Originally debuting in 1975, Wheel of Fortune has become a fixture in American culture as one of the most consistently popular game shows. In 1983, Wheel of Fortune began airing in syndication in the format that it is now. Usually paired with Jeopardy in programming lineups, the two shows have remained the highest rated syndicated game shows on television. Amazingly, in 1983 when Wheel of Fortune came back to the air hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White began their run on the show and have been in those roles ever since. Wheel of Fortune features three contestants competing to solve word puzzles and take home money and prizes. The first round of Wheel of Fortune begins with a puzzle on the board that is randomly revealed until a contestant buzzes in to attempt to solve it. If they are successful they get to begin the game. If they aren’t, more letters are revealed until one of the other two players correctly solves the puzzle. After this toss up puzzle, the main version of the game begins. A puzzle with all letters covered is displayed and a category is given. A Wheel of Fortune contestant then spins a large 24 space wheel that has varying dollar values as well as spaces marked Bankrupt (where a player loses all the money they’ve accrued in that round and their turn), Lose a Turn (where a player retains the money they’ve gained so far but loses a turn), Free Spin (which can later be played if a player is incorrect in a letter guess or is mistaken in attempting to solve the puzzle), Wild Card (where a player can guess two letters on one turn), and spaces marked with various prizes or bonuses that change throughout the game. After landing on one of these spaces a Wheel of Fortune contestant guesses one of 19 consonants and however many are on the board are revealed. If the letter isn’t there the next player gets a chance to spin. If the contestant has $250 or higher they can elect to buy a vowel and receive no money for any received. A player can also elect to solve the puzzle which, if successful, ends the round and allows the player to keep all of the cash and prizes they’ve earned. Any cash or prizes earned by players that don’t solve the puzzle are forfeited. General Wheel of Fortune strategy usually sees several guesses of consonants and vowels until the solution to the puzzle begins to take shape and a player attempts to solve. There are typically 4-6 puzzles per game depending on how long it takes to solve it. At the end of the game, the player with the highest score keeps their money and gets to play the bonus round as well as return for the next day’s episode of Wheel of Fortune up to a maximum of 3 shows. The other two players receive $1,000. The Wheel of Fortune bonus round consists of one puzzle which the player has ten seconds to solve. They are given the letters R, S, T, L, N, and E. They are also permitted to guess three other consonants and one vowel. The final prize is determined by spinning a 24 piece wheel that has cash values from $25,000 to $100,000 or one of two cars. The all-time highest grossing Wheel of Fortune contestant was Mindi Mitola who won $146,254 in 1990.
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