'Wheel of Fortune' contestant pulls off a clever prank on viewers before walking away with $50,000

“Wheel of Fortune” has been on the air for decades now and generations have grown up watching it and aspiring to be a part of it someday. Fans who watch games on the show closely, also come up with strategies and hacks that they share on the internet or deploy when they reach the show. Contestants are given the letters R, S, T, L, and E and they then get to choose three consonants and one vowel more. Most people choose letters at the beginning or the middle of the alphabet. The likes of X, Y, and Z are rarely ever chosen. However, one contestant decided to take a chance with those, and it paid off for him.

The contestant was Brandon Shields, a former marine from Wilmington, Delaware according to a report in TV Insider. Before he chose his four letters, the puzzle read, “L____N_ __R __ _E_S.” It was probably the last word that gave it away to the army veteran as he picked the letters Y, K, F, and O. The puzzle then almost fully revealed itself as it read, “LOOK_N_ FOR _Y KEYS.”

It took Brandon less than 10 seconds to figure out that it was ‘Looking For My Keys.’ Even before he said it, the contestant glanced at host Ryan Seacrest who said, “Don’t look at me yet. Let me say what I’ve got to say.” The army veteran chuckled and guessed the correct answer. He won $50,000 and his family rushed to the stage to celebrate with him.

Fans on YouTube were also impressed and showered praises on him for the clever trick he pulled on them. “He picked letters you don't see often in the bonus round, and they all worked out. Well done,” a user called @kylemandarano615 commented. “Unusual letter picks that paid off...literally! Such a beautiful family,” quipped another user named @lnl3237. Apart from the $50,000, Brandon also won $22,400 in cash and a trip to St. Maarten.

The Bonus Round often leaves contestants stumped but sometimes, it’s as easy as it gets. This was seen in an earlier episode of the show when Pat Sajak was still the host. In this case, the contestant’s name was Kyle and things got even better for him as he had a wild card, allowing him to pick an additional consonant apart from the four. This immediately swung the game in his favor.

After the R, S, T, L, and E, Kyle picked B, D, C, A, and M. The puzzle pretty much fully revealed itself due to just one letter that would appear twice. Before he answered, it read, “BARBEC_E SA_CE.” There was a big smile on his face when Sajak said, “Oh stop, let me try to build a little tension here.” The host’s efforts were in vain as Kyle immediately answered, “Barbecue sauce.”

It was the correct answer and the contestant won a brand-new Ford Mustang Convertible. “Looks like he was dressed to win a Mustang,” a user named @khadiharamain pointed out in the comments on YouTube. “Imagine if he was allowed to choose U in the wildcard,” quipped another user named @julek2105.