Hahaha.... just kidding! Sorry, I couldn't resist.

I was wondering, if you loveable goobers got the chance to sit at the Pound Table, what you guys thought about audience participation during the show in relation to your game plan and going in there with a financial target you were desperate to reach.

We all love (well, some of us) to see the audience get involved, especially at the request of the contestent, and cheer every blue that is revealed and hiss at every red that is revealed. But if you're going in there with a serious ambition to win a certain amount of money, you need to be serious and focused. In an ideal world there'd be a perfect balance but most of the time I find the contestants either get carried away amongst the excitement or shut themselves off completey from the audience. Both create very different kinds of games for me.

So, do you get the audience on your side, creating a formidable atmosphere and "ganging up" (totally the wrong phrase but I can't think of a better one at 1:37 in the morning) on the banker? Or do you play a focused game where the banker may be more inclined to take you seriously?

I've always felt the banker doesn't take certain contestants as seriously as he should, especially if they have the audience onside.

Maybe this is way off the mark and it is down to the personality of the conestant? I don't know, I've always thought the audience play a bigger part than they are given credit for. It'd be interesting to know what you guys think.

Hahaha....I nearly cried when I saw the title of this thread....

I don't think I'd involve the audience much at all - I'd be the cool, calm type, like...erm...I can't think of an example. Jainie? Although she worked up the audience a bit, too. Well, you know what I mean. I'd rather keep it between me and the banker - working the audience like Jim R just sets you up for a big fall if it all goes wrong. (As it did for him.) And I certainly wouldn't ask them for advice, as they'd be there for a good game and would probably just advise me to go on regardless!

Tee hee, I didn't see you as a Top Trumps sort of girl!

Audiences (of any kind) will generally react to what is in front of them quite naturally. I think where some contestants go wrong is by trying to whip the audience up into a frenzy before, firstly, they have even got to know the player and, secondly, before the game has even started (dear old Vic springs to mind here...). Sometimes it's all downhill from there...

As the game progresses, it's probably the strength of the board that will determine how interested the audience actually are and, subsequently, how loud or supportive they become. I guess, at this point, it may start to affect the bankers offers in your favour. A player with belief, an audience with belief and a very strong board is a potent combination!

I didnt get the audience involved in my game at all and never really even spoke to the other contestants. Some games are failry straight-forward in terms of the player knowing what they would do but i can understand that some people need others to ground them a little.

Its like having family members in the audience. If my parents had been sat there whilst i was playing, i would've definately walked at £12k, but luckily they weren't and i ended up bagging £20k