"Welcome to Deal or No Deal!", the already-familiar call of Beth Lapointe as the show begins. "It's our fourth game, and hopefully you're all getting the hang of it. It's not as easy as it first appears, as everyone has found out so far. They all could have won more than they actually did, and none more than Tose who took Tk50,000 to the table - but only took Tk11,000 away. Still, he seemed happy - well, you'd be happy if you had Tk11,000, wouldn't you? Someone else was happy, and that was Scott, who had a wicked grin on his face because he thought Tose should never have taken the money. He's just one of the players who will get their chance to play the way they want to play before too long. But what about now? What about today?"

The names start scrolling on LED screens on the board and on the walkway. "Today's the day for you... CARSTEN!"

"Carsten Baltus, then. A machinery fitter from Coleston in (Kytler) Bay City." "Right." "Doesn't sound the easiest of jobs, certainly not the most well-paid." "It's pretty good for me, but yeah, I'm never going to rake it in." "Until, maybe, today." "Who knows, right?" "That's the game. And for you, I do hope life gets less unpredictable from here, because you're looking to marry your fiancé Jamie - in fact, I see she's here as well. Hello Jamie!" "Hello there!" "I met her in school, actually, in a geography class - I forget who made the first move, or whether we were both doing so at the same time, but we were definitely attracted to each other pretty much from the start, and it went from there." "And I know that you're looking to have a really nice wedding if you can." "It's more important for us to be settled in life than it is to be married on paper, but because you only do this once, we're desperate to do it properly." "Well, you only ever plan to do this once." The audience burst out laughing. Jamie cringes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Let's get on with this game..."

Carsten has box 3 for it - what can he do? "I hope you're the one to get this spot-on. Someone is going to sooner or later - why not you?" Applause at that as the game begins.

"Five boxes, then an offer." "I think... yeah, box 20." "Ruud, starting this game for Carsten, hopefully in the right way." "Definitely hope so."

Box 20 (Ruud) - Tk200

"That's a good way to start," Beth suggests in a statement of the bleeding obvious. "Number 9, Satossy," Carsten calls next. "Here we go."

Box 9 (Satossy) - Tk500

"We've not had too much good luck to start games so far," Beth notes. "Maybe this might be a change of fortune? I do hope so. Three to go in this round, though." "I shall go with Iris next, 11." "You've been standing next to him this week, now you get a piece of his game. Hopefully that piece is being part of a great opening round." "It's been good having you around - and it's going to be good for you today."

Box 11 (Iris) - Tk2,500

"Well, that's not bad!", Beth remarks. "Definitely take that," Carsten agrees. "Two more. Don't spoil it." "Yeah. Don't spoil it now. I will... go with Aaron, number 18." "Aaron, your instructions are simple - don't spoil it!"

Box 18 (Aaron) - Tk50,000

"Oh, you spoiled it!" "Could have been worse," Carsten says. "I didn't think I could possibly have that one, because Tose had it yesterday." "You never know, that doesn't always mean anything," Beth points out. "But it's not there today. One more to go, hopefully back to blues." "21 please, Kathy." "And speaking of blues, it's someone with the blues and twos - because Kathy's a policewoman." "And I can't imagine doing anything but being a police officer now." "Well, one thing you're doing that's not being a police officer now is opening box 21!" Laughter. "I suppose. Good luck!"

Box 21 (Kathy) - Tk1,000

"Next best thing to a blue," Beth suggests. "No red alert after that, anyway. That is pretty good, when all is said and done, and when you look at what's left." "Something to build on," Carsten suggests hopefully. The Banker phones up to point out that there has been "destructive patterns in the second round of the game, and maybe, just maybe, the first offer might be as good as things get."

Tk1
Tk5
Tk10
Tk20
Tk50
Tk100
Tk150
Tk300
Tk400
Tk750
Tk5,000
Tk7,500
Tk10,000
Tk15,000
Tk25,000
Tk75,000
Tk100,000
Tk200,000
Tk300,000

Banker's offer:

Tk6,600

"That's certainly a lot of money for me," Carsten remarks. "It would go a long way towards the wedding, but it wouldn't get me everything I want to do. There are lots of boxes bigger than that." You guessed it, that translates into a NO DEAL when Beth asks him the question.

