'Wheel of Fortune' contestant wins a car — moments after he accused Pat Sajak of distracting him
The player did lose everything that he had won but also get another shot and made a stunning recovery.
Feb. 15 2025, Published 12:46 p.m. ET
Pat Sajak was popular with fans of "Wheel Of Fortune" for most part of his decades as host of the show, but sometimes he was blamed for contestants losing out on big wins. During one episode, a player named Michael Bystrzycki complained that Sajak was distracting him, although he still went home with a hefty prize.
In the episode, Bystrzycki, a master electrician from Drummonds, Tennessee, was facing off against Sarah McCabe, a former English teacher from Mankato, and Lillian Devane, a self-described “word nerd” from Atlantic City. While solving a Crossword puzzle in the $2,000 Toss-Up round, the contestant had to guess four interconnected words all of which had fire as a first word. Bystrzycki had control of the wheel and it seemed like he was ready to solve the puzzle. However, he suddenly stepped back and chose to give the wheel another go. Unfortunately, he landed on the Bankrupt Wedge and lost everything he had won.
Luckily, the round didn't end as the other players couldn't solve the puzzle. Thus, when Bystrzycki got another turn, he correctly solved the puzzle as “Works, Wood, Department, and Pit," after landing on the special Jackpot Wedge. As he celebrated, Sajak asked him, “Which one were you shaky on the first time?” The player promptly said he wasn't shaky at all, and added, “I just looked at you instead of looking at the puzzle, and the words went out of my head. I was like, ‘Ah, he said spin, so I’m spinning. Let’s go.'”
Turns out, Sajak was too distracting for the player. The host threw up his arms and said, “It’s always my fault.” Recovering from bankruptcy, Bystrzycki went on to excel in the game. He went on to collect another Jackpot Wedge and solved a second puzzle correctly to become a double jackpot winner.
Bystrzycki proceeded to the Bonus Round with $21,910 in cash and a trip to the Avila Beach Hotel in Curaçao. He also had a Double Jackpot wedge, which could increase his winnings to $42,500 if he got the final puzzle right. Before the round began, the player introduced his father on stage to the host. Sajak had so much fun playing with Bystrzycki that he wished they could leave the game and go for a beer together.
For the Bonus Round, the master electrician selected the “Phrase” category. With the standard "R, S, T, L, N, and E" and his additional letters "C, D, M, and O" filled in, the Bonus Round gave him a puzzle that read “_ O C _ E _ _ O R _ O S _ T _ _ N.”
The Tennessee native once again looked confident with a charm in his eyes. As soon as the ten-second timer started, Bystrzycki quickly answered, “Jockey For Position." The answer turned out to be correct meaning the player had won an impressive $42,500.
To further sweeten the deal, Sajak revealed that the player had also won a brand new Infiniti QX50, from the golden envelope of the Bonus Round. Thus, he ended up with total winnings worth of $111,160.