WATERLOO -- Right now, wishing Cindy Braatz good luck is about as necessary as telling President Bush policy changes may be coming.

Braatz won $10,000 during a special game for viewers of NBC's Deal or No Deal. During the show, viewers are asked to choose which of six suitcases contain the money by voting over the Internet or sending a text message. People who choose correctly are put in a drawing for the money.

Braatz's good fortune comes less than a month after she was selected to attend a taping of the Oprah Winfrey show where the talk show host gave each audience member $1,000 to make a charitable effort. Like the Deal or No Deal contest, Braatz entered over the Internet on a whim.

"I'm pinching myself," Braatz said. "I've got one son who wants me to go to Vegas with him and play blackjack because I'm lucky and my husband says, 'We've got to go buy lotto for Powerball.'"

Braatz, who says she watches Deal or No Deal once every week or two, was watching Friday's show and was up during a commercial break when the announcer asked viewers to submit their vote for which of six suitcases contained the $10,000.

"I thought, 'Well, I'm up. I'll just go over and choose a case,'" Braatz said. "I sat back down and they called me in 10 minutes. I was like, 'You've got to be kidding me.'"

The caller from the show asked her for basic information to verify she had cast the vote, then told her to continue watching the show. If she was selected, her name would appear at the bottom of the screen near the end.

"We're sitting there on pins and needles and, sure enough, there it was," Braatz said.

Braatz said she typically doesn't vote like that on game shows. "I do American Idol, but other than that, no," Braatz said. "That's how I did the Oprah thing was online."

A few weeks ago, Braatz entered a contest to attend a taping of the Oprah show where each member was told they would be part of something special. When she was selected, Braatz took co-worker Amy Brocka with her to Chicago to attend the taping. Each audience member was given the $1,000 and a camcorder to record the good deed they did with the money. They were told each member would be invited back to a taping where the stories would be aired.

On Saturday, Braatz got a call at work that some original audience members were unable to attend the second taping, so both she and Brocka could bring along guests if they wanted.

"So Amy finally gets to bring her mom, and I'm taking my daughter," Braatz said.

The group will be in Chicago on Tuesday for the second taping, continuing the whirlwind of events for Braatz. "But it's all good and I'm just really in a great mood," Braatz said. "Just kind of smiling and pinching myself."

Contact RC Balaban at (319) 291-1418 or rc.balaban@wcfcourier.com.