Over the years, Wheel of Fortune has showcased some impressive players, but the ones that take the cake are often the players who do the near impossible. Wheel of Fortune is one of the longest running game shows in the U.S. The series first premiered in 1975 and the popular nighttime version fans have come to love in the present day premiered in 1983. The show has 42 seasons and has welcomed well over 20,000 contestants throughout the years. The concept of Wheel of Fortune is simple.
Similar to the iconic game of Hangman, players are given a set of words or a phrase along with a category. Contestants spin the wheel for a monetary amount and can guess letters for that amount they landed on. The goal is to reveal as many letters as possible, so players can make a confident guess to solve the puzzle. Over the many seasons of Wheel of Fortune, some contestants have shocked fans and the hosts, Pat Sajak and Vanna White, with some of their impressive solves. But the contestants who took the show up a notch were able to solve some of these puzzles with only one letter.
Several 'Wheel of Fortune' Contestants Solved One-Letter Puzzles
Over the years, quite a handful of Wheel of Fortune contestants have done the near impossible: solving a phrase with only one letter on the board. Guessing the phrases on the popular game show has proven to be a difficult task over the years. Even with puzzles missing only one letter, sometimes players struggle to complete the game. However, a handful of contestants were able to solve mystery puzzles with minimal guesses. For example, about four years ago, Wheel of Fortune contestant Mark was able to answer the phrase "I'm having a ball" with only the "G" available.
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Additionally, about 10 years ago, Rufus blew fans away with his guess of "Championship Match" with only the "T" available in the events' category. Another contestant with an impressive one letter solve was Matt. Under the character category and with only the "E" available, he successfully guessed "The Lone Ranger." While it's not completely impossible, it is pretty rare, and the stars have certainly made their mark on history.
'Wheel of Fortune' Contestants Mystified Pat Sajak
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The magnificent manner in which these players solved their puzzles wasn't the only mind-blowing factor. Some contestants went above and beyond to prepare for these challenges. For example, earlier this year, contestant Tom Stadnicki chose one letter, which was "S." The category was "On the Map" and after the letter was revealed, Tom successfully guessed "Glacier Bay Alaska." The host, Pat, was equally mystified by the contestants' success. After Tom successfully guessed the riddle, Pat asked him who he managed the impressive solve to which he replied that he reviewed "lots of maps" to prepare for the show in advance.
Another impressive solve consisted of a much longer phrase. While most of the other players solved a simpler 2 or 3 word puzzle, Caitlin solved a 7-word game. The category was "Phrase" and the first spinner guessed the letter "R" with no success. Cailtin then spun the wheel and guessed "L." There was a noticeable, deafening silence as she asked to solve the puzzle. No one, including Pat, seemed to have confidence in her, but as she said, she had a "good feeling about it." She later explained that after seeing the first word with an apostrophe she assumed the phrase started with "I've" and was able to deduce from there.
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In the end, Wheel of Fortune fans have seen many impressive solutions over the years. The game show has been on air since 1975 and many contestants have made their mark on the series. However, the show has also seen many incredible fails as sometimes, even with most letters revealed, contestants still can't seem to guess the correct terms. As a result, these solutions are that much more impressive. With fans at home often struggling to guess alongside the contestants and along with the players struggling within the game, it's entertaining and mindblowing to watch some of these players set themselves apart from the rest.
Wheel of Fortune Season 42 airs weeknights on ABC. Episodes are also available to stream on YouTube TV in the U.S.
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Wheel of Fortune
TV-G
Game Show
Family
Release Date September 19, 1983
Cast Pat Sajak , Vanna White , Bob Goen , Chuck Woolery , Charlie O'Donnell , Don Pardo
Main Genre Game Show
Seasons 41
Creator(s) Merv Griffin
Watch on Youtube