Hey. I've watched Deal Or No Deal from the start, and for a while now me and everyone else I've spoken to have found the show has become totally ridiculous. Aswell as getting p*ssed off with contestants dealing when there is a much greater chance of winning a much higher amount (I know it's their choice but no-one wants to watch people dealing on 10k with a strong board), the holding hands is just stupid. The way contestants talk about "positive energy" is even more ridiculous. The crowd and contestants going crazy over revealing the £1 in the first box is just hilarious. Did anyone hear the "easy" chants on the show the other day lol. Oh dear. Everyone seems to think they know what is in each box, and when it is proven it is in the box they guessed the amount was in everyone somehow thinks it's amazing. And when they are wrong they say they are trying to trick the banker. I can't believe they think they can trick the banker. The banker used to offer about the "mean"...but now he knows he can offer way below that and people will stupidly accept. It's a game of probability as well as luck. No-one has the intelligence to play the game even remotely well, and the game has become so much cr*pper than it used to be. I used to love it. Now it just annoys the hell out of me. Woah...how's that for a first post lol.

Nick!

A bit of a mouthful for a first post...and a bit extreme.

When your gambling for big amounts of money you need to have positive energy in an area to help you along otherwise you may end up doing somthing stupid. The holding hands bit you must realise these people are pratically living with each other for the filming and they learn alot about each other and they want them to win big money. They consider themselves as friends and if they get 1p your going to be upset for them because they deserve more money. This was shown truly when JT promised to give Lucy some money if he had a lot of money. To be honest i don't agree with you.

The game would be extremely boring if everyone played it by the rules of probability. The real allure of the show doesn't come from the "game" or the winning, but from the people there and the camaraderie they share. That's what sets the show so far apart - and above - the foreign versions where they have nameless models opening boxes.

The hand-holding is an example of the sheer good will between the players. So what if it's ultimately a game of luck? What's wrong with seeing people be nice to each other and wishing their friends well? What's wrong with positive energy and positive thinking? Sure, it can't change the laws of physics, but it makes you a better person...

I think they hold hands cos they're such great mates and are supporting one another, in a game with such high stakes. Nothing wrong with that.

And I don't think they would claim to KNOW what was in each box, but you have to go with your instincts, and a game like DOND does that to you. I try and predict whats in each box at home myself, but I don't claim to be psychic.

The stuff with Banker is to an extent trying to get a psychological edge, and it makes for better TV. Equally theres nothing wrong with dealing early - it may not make for good TV but its their money to gamble, so its their decision, and rightly so. If the audience decided when to deal on the player's behalf every show, more often than not it'd be a disaster. Jim's show when he was heavily influenced by the audience is a case in point (he didn't win too much, despite having a number of excellent offers).

And personally I think Gareth Barry playing for England is far more ridiculous than the players holding hands (joke ) but then I never was a Villa fan.

But how is thinking positively going to change the number in the box? Yer but they are always holding hands...even today at the end when they lifted Gary's No.8 box. And everyone went crazy because he had £5000! Even though he could've easily won £91000 ( I think). Sometimes it's not even gambling. Ridiculous deals when stastistically (good joke dond8-)) they are almost guaranteed to get higher. I don't see how watching people who have known eachother for a month at the most holding hands and sending "positive energy" (apparently it exists and changes numbers) can be good to watch. It is a good game, but the american's nicking it surely shows it's rubbish:P

I think you might have picked the wrong forum to start this debate...

Just to point out that although the Americans have nicked the format, so did we - the game originated in Australia!

Lol well I would start a Gareth Barry for England debate too but I wana watch Neighbours lol. I reckon I'm goin to have a lot of complaints about my first post. Quite a lot of people agree though and I don't come home from school to watch people holdiing hands argh!

Up The Villa! Stevie Davis future Manc! Nooooooo.

OH GOD NO! STOP THE HEATHENS BEING HAPPY! STATISTICS DO NOT AGREE!

Are you Mr Data?

Well you don't have to watch it if you don't like it. But I imagine its a better alternative to the Villa!

I have to agree with Dary, its the camaraderie of the players that makes the show what it is. The fact that they do bond with one another makes each show so personal, and you feel like you almost know the players. The fact that many of them post on here shows how genuinely friendly they are. They may not have known each other for long, but you can see they'll keep in touch with one another for a long time to come, which is great to see.

I met JT and James the other week and can confirm they are great people, and so friendly and down-to-earth as well. Theres nothing false about them, and I daresay that goes for most of the players.

With Gary today, he may have won £90k (though I doubt the Banker would have offered that much) but he wasn't GUARANTEED to get it, as you suggest. Theres always a risk of disaster, and if it had happened it'd have been much more painful than winning 'only' £29,999, which is a fantastic sum in itself. I can't fault the way he played. Some might have gone on, some might have dealt earlier.

Essentially, thats the beauty of the show.

True, the American version isn't that great, but the UK version is still the best in the world!

God bless America!
-Joe R.

I wonder this: what do you want to watch? A legion of Andy K's and Aaron's playing the odds and winning, whilst normal people with their positive thinking and hopes constantly walk with pennies (hahahahaha oh the HILARITY!)

LOL Dary!!!

With regard to the hand holding, I can only liken waiting for an important box to be opened to waiting for an important decision to be announced, like who has won an election, or London getting the Olympics, or the results of a photo finish. You're nervous about the outcome of the box opening because it is important to the contestant (who is your friend). It's a way of joining together to ease the moment.

Having said that at one point on the west wing, we did say can we less it with the hand holding and reserve it for really important moments, otherwise it's a bit too much.

Even if you do cite that 'playing the odds' is the only way to win a perfect strategy, I still think that that was the right decision to make at the time. There was a 60% chance of that offer decreasing if the £250k, and at that point; he would almost certainly have decreased the offer. The fact that the offer increased was only due to the fact that a player "claimed they knew what was in the box."

This forum is a forum for fans of Deal or No Deal.

Quite simply, if you don't like it (which is obviously true), then you shoudn't be posting on it.

I do like the actual game, I just don't like the way the show has turned out. What was with that easter chick dance!? Grrrr! People watch it to see large amounts of money being won and risk taking. I seriously think the way it's going people will stop watching in the future. It's no fun if everyone agrees:)

People do take risks, just look at Fadil for example!

If everyone dealt at the third offer then it would be boring, just as it would be if everyone no-dealt to the end every day. The Banker's job is to provide testing offers (at least at stages 4, 5 and 6 if it gets that far) and they generally succeed in that and generate entertaining games.

Also every player is different, some are gamblers and others are cautious, some are quiet and others want to be the star of the show, that's what makes it what it is. And the funny/silly bits are just a good contrast with the tension of the game on occasions...

To be honest as a gambler myself I would be less inclined to go for the big money as I've walked away with nothing before. I would say that people winning big money is likely to be people who don't know how it feels to lose an important amount of money. In my opinion anyway.
Although if every game were like Gary's it would be great but if every game were like Gary's it would have to be fixed and therefore not as exciting.

Maybe as you are quite young OP you dont understand the kind of friendships these people are making.

Someone like Fadil wasnt in it for the money, he was there to enjoy the experience, others have mentioned how much they have enjoyed their time there and how they wished they could stil be there.

The fact that this show is on at tea time instead of prime time shows that its not all about people winning big money.