“Deal or No Deal” is one of the most discussed game shows of the late 2000s. The franchise came to America in 2005, after which it took a break for almost a decade, but returned to NBC in 2018. Howie Mandel runs this program in which participants win money, mostly through sheer luck. There are 26 numbered portfolios, each of which contains a model, and Meghan Markle is notable.
One of the best parts of the show is the infamous banker. This character was not named and was not seen in the first version of the show, and the new banker is a mystery in the current show. The banker exists ominously in the upper control room, making offers that they hope the participant will not be able to refuse. There are very few details about the mysterious figure, but some of them have been revealed.
Updated July 28, 2022 Anthony Farese: “Deal or no Deal”, unfortunately, a year after the reboot, the series was curtailed, but interest in the show remains high. Host Howie Mandel remains a notable judge of America’s Got Talent, and the virtual version of the video game show remains an integral part of slot machines. The banker remains the least understood aspect of the series.
The original American Banker
The usual, but simple question that fans asked was: “Who is a banker?” The first banker from “Deal or No Deal” was a secret during his participation in the series, but his identity has since been revealed. We always knew he was a man, but after the show ended, his identity was revealed.
Banker 1 was an actor named Peter Abbay. He was an important part of the first life of the game show, but he also performed in programs such as “Another World”, “Home” and “Punk”.
The secret of voicing
It’s very interesting to look at Peter Abbaye’s IMDb, apart from the fact that he is a regular contributor to some of MTV’s best reality shows. Several episodes of “Deal or No Deal” are listed in the self-credits section, which is strange. However, Abbaye’s merit is more remarkable in that she voiced the Banker in the 2006 video game Deal or No Deal!
If a secretive fan had seen this loan back in 2006, it would have been a complete giveaway. Video and computer games were quite a big part of the show’s franchise, they even appeared in slot machines and restaurants such as Dave and Busters.
Banking business “Around the world”
Some fans may know about the British version of “Deal or Not,” but the idea of the show has become a worldwide phenomenon, like other reality shows with international versions. The US version was almost the first in the show. The beginning was the German game show Die Chance deines Lebens (The chance of a lifetime).
This show was in 2000, and it is believed that it inspired the Dutch show, which translates as “The Hunt for Millions”. This show added an element of opening cases and a banker. All this suggests that the show has a long and international history, which means that there are many mysterious bankers from whom the American version drew inspiration.
What kind of job?
Part of the Banker’s job is to get the participant to give up, accept the Banker’s offer, and quit the game completely. Sometimes it’s effective, sometimes it’s not. This is a game in which the participant assesses the risk by assessing whether to accept or not to accept guaranteed money.
It’s often a good litmus test for greed (or determination, depending on how you look at it). Will the participant be able to be safe and accept the banker’s offer? Or will they decide to try their luck and aim for more money? The show certainly supports the banker sometimes, as his offer is often much lower than what the participant would have won by opening each case.
US Banker 2
Since the show wants to reinvigorate itself during the second run, they have chosen a new banker. However, this time their identity was much less secret. The Internet quickly figured out that Carrie Lauren played the role of the banker. Deal or not, remaking a famous role had priority, but it was still a bit unexpected.
Her silhouette can be seen in the banker’s office, and Howie interacts with her in the same way as with the old banker. Carrie Lauren is an experienced actress. She starred in the original series “All This” from Nickelodeon, as well as in many films, especially in “Super Mike”.
Creative suggestions
The banker’s job is not only to make offers, but also to get the participants to accept their offer. This means that some prizes are completely non-standard. An example from later episodes concerns a family that wants to go all the way and win big by buying a house and a car. One of the family members is a basketball player and a big basketball fan.
The banker makes an offer for life — an autographed ball, tickets to the game, access to training on the court — things that are extremely difficult for an ordinary person to get. However, the cash offer accompanying these tangible items is only $7,000, so the participant decided to abandon the deal.