"Will it be wedding bells for Carsten and his fiance, or the clanging chimes of doom? The changes will be ringing through Carsten's life if all goes to plan after the break!"

"Welcome back to Deal or No Deal! Carsten Baltus has marriage on his mind, and he's hoping for a proper wedding because you only get to do it once - which is a good chance to point out that although people are going to be watching and opening boxes and offering advice for potentially weeks, once they're called down that's it - they only get to play once. And that's something that, I think, is going to mean different things to different people. Some people will be scared to lose the money they have, some people will see this as a unique chance to win tens or even hundreds of thousands of toaks, and I'm sure many of them will change the way they think about money and perhaps themselves. For now, it's Carsten on that journey, with five boxes to open in this second round."

"I'll try number 15 please." "That's Scott, and oh, how you revelled in Tose's misfortune yesterday!" "Didn't have the guts. Deserved it." There is a rather frosty reaction from some people in the audience. Beth doesn't revel in the situation, though, instead moving on: "He speaks his mind, Scott does, and now let's see what's in his box!"

Box 15 (Scott) - Tk300,000

Gasps from the audience. No division in that reaction. Scott looks more horrified than anyone. "Well, the way you've spoken already about your attitudes to risk, if you played today we might already be celebrating a jackpot win!" "There's other big money," Satossy points out to applause. "Right, let's not find it. Blues are what we need now." "Number 23, please." "Jeltsje, we do indeed have lots of money on this board even without the Tk300,000, but we can't afford to lose much more. Open the box, reveal a blue." "I hope I do."

Box 23 (Jeltsje) - Tk200,000

The gasps are perhaps even greater now. Beth turns to her screen on the table, as if seeking some pearl of wisdom for this horrific luck. "We have played four games now, and in all four of them, the top two amounts of money have gone before the second offer. And I've no idea how unlikely that is, not even the computer can tell me."

Regaining his composure, Carsten looks across the wings, and picks the last one he sees - "Zoe. Number 5." "You're right by the crowd, you heard the groans, you don't want to open that box and hear any more, do you?" "No!" "Open the box, and let it be blue!"

Box 5 (Zoe) - Tk750

"Hurrah!" Carsten insists "this isn't over," and Beth agrees - "far from it at this stage." "Number 2." "Harriet, we want to follow that now with another blue!" "Very much hoping so - good luck."

Box 2 (Harriet) - Tk400

"That's more like it!" exclaims Beth. "Much more like it," Carsten agrees. "Now, how about Jennifer with number 19?" "Why not? After that massive double blow, we might just be getting back to business now - three blues in a row would certainly be significant. Can you make it three, Jennifer?" "Do hope so."

Box 19 (Jennifer) - Tk1

"It doesn't get better than that!" Carsten breathes a huge sigh of relief. "Well, that's that extreme out of the way too, at least..." The Banker rings. "Nothing can undo the last two, he says. Nothing at all." Carsten shrugs. "He admits he cannot believe his luck with the way games have started, and knows that it has to change one day. But for now, he's enjoying it, and enjoying it far too much."

Tk5
Tk10
Tk20
Tk50
Tk100
Tk150
Tk300
Tk5,000
Tk7,500
Tk10,000
Tk15,000
Tk25,000
Tk75,000
Tk100,000

Banker's offer:

Tk4,000

Carsten says that "the game's only just begun really," and NO DEAL is his decision.

Blast it! The top two are already gone

"Three boxes now. We want to carry on like we ended that last round, not how we started it." "You're telling me," Carsten says ruefully. "Number 10." "That's Paora, and, well, you know the drill, we're on a blue run and we want to extend it." "All of the best."

