'Wheel of Fortune' player misses out on $40,000 after failing to solve a rather easy puzzle

"Wheel of Fortune" contestants are known to arrive with a ton of luck and some sharp puzzle-solving skills. Fans are elated whenever a player wins, and heartbroken at a loss, but they're quick to call out a contestant on silly mistakes as well. These fans have spent years observing gameplay on the show and have figured out strategies to win. That's why Marisol Gonzalez, who lost out on $40,000 in the Bonus Round after disastrous choices, got a flood of comments from fans on social media advising on things she could've done to win.

In the episode, Gonzalez played beautifully throughout the initial "Toss Up" round of the show. She was off to a flying start after gaining a lead in the first round. She then landed on the $10,000 wedge in the Mystery Round and held on to it in hopes of winning the money. Gonzalez solved another puzzle to cash in on the wedge and win a total of $14,400, which put her in a comfortable lead early in the game. After solving another puzzle, she amassed a total of $34,404. She emerged as the winner of the show and advanced to the bonus round. 

For the final puzzle, she chose the category “Living Things," and was joined by her adorable parents and fiancé on stage. She then spun the wheel with a chance of winning up to $100,000 or a brand-new Mini Cooper Car. As she walked to the center, Gonzalez faced a two-word puzzle. With the show's standard letters, “R, S, T, L, N, E,” filled in, Gonzalez picked “F, H, M, and O," as her additional letters. With everything on the board, her puzzle read,  “_ _ L_       _O_R.”

As the ten-second timer started ticking, the chances for a win looked slim. Gonzalez couldn't even get one of the words before the timer ran out. The show's host, Ryan Seacrest, revealed that the answer was “Wild Boar.” “I don’t know how you were going to get there,” he said. To add to the heartbreak, the host revealed that Gonzales missed a chance to add another $40,000 to her winnings. Nevertheless, the player seemed happy to walk away with over $34,000.

While Gonzalez wasn't too bothered by the loss, fans did not seem to let it go in the comments on YouTube. People came up with several theories and suggestions for the player. "Surprisingly, I figured out the Puzzle with Wild Boar and oddly enough the "O" was the right vowel to pick, but If Marisol had chosen a "B" then that would've given her a fighting chance," @jacobwilson6192 suggested. 

"Remember that scene in "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" where Robin crashes Prince John's dinner party? That should give you some more insight as to what this answer was since the clues here weren't enough. Good effort, Marisol! Sorry you didn't win," @Garrison_the_Barbarian added.

Meanwhile, some empathized with the player, saying they couldn't get the answer either. "I had no clue with this one. I needed another consonant to be sure what one of the words was," @lunamelody2025 wrote.