One basic strategy is for a contestant to act so as to maximize the expected value of his prize. At each point in the game where the banker makes an offer, the contestant can maximize his expected value by choosing the offer if it is greater than the average value of the unopened cases and declining it when it is less.

Throughout the game, the player is offered an amount of money or prizes to quit, being asked the titular question, "Deal or no deal?" If the contestant rejects every deal and eliminates all the other cases or boxes, the player keeps the money that was in the original case or box.