Box 10 (Paora) - Tk5

"That's not only four blues in a row, it's two perfect boxes in a row! Maybe now we really have cancelled out those last two?" Carsten smiles. "Number 14, Yvie." "Four in a row has really helped us - is it going to be five? Open 14 - and hopefully make it so." "You're a good lad, I do wish the best for you."

Box 14 (Yvie) - Tk25,000

"Ooh, no. Not good at all, I'm afraid." Carsten admits "I expected a red again, but didn't want that. Number 17, Marvin." "Now, the people either side of you actually revealed those top two, and it would be extraordinary if you had the Tk100,000 - they can't all be together, surely?" "That's why I picked him!" Carsten laughs. "It is possible, seriously, but goodness do I hope it's not happened. Open 17!"

Box 17 (Marvin) - Tk300

"There we go!" Carsten starts to look more comfortable again. "That's the 300 you wanted before!" "It's quite interesting now, isn't it?", Carsten suggests. "I'd agree..."

The Banker rings. "He agrees, too. He says that this is a difficult board to judge, and it's only going to get harder."

Tk10
Tk20
Tk50
Tk100
Tk150
Tk5,000
Tk7,500
Tk10,000
Tk15,000
Tk75,000
Tk100,000

Banker's offer:

Tk7,500

"Much more generous than the last one," suggests Sharon. "Think carefully." "There's still four higher than that, two of them much higher," Jeltsje points out. "It's too far from the mean to take this just yet," Satossy suggests. "Even if you lose one of those two, you have something to fall back on for now."

A quick turn to Jamie - more to confirm that she agreed with his intentions than anything else - and it's another NO DEAL.

"We'll take another break, and then we might just see the game really take shape - it's been a funny old game so far, but how will it develop from here? Find out in a bit."

"Welcome back! This has been a game which has been swinging all over the place, and it's certainly got an interesting look to it. The Banker agrees, he offered Tk7,500 which wasn't enough for Carsten, and now we have three boxes to open before he phones back again. Carsten, where are we going?" "I'll see what Sharon has in 16." "OK, Sharon, time to show me what you've got!" "If you must," Sharon states to laughter.

Box 16 (Sharon) - Tk10,000

Carsten blinks, and that's about it. There's a short-lived groan. "I think there were a few people there who saw another zero that wasn't there! But no, ten thousand. That, I don't know if we cheer it or groan it or what." "Let's make the next one worth cheering," Carsten says. "That's the spirit," Beth replies. "Number 8." "Kamira, big moment for you here, that last box didn't change much, this one might tell us rather more about where we're going in this game. Open it." "Here goes, good luck."

Box 8 (Kamira) - Tk7,500

A similar reaction. "Oooh, and we still don't know! Oh, we're clinging on here I guess, but how a blue here would help the situation!" "Charles, number 6." "Charles, we've been on a tightrope this round, and we are not ready for the fall from Tk75,000 or Tk100,000 going now. Reveal a blue, please!"

Box 6 (Charles) - Tk75,000

Big groans. "Oh, that hurts. And now we are in a very dangerous position." The Banker rings... "The last two boxes suddenly look a lot more significant than they did at the time, he says... Tose spoke about no insurance, and you have no insurance." "But he didn't need insurance, he needed guts!", Scott replies to gasps from the audience. "You're out of touch, he says to you, Scott. And he genuinely loathes you already." Scott actually looks quite proud of this.

Anyway. Offer on this board...

Tk10
Tk20
Tk50
Tk100
Tk150
Tk5,000
Tk15,000
Tk100,000

Banker's offer:

Tk5,000

Satossy says that there is a lot to gain "but now the danger is huge and obvious". Sharon says that if the Tk100,000 goes "you'll do well to get anything at all." "Anything can still happen," Carsten says, "and if I find I could have won Tk100,000 and I only have Tk5,000, that would be too much." "Would you be upset leaving with almost nothing?" Jamie asks; "yes, but not as much," is Carsten's reply. "That might be a good way of thinking about these decisions", Beth suggests, "that thought - which would make you feel worse if it went against you? Losing the lot, or knowing you could have won so much more?"

