We have returned to the studio, and so the showdown must commence.

Round 6

Oh no hang on, of course, it's time for THE BANKER!

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Kirk talks about how he's gathering his thoughts, thinking about seeing smiles on his daughters' faces in a new home with their own bedrooms...it's genuinely lovely.

THE BANKER CALLS.

Banker says we've reached the crucial point in the game, Kirk's being seduced by the £50,000 and his sense of destiny; but so many times we've seen that sense of destiny leadin players to disaster.
He attempts emotional blackmail by saying Kirk's winnings are for his daughters, rather than for himself.
"One more round would be a round too far."

BANKER'S OFFER

£12,625

Silence.

Kirk seems to think it's a fairly straightforward choice, and if I were not writing in a neutral capacity, so would I.

He asks for the question and says

NO DEAL!

We approach the business end of the game.

Round 6

Jason, 17 - £75,000 That's not actually terrible, but if the £50,000 went next, it would be...

Next is

Ryan, 3 - £750! (Ush wasn't selected as her number is a loved one's birthday)

Kirk and Ryan have a long embrace, in which Kirk does a massive groan but it's time to hear again from THE BANKER.

The Banker says there's a big drop between the £50,000 and the other two remaining amounts.

Blah, blah----anyway, it's

BANKER'S OFFER

£12,625

A stick is met with silence, appropriately so.

Ten is a power box, apparently. Remember, Edward II was also King of England in the 1800s.

He's dealing... so obvious and also the time.

Kirk apparently is ready.

Asked the question, he responds

DEAL.

We now see what he might've won!

Round 7

Luke, 16 - £50,000!

That's how you play a game, says Kirk.

The Banker says he's absolutely gutted and it's ruined his evening and blah blah blah, he would've offered

BANKER'S OFFER WOULD'VE BEEN

£2,600

....and in Kirk's box number ten was

Kirk, 10 - £4,000


Ush opens the other box to reveal £2,000.


Stephen pays a fitting tribute to Kirk, his partner and his girls, and his passion while he was on the wings, and with pride, he says, Kirk leaves with £12,625!

A brilliant start to the week, let's hope we can keep this up tomorrow!

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That's all from me too for now, ba-bye.

Perfect deal at the right time, a great feel good game to kick off the week!

Very well pitched offers throughout today.

I was floored by that huge jump at 8 box and my knee jerk reaction was to take it, 5 box was a pretty lousy uplift in comparison but a lot of players would have a "five figure offer = job done" mindset there, and the 3 box stick was very clever after squeezing the board in both directions and I'm not sure if that limited 2k/4k fallback was enough to risk that. Thankfully Kirk got out at just the right to me in the end.