Â鶹´«Ã½

“I’d probably have a target on my back,� the “True Blood� star says. While he thinks the athletic competitions and the strategy sessions would be in his wheelhouse, he’d probably need to play down his skill or his game plan.

David Genat, one the contestants on this year’s edition, did just that “and I wondered if I could pull that off to the extent that he did,� Mangianello says.

All the skill in the world, however, can’t beat a real intangible – luck.

“Boston Rob, especially, has it. Everybody their superpowers.�

While producers size up the field when the season begins, “we all try to pick somebody other than the obvious,� Mangianello says. “I’m rooting for someone to win as much money as possible and I’m rooting for a great show which often involves chaos.�

That means contestants who are good in the confessional and are outspoken on the field of play earn his respect. “Everyone has that luckiest friend. I’m that friend to my friends...so I’m very curious to see how it goes down.�

Gamers vs. non-gamers

Rob Mariano, a veteran reality show contestant, finished fourth on “Deal or No Deal Island� last season. Like other familiar names from “Survivor,� “Amazing Race,� and “The Traitors,� he’s a gamer, Mangianello says. “Boston Rob has a great strategic mind and is very charismatic. Even when his back is to the wall, he just comes out a winner. It’s been great to be able to watch them play the game because they are the best of the best.�

“Non-gamers,� another category in Mangianello’s book are folks like the “Real Housewives.� “That’s more of a social show, where something like ‘Survivor’ is strategic. (‘Deal or No Deal Island’) attracts gamers. When you’ve won a ‘Survivor’ or a ‘Big Brother,’ you’ve got superpowers.�

Parvati Shallow, one of this year’s competitors, fits the profile. “Parvati is so charming. Her social game is great. She is forwardly manipulative, whether it’s welcomed or not. Some want to team up with her, some do not.�

To make sure there’s no “middle of the road� winner – like last year’s Jordan Fowler – producers have adjusted the game so there’s no middle to ride. “There hasn’t been a banker’s offer yet to allow someone to leave the game,� Mangianello says. “We didn’t want somebody to leave the game. We want them stuck in the game and forced to fight and make uncomfortable decisions.�

Observational perks

Because he doesn’t know which suitcases contain which amounts (doing so would be a violation of the Game Show Act “and we could all go to federal prison�), the host doesn’t even like to speculate during the numbers game.

He has determined, however, “I don’t want to pull cases of people’s birthdays because they, without a doubt, always hold the high numbers. It’s one of those funny superstitious things.�

Guessing the banker is another inside game that attracts viewers. Howie Mandel, the original host of “Deal or No Deal,� was revealed as the banker in the first season. This year, the money-holder has been referred to with feminine pronouns.

As a producer, Mangianello had a hand in picking the banker. A clue to the identity: “The banker is someone connected to the ‘Deal or No Deal’ extended universe,� he says.

While Mangianello was pursued to host other shows, he held off, largely because actors had to make a choice between film and television when he was first starting out. “George Clooney was the only one who was doing both. A lot of people tried to follow him through that door and fell on their face. But with the advent of subscription cable, it just wasn’t that way. Things started shifting a little bit and, by the mid 2000s, some of the best projects you could possibly act in were on pay cable and I was part of that revolution.�

“True Blood� helped Mangianello become a household name and led to a resume-filling list of other projects.

Timing is everything

When “Deal or No Deal Island� came his way, he was ready. “I was in chess tournaments when I was 6, I was playing cards with adults from the time I was little, little, little. I have a strategic gamer mind.

“As a documentary filmmaker, I realized it was all live theater up there when the cameras are rolling. It feels like Phil Jackson, the coach of the Bulls during the ‘90s. He was an NBA player but then he went on to have even greater success as a coach. And that’s how I feel on this show. My job is to set up the guests and let the contestants have their moments. I really do enjoy that a lot.�

A hint to this season’s finale: “You can look at the all-time cumulative ‘Jeopardy’ number from Ken Jennings and this year’s winner (gets) more than that,� Mangianello says. “This is the all-time (record) as far as television goes.�

“Deal or No Deal Island� airs on NBC.