Carsten leans towards the latter - NO DEAL.

Exciting stuff. Hoping for a gambler/OHO player who can get the Tk100,000. (Sorry for my Markesqueness)

This inspired me to finish my unfinished game in my series, hehe.

"Two more boxes, then... to push you into, perhaps, the sort of money you might regret losing more. We shall see. Avoid the Tk100,000 and you will certainly have a different decision on your hands."

"I'll go with number 1." "Azeezat, every box is crucial on this board, with no real insurance. Do not be the game-killer. Open box 1." "I'm scared for you, I really am."

Box 1 (Azeezat) - Tk15,000

"Oh... oh my word, now you really do have no real insurance. Whatever you had before has just pretty well crumbled. This has to be blue." "The important thing is it wasn't Tk100,000," Carsten says. "But that's no consolation if this is." "Absolutely - if this is the Tk100,000 your game is all but over." "Number 24, Marius." "Well, from 1 to 24... and we need the absolute opposite kind of number on the inside as well. It has to be blue." "It's not over. Good luck."

Box 24 (Marius) - Tk100

Huge sigh of relief from Carsten. And Beth, come to that. "It's not over! It's not over!"

The Banker rings up... "It could be over at any moment. Time to stop. No insurance. So much room for regret."

Tk10
Tk20
Tk50
Tk150
Tk5,000
Tk100,000

Banker's offer:

Tk6,000

"Two boxes to open. If either is the Tk100,000, you won't see this much money in your game again. Otherwise, the only way is up." "Are you still ready to lose it all?", asks Jennifer. "Because you're going to have to be ready." "Play on if you feel you can," Satossy advises, "because the rewards are high as the offer is so far from the mean. However, one in three that you lose the Tk100,000. Does that scare you?" "It does, but it's not like I'm losing a huge amount," Carsten says. "It's such a long way between Tk6,000 and Tk100,000. I can't let that go." "It's not just about the box and this offer, it's about the offers in between," Charles suggests. "It might be that you go one round more and then take that offer if you survive the round."

Carsten turns to Jamie. "Tk6,000 is quite a lot for us, but as you say, nothing like Tk100,000. It's pretty much the same as the last offer, and I remember what you said about that one." "Yeah, very true. I can honestly say I forgot about that last one, that last offer, I've just been thinking about this one. But yeah, cheers for that Jamie." And with that, the formalities of the question, and... NO DEAL!

"We are on a knife-edge. Can Carsten walk the tightrope for two more boxes - or maybe even go all the way to Tk100,000? We'll find out after the break!"

Exciting stuff here... looks like an OHO player! Mark'll be happy, but Charles wouldn't

GO FOR IT CARSTEN

"Welcome back to a nerve-wracking Deal or No Deal. Carsten has just turned down Tk6,000, with only one amount above that offer on the board - but oh, how it's above the offer, Tk100,000 that could still be heading his way. These two boxes will be very significant indeed in his life - they have to be anything other than Tk100,000, it's that simple. Where are we going first?"

Carsten takes a quick browse around the wings. "Wynke, number 4." "It's very simple - it's a huge box to open. They all are now. If this is Tk100,000, the game is all but up. If it's not, the dream is alive. Open box 4."

Box 4 (Wynke) - Tk20

Big cheers all around. "One more!", cries Beth. "One more," Carsten calmly replies. "One more." He looks around again. "Elfar, number 13." "Elfar, this is perhaps as important a moment in this game as you will get, and I can't think of a moment we've had which has had so much tension attached to it. I really hope you aren't about to spoil this. Open box 13." "The very best of luck - you deserve it."

Box 13 (Elfar) - Tk10

"Yes! Oh... that is perfect!" Carsten gives Elfar a big high-five - and Elfar is a huge man, and Carsten's hardly small himself - and then turns to Jamie. "Bloody hell, thank you." "Well, well, well. What a different scenario we have on our hands now."

