‘Deal or No Deal’ was quite the gameshow in its time. In the UK version of the show, the opening episode of which went out for on 31 October 2005 and was hosted by Noel Edmonds, contestants were assigned a box and one would get the chance to play for the cash prize inside the box. The intriguing part was that they didn’t know how much money their box contained. Throughout the show, they’d ask the other players to open their boxes to reveal the prize inside. A banker would also ring up to offer cash for the contestant’s box, the question to which the contestant would either answer ‘Deal or no deal’, depending on whether they wished to accept the offer.
Taking the chance to still play
Unfortunately for ‘Deal or No Deal’ fans in the UK, the last episode of the show went out on 23 December 2016. Game show lovers may not be able to switch on Channel 4 and see the programme any more, but that doesn’t mean it’s also over. That’s because ‘Deal or No Deal’ can be recreated here in the form of the online slot.
The slot has 20 paylines and a low volatility, which mean the wins are small but regular so you can play for longer. That being said, the jackpots are lucrative and the appearance of the banker during the free spins round can double your winnings.
The gameplay pays fine tribute to the gameplay of the TV show itself. If the banker phones while the reels are spinning, this causes them to stop and you’re guaranteed some sort of win here. The banker makes their offer in exchange for the cash you’d win on the reels, an offer they only make if they know you’re going to win.
Disastrous moments on ‘Deal or No Deal’
There’s nothing a contestant wants to see more than the top prize appear when they open their own box. That’s not always the case, however, and participants have experience some disastrous moments on the show. Here’s a rundown of a few:
Possibly the worst start ever
In the US version of the show, which ran from 19 December 2005 to 7 August 2019 and was hosted by Howie Mandel, one contestant got off to the worst possible start viewers may have ever witnessed. Five of the first six cases the unlucky contestant opened contained the maximum amount of prize money: $1 million. The contestant, unable to resist the banker’s offer of $115,000 and the peace of mind walking away with this substantial sum would give her, sold her case for this amount, only to later discover her case contained $1 million.
Contestant leaves with $5
In a Christmas episode of the show in the US, one contestant continued to waiver the banker’s offer and ended up with just two cases left: his own and the remaining case, which presented a 50-50 between $5 and $750,000. Choosing to live for the moment, the contestant refused once last time the banker’s offer, which was for $330,000. It was a decision he’d regret when Howie Mandel opened his case and revealed that it contained only $5.
Olly Murs walks away with just £10
Before Olly Murs became a star on ‘The X Factor’, the singer had tried his hand on the show to win money to help fund his mother’s medical care.
Things looked to be going well for Essex lad Murs and he even turned down an offer of £26,000 from the banker. However, things got progressively worse as the boxes started to contain big sum after big sum. Finally, he was left with his own box and the one remaining box. The amounts within were £10 versus £1,000. Determined to walk away with four figures, Murs took a gamble and swapped the box he had for the one Noel Edmonds had in front of him. It was a bad decision and Murs walked away with just £10.
A second appearance also provide extremely fruitless, seeing Olly Murs walk away with just 50 p. However, in a fun recreation of the show on Happy Hour, the singer walked away with the jackpot, putting to rest his ‘Deal or No Deal’ demons.
Special mentions
Believe it or not, Olly Murs isn’t the only celebrity to have appeared on the show, although not necessarily as a contestant. Megan Markle, for a short time, was a ‘Deal or No Deal’ briefcase girl. Four years later, she starred in the show ‘Suits’ for seven seasons as Rachel Kane.
‘Deal or No Deal’ is a splendid opportunity for contestants to win big prize money. Winning big is pure luck, though, as players don’t know what’s in the case. Although having the courage to open your own briefcase could reward you with the maximum prize, it wasn’t to be for the players discussed above.