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' player gets rare second shot at big win after producers realized their mistake

The player also posted on Instagram to express gratitude for the opportunity.
PUBLISHED JUL 20, 2025
The puzzle that the player solved to win his trip (Cover image source: Instagram | David Avelsgard)
The puzzle that the player solved to win his trip (Cover image source: Instagram | David Avelsgard)

"Wheel of Fortune" fans are often outraged about players losing out on big prizes due to blunders by the host. But very rarely does it happen that a contestant gets another shot at the prize after the show's producers realize their mistake. A player named David Avelsgard came in second and walked away with $14,000 cash and a luxurious trip to Mexico during his appearance on the show. However, he was later told that he was entitled to a more expensive trip to Antigua. The show's producers had goofed up, and since the episode was already taped, they couldn't make the changes.



 

According to Newsweek, a former player named Rob (@WheelRob10) explained what exactly transpired on X. "From what I have heard, the 'scoring error' on David's first episode was that he was accidentally awarded the wrong Prize Puzzle trip, and the value of the trip he should have won might have been enough for him to win, since he had placed a close second. The trip he was awarded on screen was a $7,350 trip to Mexico, which was the exact same trip that was awarded on the very next episode. This wasn't realized until after the episode had already taped," he revealed in a series of tweets.



 

Rob further added, "Note that Prize Puzzle trips start at $7,000, so it's very likely the intended trip, whatever it was, was worth more. Half the time, they're over $10K now. I heard that the trip he was awarded in the studio was Antigua, 'An-Tee-Gah,' north of 9k, and they edited in the Mexico trip in post production when they realized the error. I believe they dubbed in "Mexico" as they panned away from Pat, the camera was on David. So, I think they credited David the Mexico trip money of just over 7k, but they read Antigua in the studio, and stated it was approx $9400."


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by David Avelsgard (@david_avelsgard024)


 

Avelsgard missed the Bonus Round by $550 due to the mixup. A Reddit user @RAS310 further claimed that, "I've been exchanging DM's with David himself on Instagram. On his first episode (which, coincidentally, reran just nine days ago), they did say he won a trip to Mexico worth $7,350, and it was added to his score correctly. The show found out about the mistake about a month after the episode was taped, but still before it aired. They called him, explained the mistake (they did say how much the Antigua trip was worth, but he forgot how much), and told him they would give him a choice of taking the Mexico trip or Antigua trip (he chose Mexico) and that he would be invited back in the future." 


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by David Avelsgard (@david_avelsgard024)


 

During his second chance, the contestant took home $7,650, and he later posted a message of gratitude on Instagram, thanking the game show and the hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White for making his childhood dream come true. "I’m very fortunate and grateful to have had the opportunity to experience something like this twice!"

More on Market Realist:

'Wheel of Fortune' viewers noticed an Army vet lose on purpose — then Pat Sajak realised why

'Wheel of Fortune' contestant loses $100,000. Then, Pat Sajak got called out for how he reacted to it

Pat Sajak walked off stage after 'Wheel of Fortune' players pull off an impossible feat: "I'm out..."

RELATED TOPICS WHEEL OF FORTUNE
MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The pawn shop owner made a deal with the seller that he'd pay more if the gun worked.
19 hours ago
Amber Lancaster handled the situation gracefully, and even congratulated the player on his impressive win.
21 hours ago
The contestant, Diane, gave a couple of cheeky answers that caught Steve Harvey off guard.
1 day ago
The guest was expecting $22,000 for a Led Zeppelin album that was signed by all four members.
1 day ago
Fans shared their excitement for the upcoming season, with many hoping to see another million-dollar winner.
1 day ago
The host noted that contestant was already a crowd favorite, and his kind gesture made Josh feel like a star.
1 day ago
The item’s uniqueness kept Rick Harrison from making an offer, as there was no reference point for its value.
2 days ago
The entrepreneur 's business was immensely profitable which made her a confident negotiator.
2 days ago
The host did not hold back on his roast, but the contestant took it all in good humor.
2 days ago
The company made sure that pets were well-dressed and taken care of on the owner's wedding day.
3 days ago
The player, Leslie, decided to trust her gut instead of listening to the audience,and it really paid off.
3 days ago
The company had more than $18 million in sales in just the 12 months ahead of taping.
3 days ago
The pawn shop owner did not expect the grinder to be worth so much money.
4 days ago
The host of the show loved the answer and did not hold back on expressing his feelings.
4 days ago
The guest got a lot more than he hoped for after the expert authenticated the item.
4 days ago
Mark Cuban wanted to take over his entire business and made a generous offer, but Pizza Pack founder Tate Koenig wasn't interested.
5 days ago
The host had a hard time finding a response as he remained speechless for several seconds.
5 days ago
Applicants who are 18 and above can take up more than one test every 12 months, but they cannot leave a test incomplete.
5 days ago
After a tough pitch and some criticism, Sheets Laundry Club founders Chris Videau and Chris Campbell managed to bag a deal.
6 days ago
It was a witty answer, but the respondents of the survey didn't think that way.
6 days ago