Deal or No Deal is Evolution Gaming’s fantastic live casino version of the iconic TV game show that swept the world back in the early 2000s. This live-hosted casino game puts you in the hot seat to take on the banker in this high-stakes, fun, and engaging title.
As one of the more popular live game shows available to play on our platform, we thought we’d take the time to examine the gameplay in more detail and explore if the right type of Deal or No Deal strategy can help you maximize your winnings.
So, keep reading to unlock the truth about this iconic game and discover the best strategy for you to win today.
Understanding the Deal or No Deal Live Game
We’ll kick off by going through the gameplay of Evolution’s iconic Deal or No Deal live casino game, including the game rules, different phases, and optimal strategy for play from the standard game to the title’s exciting bonus round.
We start with a little history lesson and the famous probability puzzle known as the Monty Hall problem, which lies at the heart of the Deal or No Deal game. The Monty Hall problem involves a game show scenario with three doors. The contestant first chooses a door without knowing what’s behind it. Then, the game host opens a losing door and offers the contestant a choice: to switch doors or keep their original choice.
Deal or No Deal is a bit more complicated but applies the same game theory. It has more options and phased gameplay, but the general idea remains the same. The key with Deal or No Deal is that it all comes down to your risk aversion and whether you have what it takes to keep going and try to sniff out the highest amount of money available when you reach your bonus round.
Deal or No Deal Gameplay & Mechanics
Deal or No Deal Live has three game phases: the qualification phase, the top-up phase, and the Deal or No Deal bonus round. In the final bonus round, you must decide whether to accept the banker’s offer or keep playing to try and win more money.
Qualification Phase
The qualification round is played on a 3×3 slot machine, where you can earn payline wins as you try to land the three triggering scatters required to complete qualification and proceed to the next stage of the game.
Scatter symbols can land on any reel and contain multipliers up to 10x for boosted win potential. When you hit the required scatters and qualify for the next round, the scatter multipliers are added together to create a global multiplier, which will apply to the amount of money in each briefcase.
When scatters land on the top or middle rows in the qualification phase, they drop down one place each subsequent spin until they fall off the bottom of the reels, giving you multiple chances to qualify.
There are three spin modes in the qualification phase:
- Normal Spin – base bet level.
- XXXtreme Spin – 15x the base bet for one guaranteed scatter per spin.
- Super XXXtreme Spin – 75x the base bet for three guaranteed scatters and increased multipliers.
Slot machine payouts for the qualification phase are as per the paytable below and are awarded immediately unless you qualify for the next phase. There are five fixed paylines from left to right on consecutive reels:
| Symbol | Match 3 Payout |
| BAR | 1.00 |
| Seven | 1.50 |
| Triple Sevens | 2.00 |
| Cherries | 3.00 |
| Telephone | 5.00 |
| WILD | 5.00 |
| 2x WILD | 30.00 |
| 5x WILD | 75.00 |
Top Up Phase
Once you have qualified, you enter the top-up phase, which is played on a 15-segment money wheel. Choose your bet size, spin the wheel, and top up the amount of money in the briefcase of your choice by between 5x to 50x, depending on where the wheel lands.
You can spin the wheel an unlimited number of times until the end of the phase and switch out which briefcase you are topping up.
Increasing your top-up bet amount will increase the value of the multipliers on the wheel, adding more money to the cases.
When you are ready to enter the Deal or No Deal Bonus, click the bonus button to enter the next phase of your game.
Deal or No Deal Bonus Round
During the bonus round, the banker gradually opens briefcases, revealing the prizes within as they are eliminated from the game. Based on the boxes left, the banker then makes the DEAL or NO DEAL offer.
The bonus starts with 16 cases and the openings happen in three stages. First, the banker opens three random briefcases and makes his first offer. You must choose to take the banker’s deal or reject based on the expected value of what’s in the remaining cases.
Next, the banker opens four random cases, and the process repeats. If you believe the expected values of the remaining cases to be better than the value of the banker’s offer, reject it and move on again.
If you stay for the third round, you will be reduced to just two boxes left and three options:
- Take the deal
- Keep your briefcase and the money inside
- Switch cases and take the alternative prize
Deal or No Deal Live: Developing a Winning Strategy
Now that we have outlined the basics and have a firm grasp of the gameplay, we turn to developing a winning strategy for when you get through to the bonus round and prepare yourself for when you get to the game deals.
What sets Deal or No Deal aside from other games when developing your strategy is your opportunity to evaluate the remaining cases based on what’s already been eliminated at each stage and the expected value of what’s in said remaining cases. You are trying to determine if the banker’s offer is mathematically sound and one you should take or if you should keep going in search of higher-value rewards.
There is clearly an element of chance as you don’t know the true value of your own box, but some quick math can help you determine the average value in the boxes left as cases based on whether high values or low values are being removed at each stage.
In addition, the top-up phase can help you increase the money amounts before you start this last phase, raising the average value in the boxes and, therefore, your win potential.
Gamble Responsibly
A big aspect of the game comes down to your risk tolerance, which should factor in your bankroll and your predefined loss limits. It’s important to gamble responsibly and stick to these limits so you don’t exceed your budget.
Exploiting Promotions & Bonuses
A fantastic way to boost your win potential is to make the most of our casino bonuses and promotional offers. Visit our promos page to see the latest offers and find out how you can boost your account balance, earn bonus funds, free spins, and heaps more.
Expert Insights
Luck and strategy both influence game outcomes, and the choices you make as the game progresses will ultimately determine your gameplay session. It’s a fantastic game of nerves and determination, which is why it’s so popular among our players and remains one of the most loved game shows in Evolution’s impressive repertoire.
Our advice is to try the strategies listed above and consider each banker’s offer carefully. Above all, remember to have fun while you play, and you will get the most out of your session.
