'Wheel of Fortune' contestant says he was 'due for some luck' — then he walked away with $60,000

“Wheel of Fortune” requires contestants to have some puzzle-solving skills, but, at the same time, they also need a lot of luck on their side. Many contestants reach the bonus round of the game with high expectations but end up losing out at the last moment. But things turned out differently for a contestant, who ironically claimed that he never got lucky and was hoping things would finally work out for him on the show.

The player named Travis stood out because of his height as he towered over Ryan Seacrest. “Travis just said to me, 'I never get lucky. I guess I’m due.' Well, you are, and congratulations - over $20,000. Time to spin the wheel,” the host said before starting the game. The wheel stopped on the ‘S,’ and it was time to bring up the puzzle. The contestant chose the ‘Phrases’ category and was given R, S, T, L, N, and E.

After these letters were revealed, the puzzle read, “___N T_ T_E __RE.” The contestant now had the option of choosing any three consonants and one vowel. Travis chose the letters H, C, M, and O. After those were added, the puzzle opened up a bit more and now read, “_O_N TO THE __RE.” This seemed like a very solvable puzzle, but the contestant was having a bit of trouble early on.

With only 10 seconds on the clock, the contestant needed some quick thinking, and it did not start well for him, as he first had to talk it out. As the clock was ticking, it seemed like luck would run out with time. However, with just one second remaining on the clock, the contestant said, “Down to the wire.” That was the correct answer, and he walked away with $60,000 after winning another $40,000.

Solving the Bonus Round puzzle with only a few seconds left is an incredible feat and is rare as well. Another contestant who won a game big by solving a puzzle in the nick of time was a woman named Amanda. She played the game back when Pat Sajak was the host. She was also provided R, S, T, L, N, and E at the beginning of the round.

After those numbers were revealed, her puzzle read, “___E____N_ __R__E.” She then had the chance to pick three consonants and one vowel. Amanda decided to go with C, P, M, and A. After those letters were revealed, the puzzle read, “__MEC_M_N_ PARA_E.” She now had 10 seconds on the board to get it right and win big.

She also had to talk it out at first, and one of the things she said was, “Welcoming parade.” That, however, was not the correct answer. With just a few seconds remaining on the clock, the contestant said, “Homecoming parade,” which was the correct answer. Thanks to this response just in time, Amanda ended up winning $45,000, getting her total to a whopping $85,550.