A ‘Deal' worth $165,000

She may not be a millionaire, but Charlene Miranda, a contestant on "Deal or No Deal" last week, is $165,000 richer thanks to her quick wit and intuition.

"It's amazing," said a bubbly Miranda. "It was incredible. It was so surreal."

The Fall River native first appeared on the popular NBC game show Wednesday night and finished her round on Friday's episode.

"Deal or No Deal," which is hosted by Howie Mandel, is a game of odds and chance. Contestants are confronted with briefcases that each contain a card that represents an amount of money up to $1 million. It is the contestant's job to eliminate the briefcases one by one, using instinct and intuition, until they are satisfied with the amount of money they will receive - and before losing it all.

"Everybody said to go one more (briefcase)," Miranda said. After taking their advice, she said: "I wouldn't go any further. I knew in my heart I was going to hit it."

Though unbelievably happy with her luck, Miranda, 25, said it was also a little "scary" to win such a large sum of money.

The only real plan she has for her winnings is to purchase a wooden, boat-shaped playground for her 4-year-old son, Ayden, at a cost of $2,000 to $4,000.

Miranda feels she owes it to her son since it was Ayden's idea - mostly his pestering - that inspired her to go to a "Deal or No Deal" casting call in Boston earlier this year.

"He loves Deal or No Deal," Miranda said in a previous interview. "He loves Howie."

"I wouldn't have gone if he didn't make me," she said on Monday.

Miranda, an occupational therapy assistant, said she'll likely use some of her winnings to send Ayden to college, and herself too. She plans to pursue a master's degree in her field.

Being a single mother, Miranda also said the winnings were a "huge safety net for me."

She said she plans to consult with her father, Inacio Miranda, whom she refers to as her "financial" advisor, for his expertise.

The Deal or No Deal shows that Miranda appeared on were taped on Aug. 1. From then until now, she has been unable to share with family and friends whether she won anything due to contracts she signed with the network.

On Monday, Miranda said she felt lighter now that she could unload her burden.

"It's great," she said. "It's a huge relief. I'm horrible at keeping secrets."

E-mail Deborah Allard of The Herald News (Fall River, Mass.) at dallard@heraldnews.com.