A Wheel of Fortune contestant had played a near-perfect game aside from one puzzle. However, when it came time for them to solve the Bonus Round puzzle, they weren’t quick enough, resulting in them not taking home $80,000.
Tom Swirkowski, from Oak Creek, Wisconsin, solved the first toss-up on October 5. He played against Pamela Edwards from Omaha, Nebraska, and Kim Teixeira from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Swirkowski, who has a pontoon boat and likes to smoke meats, solved the second toss-up, giving him $3,000.
He put $9,450 in his bank when he solved the “Same Letter” puzzle — “Snowboard, Surfboard, Skateboard.” Swirkowski also solved “The Beverly Hillbillies” for $12,950.
Teixeira, a proud Dodgers fan, finally got on the board when she solved the prize puzzle — “That’s Above My Pay Grade” — for a trip to Curaçao. This gave her $11,800.
Swirkowski solved two of the three Triple Toss-ups. Teixeira solved the third. This put $3,000 between them, making it either of their games.
With only four letters left to solve, Swirkowski solved the final puzzle in “Only in LA”— “Sushi For School Lunch.” This gave him a final total of $30,250.
“You’re awesome at this game!” host Ryan Seacrest said.
Teixeria went home with $13,800. Wheel of Fortune gave Edwards, a proud single mom, $1,000 since she did not win any money. Swirkowski advanced to the Bonus Round, where he chose “Phrase.”
The game show gave him “R,S,T,L,N, and E.” Swirkowski rounded out his puzzle with “C,H,M, and O.” The puzzle then looked like “NOT _ _ _ _C_ _ _ _.”
As the clock counted down, the contestant guessed “Not a Fat Chance,” “Not a Wild Watch,” “Not A…” The puzzle was “Not a Quick Fix.”
He lost out on taking home an additional $50,000, which would have given him $80,250. “Really a good time. Thanks for playing so well tonight,” Secrest said.
“Tom was an amazing contestant!!! He won over $30K without winning the prize puzzle and advanced to the bonus round!!! Unlike Tom, I couldn’t figure out the bonus round puzzle. He only missed out on an additional $50K,” a Reddit user said.
Wheel of Fortune, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu and Peacock