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What's the Deal with the Banker?

What is the deal with the Banker on NBC's Deal or No Deal (the season finale airs tonight at 8 pm/ET)? He is one shady dude — literally and figuratively — playing with players' minds the way he does, offering weighty sums for their cash-rich (or -poor) unopened briefcases. Why won't he show his face, instead of tendering his temptations through host Howie Mandel? Exactly what evil lurks in the heart of this man? The shadow knows.... So we invited him to shed some light on what goes on inside his greedy brain. TV Guide: OK, so who are you?The Banker: I'm the guy you could never beat at Monopoly. I'm the guy you hated for ruining the bell curve

Joseph Hudak

What is the deal with the Banker on NBC's Deal or No Deal (the season finale airs tonight at 8 pm/ET)? He is one shady dude literally and figuratively playing with players' minds the way he does, offering weighty sums for their cash-rich (or -poor) unopened briefcases. Why won't he show his face, instead of tendering his temptations through host Howie Mandel? Exactly what evil lurks in the heart of this man? The shadow knows.... So we invited him to shed some light on what goes on inside his greedy brain.

TV Guide: OK, so who are you?
The Banker:
I'm the guy you could never beat at Monopoly. I'm the guy you hated for ruining the bell curve in your economics class. I'm the guy you always picked on for being the "brain." And now it's time for payback. I call the shots.

TV Guide: Your online blog really takes it to the contestants. Why do you dislike them so? Can you cite the worst player?
The Banker:
I don't dislike people. I love people. I love to study them. Find out what makes them tick. And then take advantage of them. The worst contestant for me would be Thorpe Schoenle. He took home the largest chunk of prize money to date [$464,000].

TV Guide: Any player you were ever sympathetic to?
The Banker:
I must admit I'm not at all sympathetic to the players. It's my job to take them out for as little money as possible. Why should one of them deserve sympathy? They're getting the opportunity of a lifetime.

TV Guide: Do you have any banking role models?
The Banker:
I've always felt Mr. Potter from It's a Wonderful Life had a lot of admirable qualities.

TV Guide: Is money really the root of all evil?
The Banker:
Money is not the root of all evil. The desire for money is the root of all evil.

TV Guide: What do you do up there in the dark?
The Banker:
Watch, wait and calculate.

TV Guide: Are you unhappy that the viewers don't get to see your face?
The Banker:
I wouldn't want to steal any of the spotlight from Howie or the models. Frankly, I'm very attractive.

TV Guide: Ever prank-call Howie?
The Banker:
No. Our relationship is strictly business.

TV Guide: Um, can you spot me a few bucks?
The Banker:
Absolutely, assuming we find a mutually agreeable interest rate.