I know most of you are probably like "why does that guy, wakey, really dislike early deals?"

Well, heres why.

The reason we havent had a big win yet, is because when people deal early, and its a perfect deal, other people are more inclined to deal rather than go on to the end. People like Lynda, Melanie etc... only make people think twice about no dealing and thats why we havent had a win bigger than £50,000 in nearly 2-3 months. The last, being Gaz' game.

But surely people going on to the end and winning rubbish amounts also makes other people think twice about No Dealing?

But i bet theyre has been many a times a sum higher than the deal has been in the box.

Well, yes. But the people who Deal early still end up with a good amount of money; sure, immediately after the game they might feel a bit down, but by the time they get home they'll be able to spend and enjoy the money (which is almost certainly an amount with which they're very happy, or they wouldn't have Dealt for it), and probably won't have many regrets.

Those who get nothing get just that, and having "played the game" probably isn't a great consolation once they get home and are away from the environment of the show.

But lets not stray away from the principle - no +£50,000 winner since Gaz? Very worrying. Seems like we are going back to the early days because of Lynda and Melanie. Not really their fault becuase its whats best for them, but thats why i dislike them, its really what you could say, pulling players away from the big money.

Obviously every player is different and if everyone went on to the end it would be a rather pointless game anyway, they may as well just open their box at the start!

It's good to see people time it right and beat the Banker sometimes, but I agree there have been too many cautious players and high early offers recently, maybe they need to rethink - only 2 players out of the last 26 have no-dealed to the end and taken the amount in their box!

I wouldn't blame the early dealers for influencing others though, you're either a gambler or you're not and I don't think previous games have that much effect, unless maybe you play after someone won 1p or something like that.

Erm, well it obviously has infulenced the players! No +£50,000 win since Gaz

Dear Wakey had i dealt at 17.500£ I could have done all I wanted to do-buuut!!! like others I got caught up in the moment. When you get into that CHAIR you are not quite yourself . If you know what I mean.
Pat M

I think that's been largely down to bad luck - the cautious ones have got the good boards while the ones prepared to go all the way have ended up with next to nothing.

And also the high offers in some cases have made it too easy for the contestants to walk away! The days of the really nasty Banker gave us some horrible games but also some great wins as well.

Hi Pat! How are you? I know I wanted you to go at £17,000, simply because i thought you are lovely, and i couldnt see you walk away with little - but hey, you won the better of the final 2!

In my game all caution went to the wind when I knocked out the 2 biggies in the first 5 boxes. The feeling I got was like a kick in th b**ll**cks,and I thought I was going to go away with 50p or something. But you have to have faith and having never had any luck whats so ever in my life, I thought I've been accepted onto this show for a reason and my god I am going to do my damdest to do my best and get some dosh for me and my family. So thats what I did, if I hadnt been unfortunate enough to take out the biggies I would have loved to have played to the end. Seriously guys when you're there, you do whats best for you, because its not a game. (REALLY!)

Well, I personally don't want to win in excess of £50k I have an amount in mind which I would LOVE to win, and there are a couple of amounts lower than that which I would be happy with, depending on how the board looked at the time, so sorry, Wakey - If I was to be a contestant on DOND, I would really piss you off, cos if the banker played it right, I could be the first to walk at the first deal.

You have to remember, we haven't had many big boxes at the table which doesn't help.

The person who invented Deal or No Deal has to be one of the most intelligent people on the planet today. The format is such that while a big win is in theory quite possible, it is also extremely unlikely.

Right from the beginning of the game there are 22 boxes. 12 of them, which is more than half, have a figure of £1000 or less in them, which means that if you go on all the way and open your box no matter what you are odds on to have a low amount in your box, and if you count £3000 and £5000 as honorary blues then the odds are even less in your favour of having a really high number in your box. Not only that, but the only way anyone will ever win the big money is if the £250000 is in their own box or they swap for it at the end of the game. In order to gamble at the last stage and go for the £250K, then you have to have another really high red (at least the £20K, more realistically the £50K) to make it worth the gamble and open your box.

A final two boxes of say £500 and £250000 would almost certainly produce a deal from any reasonably sane player, while a £20000 and £250000 final pairing might produce a person like Morris who was prepared to gamble and still be happy with the lower amount, as £20K is still a "life enhancing" chunk of money. Therefore, the odds of actually having a high red in your box (not necessarily the £250K) and having another high red left at the two-box stage are pretty minimal assuming that a player does not 'fold' beforehand and take the deal that is on offer, which is surely what most people would do once they get to the five box stage with most usually a two/three split of reds/blues as the chance of going away with nothing or next to nothing is usually still there.

I don't blame anybody for taking any sum of money, even if they are clearly too cautious and deal early. I would probably err on the side of caution myself. It would take an almost fantastic run of all-blues to convince me to go all the way regardless, and I would probably take anything above £20K and get the hell out of the studio!!

One of these days, someone may gamble and go all the way and actually be lucky enough to leave the £250K till last and either open it or swap for it, but the format is such that we will never see that many big winners on the show above £50K. Such a fiendishly clever and simple game this. I love it!

I think this thread alone would prove to a non-DOND fan that there's more to DOND than just randomly opening boxes!

'It's a game for God's sake. People who deal early should be thrown off the show. There's queues of people waiting to get on it; cowards shouldn't apply.'

...Why is that in inverted commas? Are you quoting someone else?

Anyway, I thought that Sally's game might have made you change your mind a bit.

Yes, from Digital Spy.

I have to agree with them as well.

Let's face it, there's a particular type of person who is going to no deal to the end, and therefore, possibly win the £250k.

And that type of person is someone who:

Already has loads of money, and can afford to risk it.
or
Is a huge gambler.
or
Is a young person who doesn't have to currently support any children, etc.
or
An elderly person who is just going on DOND for the fun of it and to experience it.

And doesn't have any outstanding student debts!