ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

'Wheel of Fortune' fans point out that a tricky puzzle worth $55k was used on the show twice before

"Puzzle used twice in September 2006 and October 2001, and both not solved for $25K," a fan reacted.
UPDATED DEC 16, 2025
Vanna White and contestant Veronica Yano on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)
Vanna White and contestant Veronica Yano on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

"Wheel of Fortune" fans keep a close eye on puzzles, and often blame tough ones for disappointing losses. They also have a sharp memory, and they proved it by spotting a tricky puzzle repeated during the Bonus Round. Contestant Veronica Yano made an unusual request for the "Places" category, and what she received on the giant puzzle board kept her guessing until the very end. She had racked up a $21,999 cash prize and a luxurious trip to Norway before entering the grand prize round. But what she didn't expect was the mind-numbing two-word riddle.

Wheel
Ryan Seacrest and contestant Veronica Yano on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube| Wheel of Fortune) 

Yano started with a bang by winning after guessing the phrase "Can you keep a secret?" during the Toss-Up 1 round. She won $1,000 and added another $1,000 after solving "Still in their prime rib" during the Mystery Round. She then entered the Prize Puzzle round and solved "Oh, the places you'll go" and won a trip to Norway worth $7,699, in addition to her cash winnings. She continued her winning streak by adding a double $4,000 after solving Triple Toss Up puzzles, "From head to toe" and "Mistletoe" respectively. She clinched the Bonus Round spot after successfully solving the Final Spin (What Time Is It?) "In the blink of an eye" with a total earnings of $21,999. 

Wheel
Vanna White and contestant Veronica Yano on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune) 

Unfortunately, Yano couldn't introduce any family member as per the tradition of the game show. She told host Ryan Seacrest that her husband had ditched her to go sightseeing instead. "He's actually seeing all the rock n roll bars, and he went to see the whiskey. Go, go. So he's not here," she disclosed to an amused Seacrest. "He chose sightseeing over coming to Wheel of Fortune," Seacrest reacted in disbelief. Later, Yano chose "Places" as the category and received the standard letters R, S, T, L, N, E. She then added H, M, D, and O to solve the puzzle. The puzzle board showed T, H, E, _, _, _, R, _,_,_. At first, it looked simple, but Yano couldn't think of any option while trying to guess it. 

Wheel
Vanna White and contestant Veronica Yano on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

Yano was thoroughly disappointed when Vanna White revealed the answer as "The Fairway" right when the ten-second buzzer ended. Yano lost $55,000 bonus but walked away with a vacation and $21,999 cash. Fans lamented another Bonus Round and cried foul over the use of a tough puzzle. "Puzzle used twice in September 2006 and October 2001, and both not solved for $25K," @sammylerman7136 pointed out. "How do they keep picking tough puzzles for bonus round losses?!" @AK-oo5cj chimed in. 

Wheel
Ryan Seacrest and contestant Veronica Yano on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube| Wheel of Fortune)

"That was a tough puzzle for Veronica $55,000 lose," @elijahjohnsaladaga008 complained. "So goofy to call the H. Pretty sure 99.9 percent of us knew what the first word was going to be," @loveforeignaccents commented, referring to Yano's wrong choice of letters. 

You can watch the nerve-wracking moment here

More on Market Realist:

Ryan Seacrest asks 'Wheel of Fortune' player 'how did you do that' after her incredible puzzle solve

'Wheel of Fortune' host Ryan Seacrest checks for earpiece after contestant pulls off impossible feat

Pat Sajak ‘robs’ Wheel of Fortune players on his final episode. He had something better for them

RELATED TOPICS WHEEL OF FORTUNE
MORE ON MARKET REALIST
While the ownership rate rebounded after years of decline, millennials still feel cost is a hurdle.
17 hours ago
TrumpRx costs may be as much as 80% less than normal listings, though actual savings may differ.
22 hours ago
The Amazon boss laid off a third of The Washington Post employees, including reporters on duty.
22 hours ago
Members are now required to scan their membership cards simply to get inside a Costco store.
22 hours ago
Natalie's younger daughter Bailey couldn't hold back her tears after her mother won a grand total of $63,990.
1 day ago
It seemed at one point that the contestant might have missed her chance to win big.
1 day ago
The FDA recently slapped a Class-II warning label on the product, which was sold by the thousands.
1 day ago
The city's law dictates that all businesses using such surveillance tech must make it public.
1 day ago
"I mean, if he came in and said, 'I want to raise them' ... he would not have gotten the job," Trump emphasized on Warsh's role.
1 day ago
He also claimed that such billionaires pay their taxes and give their wealth back to the community.
1 day ago
"Best sliced aged white cheddar in the market that’s farmer-owned and uses zero hormones, zero RBSt, and zero GMO in dairy," a user wrote.
2 days ago
Griffin expressed unease over alleged favoritism, saying that CEOs find it repulsive that the government interacts with corporate America.
2 days ago
"Daniel solved the "bear hug" and continued hugging people, even hugging a car! He was a spectacular sight today," a fan reacted.
2 days ago
While the official website says contributions could grow over $1 million, the details are unclear.
2 days ago
Fans of the show loved what Jennings had discovered and made their feelings known.
2 days ago
The contestant took the advice of her man, who was in the studio audience.
2 days ago
Under this scheme, home buyers will have three years to pay the down payment.
2 days ago
The labeling error meant that the bottles did not show a lot number and expiration date.
2 days ago
The achievement puts the retailer in a list dominated by tech companies.
2 days ago
Sankar pointed out that there an incredible amount of fear around the AI boom.
2 days ago