"The most exciting game show on Dutch TV", promises the new introduction.

Didn't bother watching the quiz bit this time as it's hard to appreciate in a language I know so little of, and the thumbnail clip on the RTL website spoiled the money clock game (nobody stopped, went to €59,000). Haven't added pictures either this time, but will report one tiny visual change; the town/city name now shows up in capitals on the video screen below each block. I preferred it as it was.

The first couple of minutes seem to be devoted to some sort of formalities; if I understood this rightly, they got the wrong winner of the Keith Chegwin-esque bit. They did a redraw for the 'right' winner, and she comes into the studio to start the game, looking very shocked to find she has won €460,000!

Anyway, after that, the quiz, and what I think is the third appearance of the Philips Wake-Up Light as a mass giveaway prize on this show, a young man called Joost gets to play the bit we can all understand. I've only seen one genuinely young finalist before, and he had one of the worst games I've ever seen... an older lady called Josie has the stupid, stupid bell for this game.

Joost picks CASE 24. He's a full-time student. Somehow, I expect him to play either very conservatively or very aggressively. Either way, this could be interesting. He's come with a male partner, who will apparently get 20% of the winnings tonight; I think they must be a gay couple, but I missed everything else Joost said.

Anyway, 20% of nearly nothing is nearly nothing. Let's see if we can't get a big win here!

ROUND 1
1 - €5,000. To no reaction.
3 - €750,000! To no reaction!
15 - €1,000,000! That got a groan.
10 - €5. That cheered Joost up.
18 - €20. He's still very calm. They all are, somehow. I wouldn't be!
21 - €2,500,000! Somehow he laughs it off. Already we have a one-case game!

"Not the best opening round," Linda says with typical understatement. Haha, Linda then says "20% of nothing is nothing"!

OFFER €22,000

Some wag shouts "stop". Linda laughs. It might be the last out-and-out no-brainer NO DEAL. Judging by her reaction, Linda half-thought he was going to press the button there...!

ROUND 2
12 - €2,500. Linda is already willing each case to be low.
26 - €75,000. Would've been a great time to use the bell. Josie is reminded she has three chances to use the bell!
25 - €400,000! Some joke there about Josie not being influenced as to when to use the bell.
8 - €50,000! Still no bell. What a time that would've been to use it!
22 - laughter as the bell is finally rung at the last opportunity - €0.50! Hilarious. She had seven chances to win fifty grand, and left with that.

OFFER €69,000

Arnold, Joost's partner, is bought in; he suggests to play on, I think. Still very much worth playing on. I think Joost is genuinely shaken by how much money is already at stake, but NO DEAL it is. I think it might be his last.

Linda wants the cent to go in...
ROUND 3
19 - €50. Near enough! "Anything in the left column is good," Linda correctly says.
5 - €0.20! Linda got over-excited about that...
16 - €1,000. We're on for an all-left round...
4 - €100,000. "It's OK", Linda says. "It's excellent." That case was OK; that round was excellent; this board is good.



Linda explains the situation, including a mention of a chance of "almost 10%" of €5m being in his case. Arnold thinks it'll be about €100,000; Joost thinks more...

OFFER €195,000

I knew it would be about that. I might take that, but I wouldn't want to. "Almost two ton!" Linda points out the importance of the jackpot, and also that there are four higher in all. Arnold is consulted; he suggests Deal, and gets applauded. Linda points out there's three to open, and talks through the possibilities again. She hints at a 'doubler' if the jackpot survives, while also talking up the offer. ADBREAK!

Thinking about it more, I'd probably take this if I didn't trust the Banker on this version to be consistent. As I do, I'm going on. We come back; Joost is apparently 29, I thought he was younger. Arnold would get €39,000 if this is Dealt...

...Linda opens the case for the button to be pushed if desired... and it is! DEAL!

I can't say I'm surprised, and nor can I be overly critical. Linda says it must be a dream to win that much money at his age, and I have to agree.

PROVEOUT
20 - €100.
7 - €300,000. We'd have shrugged it off in live play...
17 - €5,000,000! What an escape! The offer at this point would have been nearer to the €39,000 that Arnold's got as his 20% stake now...
23 - €500,000! This is incredible! Linda talks of the "perfect scenario" if this is €200,000...
2 - €500.
14 - €10,000. We're in speed mode now...
9 - €1...
11 - €25,000... this could be an incredible escape, with two of the lowest in play...
13 - €0.01!

The final two is €10 v €200,000. Case 6 has... €200,000! Joost's case 24 had €10! A third-offer OPW for a life-changing sum of money - the perfect anecdote to some of the negative entertainment and gambling emphasis we've seen on the UK show lately. Would it have been more exciting if he had played one round more? Probably. Would it have been nearly as enjoyable? As it turned out, absolutely not.