Well... BEN is up now, after Archie's game #19, which... was a thing that happened.

If you haven't seen that game, check it out NOW. This spoiler box is in place in case you've not done so.





1-6 to choose from...

Here's hoping I have a game as good as Archie's (excluding the box reveal ) as I choose Game 5.

Same number...



...different game! And one of only two you've not played yet, the other ironically being Prize Boxes!

You've got the classic board to start...

1p
10p
50p
£1
£5
£10
£50
£100
£250
£500
£750
£1,000
£3,000
£5,000
£10,000
£15,000
£20,000
£35,000
£50,000
£75,000
£100,000
£345,000

...but things are about to get very interesting after that! There are ten silver pots here with these ten sums: £3,000, £6,000, £9,000, £12,000, £15,000, £18,000, £24,000, £30,000, £36,000, £60,000. You will be picking one at a time to add to whichever boxes you like - the first one goes to one box, the second is split between two, the third between three, and the fourth between four. You must, in total, add money to five reds and five blues - the jackpot isn't red, you can't touch that, and you can't touch the 1p either.

Pick a number 1-10 for your first silver pot!

I start with 9, please.

It's 9 time!

...and oh my goodness gracious me it's the £60,000 right off the bat!

Where is that going?

No prizes (especially not the maxi prize ) for guessing where this is going and what strategy I'm using here.

10p, please!

Well, that's going to be a sight to behold in the blues.

Another number for another silver box!

And since it got me the opportunity to play this format, 5 will be my next pick.

And it is... £18,000, meaning two values will go to OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAND... which two?

With only a 1 in 4 chance of adding OVER 9,000 to an amount with my next pick (that can't possibly be right ), I'll be making 50p and £1 the two iconic amounts.

3 is next.

Well... you missed that chance, but it's a useful £12,000 here to split between three amounts! Remember, you can only bump up two blues...

To show the Banker I'm not a total coward, I'll take a risk here and put it on £5k, £10k, and £15k, please.

It will then be 1 to win for my final money drop.

The Banker rings up and says "I know you're a coward. But you're the scariest coward I've ever faced."

£15,000 is the final split. Do I even need to ask which four it's being split across?

(For formality purposes, yes, yes I do.)

Unfortunately my risk didn't pay off, but I don't think I'll lose too much sleep over £250 should I win any of the affected amounts.

£5, £10, £1k and £3k, please.

Then may the odds fall ever in my favor as 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 start the main game.

Your brand new board, bought to you by the power of intelligent cowardice and also by Vegeta...

1p
£60,000.10
£9,000.50
£9,001
£3,755
£3,760
£50
£100
£250
£500
£750
£4,750
£6,750
£9,000
£14,000
£19,000
£20,000
£35,000
£50,000
£75,000
£100,000
£345,000

And away we go. Box 19 is on the table so your Hunger Games opening can be gobbled up unadjusted...

Box 1 - £3,755. Just think, that could have been £4,005, a much more significant hit!

Box 3 - £500! That's a good one, no doubt about that.

Box 5 - £4,750, another one we're fine to lose!

Box 7 - £6,750! What a weird opening, three of those £3,750 boosters already out of the picture...

Box 9 - £14,000 completes a round that keeps the big hitters untouched!

Well, that would have been a fantastic round in normal circumstances. In these ones, it was merely a very good one.

1p
£60,000.10
£9,000.50
£9,001
£3,760
£50
£100
£250
£750
£9,000
£19,000
£20,000
£35,000
£50,000
£75,000
£100,000
£345,000

A reminder of the Box 23 money menu for this one...

DOUBLE
+£5,000
+£2,500
MONEY BACK
HALF
NOTHING

And the Banker is straight in with this...

BANKER'S OFFER

£9,001 + 55" LG OLED TV

The Banker must have wanted to offer £9,001 on its own, but he had to go higher than that, so he threw in that £1,799 telly! He must be desperate to get rid of it... Deal or No Deal?

To be honest, I hardly ever use my TV anymore. I just moved into a place with a Planet Fitness within walking distance, so I usually just go there and watch TV while on the treadmill when I want to watch something on live TV, and otherwise I usually use streaming services.

NO DEAL, and let's continue the contest with 11, 15 and 17, please (I'll choose 13 when the capitol finds its location ).

Let's hope we can get the Banker huffing and puffing here!

Box 11 - £60,000.10! Well, there goes that one... you'll have to rely on the usual contingent of big boxes. Not that this is a problem when you've missed literally all of them so far.

Box 15 - £750! That's the type of blue we're after!

Box 17 - £345,000!! Well, there goes the jackpot. And it's a shame that I was hosting rather than playing...

...hmm, maybe I should? Someone else will have to host, though..

...wait, there are plans for exactly that to happen across multiple forum series this April Fool's Day?

That may have been a brutal round, but it's not like there's a lack of big boxes out there even now.

1p
£9,000.50
£9,001
£3,760
£50
£100
£250
£9,000
£19,000
£20,000
£35,000
£50,000
£75,000
£100,000

"You don't want a TV? Fine, you won't get a TV."

BANKER'S OFFER

£9,001

Despite the loss of the jackpot, the only drop in the offer is the loss of the TV... Deal or No Deal?