in fortune. People have
risked hundreds of thousands of dollars to walk away with as little
as one dollar. People have lost almost everything and fought
back. And just occasionally, some people will have incredible
luck.
Deal or No Deal is
the way to run your life. As it was once said on the show:
"It is what it is." Each day you're dealt a new hand and you
make the choice. Deal or No Deal, your life is in your hands
and you alone will make your future.
It doesn't get any
better! |
