What are your top 5 games of 2012 so far with reasons.
Mine are:
1. James - genuinely lovely man and the all red 8 box. Could be the best game ever.
2. Ioannis - I've never laughed that hard.
3. Peter - warm game and was so thankful when he swapped.
4. Cynthia - hilarious just like ioannis.
5. Rich - would be higher up if he won the £250,000.

In no particular order, my five favourite games of the year so far have been:

Darren (a 35k win earned through sensible play rather than recklessness)

James (the first ever all red 8-box, and a 'cautious' deal that paid off spectacularly)

Carland (a likeable player gets a respectable win from the box; plus he posts on here! )

Rich (speaks for itself; it certainly divided the forums over whether he deserved to win the 250k or not)

Marios (a very dramatic game full of twists and turns, and some very tight decisions made)

1. James - an astonishing board, two very tricky decisions, and he takes the second of them for an OPW. Probably in my all-time top 5.
2. Darren - a string of tricky decisions, with the right result in the end.
3. Belinda - would have been #2 if it were an OPW, a remarkable board and it took real conviction to Deal just hours after Paul's near-identical decision went against him.
4. Marios - several tricky decisions to make, and it was played well, although I wish the 3-box decision hadn't gone against him.
5. Mathew - one of the most exciting proveouts of all time, and a big-money OPW from a smart Deal.

1. Rich - a compelling and amazingly brilliant game, despite the fact he unfortunatley didn't get the £250,000.
2. Paul - a great guy and a fantastic win.
3. Ioannis - I nearly fainted because I laughed so hard.
4. Darren - First power 5 win of the year and a well deserved one too.
5. Carland - A likeable contestant who genuinely seemed very happy.

Haven't thought about my full top 5 yet but seriously nobody rates Wendy's game at all? I thought she was fantastic even though she ONLY won £60,000.

James doesn't make your top 5?!

He makes mine, anyway - as do Carland, Mathew, Jess and, of course, Rich.

Reasons?

*sigh* Here they are...


James: that all-red 8-box, of course, followed by that great £65k deal.

Carland: had to work hard for that £15k, but he thoroughly deserved it, because he's a very nice chap.

Mathew: a £30k OPW following a very exciting proveout that could so easily have swung the Banker's way, and indeed came pretty close to doing so.

Jess: that deal at the Governor with the £250k still there was a brave decision IMHO, even if almost everyone else would have done the same - but it got her a well-deserved OPW.

Rich: well, the reasons for this choice should be obvious, shouldn't they?

I'll add Wendy as a cheeky 6th one because I did really enjoy her icky vicky voo thing.

Has anyone's list for this changed over the past few months?

Yes.

In no particular order:

James: Legendary all-red 8-box, and cautious deal that paid off.

Tony: Won't say more for fear of setting you know who off again!

Phyl: Entertaining character, and big money deal.

Mathew: Big money deal, and dramatic proveout.

Marios: Dramatic game, and sensible deal.

Other favourites include Carland, and Karl from today.

Just to stir things up, ive seen about 95% of this years shows that have been recorded, and my top 5 havnt been aired yet!!! Lots to look forward too!

Correct.

Don't know my ones as of yet, but one of them was last's months, Gemma.

I can GUARANTEE it won't be any of those who blow the chances of getting a LOT more money.

Most of my top 5 are games that i saw live at the dream factory:

Tony - Great character, clever banker gift, high-tension, exciting finish

Gemma - Bubbly (if a bit ditzy) contestant, took justifiable gambles for power 5 win. Great comeback game.

Darren - show I saw before Gemma's, also a great comeback and exact same result! (and the hint of a marriage proposal...?)

Ioannis - Just an utterly bonkers game, hilarious to watch unedited! (Interesting how he would high-five the pilgrims when a P5 amount went...!)

Rich - utterly frightening but strangely compelling to see what limits he would go to. And he had none. But games like this, whether we agree with the decisions or not (and I certainly didn't!), make for exciting TV... even if they do create a bit of controversy along the way!

Edited version:

Tony: One of the most exciting games ever. Amazing person as well, who deserved every penny of that £72,000.

Rich: Pretty much the same reasons as Tony but Tony comes first cos he won more.

James: Do I really need to remind you all?

Belinda: Because she's the biggest winner of the year so far!

Ioannis: Never laughed so hard in my life.

Time for an update:

James: All red 5-box, and 'cautious' deal that paid off!

Mathew: Big money deal in a big money game, and thrilling proveout.

Tony: Exciting game, and sensible deal, no matter what the Wakeyists say.

Scott: Great entertainment, and superb OPW!

Ali: Thrilling game, big money deal, and one of the biggest wins for weeks.

Near misses include Carland, Marios, Phyl, Floyd, Bill and Mariyam.

My list hasn't changed, but my near misses are exactly the same as Jack's.

Here's my five, two of which I've seen to see:

James: All red 8-box, huge win and massive OPW. Luckiest game ever, and I still haven't seen it !

Rich: Huge gambles and very tense, never has the £50,000 been made to feel so small a prize ! Also a game I haven't yet viewed.

Tony: Very funny guy and provided a game equally as memorable as his time on the wings.

Ali: Very deserving win carried by a powerful board and a very down to earth man who was also amusing in his own way !

Maryiam: Edge of your seat material and certainly a result I was not expecting after all the high drama. Fantastic televison, even if the end result was sickening.