The Banker rings... "This phone call now has a very different complexion. The two lowest amounts you had before... gone. The Tk100,000... now a one in four chance of being in front of you. Hello, Banker... you can't believe it either?... you meant to offer more, and you think it would have been enough?..." The phone goes down... "ooh, crikey, he's saying, very forcefully, "I'm not letting that happen again!". Then he gave me the offer, and then he hung up. And this is the offer he made."

Tk50
Tk150
Tk5,000
Tk100,000

Banker's offer:

Tk15,000

Carsten's eyebrows raise a little. "Wow. That is a lot more." "That's a lot more generous, too. No shame in taking that at all," Satossy says. Scott, probably under orders, is silent. "Job done, mate," is Heath's take on it. "Proper good offer, that." Zoe suggests that "the offer's going to keep going up if you keep the Tk100,000 in - this might just be the start of it." Satossy points out that Melinda was offered Tk22,000 with Tk100,000 and two low amounts, and suggests that Carsten "will be lucky to get much more than that."

"That's a lot more than Tk6,000. This would hurt more to lose from," Jamie suggests. "It'd be a good wedding, at least." "We talked about weddings ages ago and we got quotes of over Tk9,000 to put everything together and we just laughed, and we were told that was quite cheap. And now this offer is Tk15,000..."

Still not looking completely certain, Carsten... opts to DEAL!

"What I thought was interesting," Beth says, "is that Satossy actually seemed to suggest taking that, and we've seen him suggest playing on a few times, but this time he didn't do that at all." "That did make a difference, because he sounds like he knows what he's on about, and you lose your head in this game so easy, it's ridiculous," Carsten concedes. "I was worried you were going to play blindly to the end and not think about the money," Satossy adds. "Some people get scared, I think we saw that with a couple of people already, but you seemed like you might be getting carried away." "Well, now we find out if that would actually have worked out terrifically well for you!", Beth says. "We'd have one to open, and we'd be fearing the Tk100,000 - but now you've Dealt, we want it. Play on as if you really were playing on..."

"Box 7, Heath." "Heath, you said it was job done, now we want you to prove that it really was all over and there was nothing more Carsten could possibly have done." "Top bloke, good work."

Box 7 (Heath) - Tk150

"Oh... no, it would have gone on again..." The Banker points out that nobody has done exactly the right thing yet!

Tk50
Tk5,000
Tk100,000

Banker's offer would've been:

Tk25,000

"So, another Tk10,000 could have been yours - hopefully that's the end and not the beginning of the what-might-have-beens for you, Carsten. 12 and 22 would have remained..." "I'd have gone for 12." "Ellie... there's one amount we want revealed to get this done with, and we want you to reveal it in 12."

Box 12 (Ellie) - Tk5,000

"Oh good grief, no. Not that one... it's either Tk50 in the box, or that huge Tk100,000..." The Banker says that already, two players have left the Tk100,000 to the end but have dealt too soon (Melinda was the other).

Banker's offer would've been:

Tk38,000

"So, now the moment where we quite possibly find out that the Banker has secured a real bargain by buying a box valued at Tk100,000 for just a fraction of that. Or is the box for which you secured Tk15,000 actually almost worthless, just Tk50? Here's the moment... this is what you started the game with..."

Beth opens box 3 (Carsten) - Tk50

"Oh thank goodness!" Cheers of relief from all concerned. "Shame I didn't pick that one, isn't it?", laughs Carsten, pointing to the unopened box 22. "Caroline! Your first appearance, and it could have been horrifying, but Carsten steered well clear, and now you just get to finish this off!"

Box 22 (Caroline) - Tk100,000

"I'm disappointed I didn't go another round, Tk25,000 would have felt a lot better, but from where I was, after that start of the game, I thought it wasn't going to be this much. And the wedding planning can begin." "And I wish you every happiness in your forthcoming marriage. You leave us with Tk15,000!" Applause.

"Well, that was nail-biting to say the least. And just wait until we start playing for the really big money, the Tk300,000, that hasn't stuck around at all so far. Once that starts appearing in these late rounds, imagine how scary things will be then? Tune in tomorrow - you might find out!"