Yeah we need players like that, not people who will go to the end regardless all the time in order 'to play the game'. He gave good advice in craig's game, strongly advising him to no deal while pointing out the offer was bad. We also need analyst type players on the wings who play the board and the offers more. We need sensible calculated risk takers who go that extra mile on reasonably stable boards.
I also hope a big win comes from sensible testing offers not manipulated March 06 type offers

That was a great game, I really liked Penny. I thought there was a bit more money in the game at eight-box, but I would still have dealt there.

The £1,000 has now been in the final three for six shows in a row, I bet it's the first box to go tomorrow.

Amazing game today - really well done to Penny! The way she destroyed her game after dealing was quite spectacular! Just think if she'd been playing on and had no dealt that £5,000 offer - we'd be having another member of the £1 club probably!

As I said in the "What would you have done today?" thread - the £22,500 was bad for the board but I don't think I'd have risked that sort of money when there was a chance I could knock out the £250k and then I'd be chasing the money. That £5,000 proveout offer wouldn't have been tempting for me though had I turned down £22,500 and I can't see many people dealing that after taking that gamble - so I think in this sort of game you'd either win £22,500 or nothing! (Unless you were really cautious and dealt before the £22,500 offer.)

Well done Penny and enjoy the money!

That's exactly what the banker is relying on. He's putting up these lousy offers and people are still taking them. It's like mugging the helpless.

The current trend of disasterous proveouts are reinforcing people's caution and the banker must be laughing himself silly. He will continue to offer dismal amounts until somebody has the guts to take him head on and beat him.

I'm looking at the current 22 and wondering who has got it in 'em to do it!

................

If the crap offers continue though, he will eventually run into another Laura or Gaz, someone who has more courage than anyone expects and takes him for a huge amount. Which is perhaps what the producers want, after all ratings are more important to them than the occasional big payout!

Regarding the current 22, I definitely think Rodney's got it in him, perhaps Dave as well, and although as you say Eric gives cautious advice on occasions I don't think he will stand for insulting offers in his game.

Awww Well done Penny, glad she beat the banker's butt

I obviously respect the opinions of those who want to see someone take risks and win bg, but surely everyone should get a pleasure out of seeing someone sell a box worth pocket change for something life-enhancing? I really can't understand the reasons why anyone wouldn't have been really happy about today's proveout, and that was emphasised by the fact that I imagined I'd still have been playing and would have lost the lot!

Just the same as I wouldn't have even considered no-dealing as far as Graeme did, and gamble his way to 6 figures - he won several times what I would have on that game!

I just like seeing happy games, no matter how they arise! (Excvept if its a contestant I really can't stand, but today's was the exact opposite of that)!

Completely and utterly agreed. We are in March 2006 territory again without as many legendary contestants. I never got the appeal of March 2006 as the best month in the show's history, in some respects it was amongst the worst; I'd put April as possibly the best month, as the Banker typically played the game well and his adversaries were still very much entertaining.

I totally agree we need another analyst or three.

Furthermore, in response to the 'play the game' faction who treat the one-off nature of the opportunity as a reason to forget half of the game's title; if you were to play the game many times over, yes it would be advisable to reject any below-mean offer. Over the games, they'd cancel out, you'd get a £250,000 win every 22 games and your average winnings would be just over £25,000.

But every other game would produce a blue win. And most people prefer £10,000 to 1p far more strongly than they prefer, at the very least, £20,000 to £10,000... that's their prerogative. If it means certain opportunities don't come their way, that's the way it is. There'll be times it helps them too. And Penny was most certainly helped today...

It's odd how reactive the contestants are to previous results though! I wish Noel would keep emphasising 'every game is different and the next game could easily be a dream or a disaster' or similarly neutral emphasis on all possible outcomes, to try and make the players 'true to themselves' instead of being influenced by previous games which have no meaning. Rather that than the guilt trips that's for sure. If the guilt trips must stay, give ill-advised No Dealers the same treatment. Otherwise, you're telling two and a half million people every day that fiscal cautiousness is bad, and that's irresponsible behaviour in an era of unprecedented personal debt caused partly by irresponsible spending. Oh wait - there's an LTL in this show, which exists because of - and is a contributor to - those circumstances.

I'm on a rant, I apologise. And I also know basicasic has said he's not one of those spend-spend-spend again people and has looked after his money. I wasn't attacking him for that. In fact I'm not attacking him at all, for I appreciate plurality of viewpoints. I'm actually attacking the show in general and Noel in particular, for the way money is treated for 45 minutes on Channel 4 six days a week.

Anyway. I hope Penny's £22,500 brings her happiness - I and many others would have won 71p and a pint, and seeing as I'm teetotal the pint wouldn't have been much use to me... unless he bought me a J2O or something instead...

So you keep saying. Why don't you just do that and stop going on?

Anyway, the boxes opened well for Penny and treated her kindly didnt they?

goddamn noel and his stupid "oooh the cosmics are here, and the boxes didnt open very well for yeterdays player"

The show does tend to treat money as a commodity by the very nature in which it can be won and lost with such ease. It almost doesn't seem real and when someone like Lynn gets hysterical because they 'only' won £1000 it emphasises the fact. But I have noticed a common target for many players is to pay off debts which must be a strong motivation to deal once that target is reached.

But it is a show of dreams. Where people can actually gamble with odds that are in their favour and without any chance of personal loss or risk. It should not be confused with real life where most of us have to struggle to earn a tiny fraction of the potential winnings each year and where real gambling is a mug's game with odds always against you and your personal money is at risk of being lost.

I would hope the average person could distinguish between the two.



I'm very cautious with money and a complete non-gambler in 'real' life. I don't buy a lottery ticket, never buy draw tickets, I've never bet on a horse. I don't even bet on the Grand National. But I do take risks in other areas of life. If I went on the show I would grab the opportunity with both hands and gamble my way to a huge amount or a blue. And be happy with either result.

I wonder if players just take it too seriously. Look at it as a way to get some easy money and just are not prepared mentally to go home with nothing.

I found it very interesting about how Noel was saying that there were coincidences with Penny and Laura....

I found it very spooky that Noel was wearing the same shirt as when Laura won the £250 00!!

Jo e-mailed me last night Penny will be phoning me in the next few days and hopefully will be in next weeks chat