Wheel of Fortuneis one of America’s most-lovedTV game shows. Since its premiere all the way back in 1975,Wheel of Fortunehas featured hundreds of contestants trying their luck and hoping that they walk home with the big prize. The show’s concept is simple:spin the giant wheel, solve a bunch of puzzles, and pray that luck is on your side.Over the years,Wheel of Fortunehas become an important part ofAmerican pop culture. Despite its simple format, the show’s appeal lies inthe suspense of it all. Each spin has the audience wondering and holding their breath as theyhope the wheel doesn’t land on ‘Bankrupt’ or ‘Lose a Turn.’
The contestants on the show are regular people who get theonce-in-a-lifetime chance to winextraordinary prizes that might just change their lives forever. While a lot of people on the show walk away with modest prizes, a select few have managed to hitmillion-dollar jackpots. But a win so big doesn’t come easy. For that, the contestants have to land onthe impossible million-dollar wedgeand go through a series of steps to ensure their win. Not a lot of people have managed to get through the challenge. But in May 2013,Autumn ErhardonWheel of FortuneSeason 30was the exception.
Autumn Erhard’s Win Was More Than Just Luck
For starters, Erhard’s win came during the show’s 30th season, which was a milestone in itself. While landing on the million-dollar wedge was Erhard’s stroke of luck, keeping it safe through the rest of the game wasa combination of strategy, taking chances, and making quick decisions.After Erhard had landed on the wedge, she needed to solve the main puzzle, avoid hitting ‘Bankrupt’, and then answer thebonus round puzzle. If she had failed to complete any of these challenges,she would have lost the million-dollar prize in a second.So, it’s safe to say that the stakes were incredibly high for her.
The one aspect of Erhard’s game that worked to her advantage washer acquisition of the Wild Card. InWheel of Fortune, the Wild Card allows a contestant to pick any extra consonant during the bonus round. While that might not sound like a big deal, it can sometimes be the answer to a tricky puzzle. However, the contestant is the judge of when to use the card for maximum impact — and that’s whenthe strategic element of the gamecomes in.
She Knew Exactly When To Use the Wild Card
After navigating successfully through the main rounds, Erhard entered the bonus round with her Wild Card. To win the million-dollar prize, she had tocorrectly guess a phrase inthe bonus puzzle. Now, this can often be the toughest part of the game, because bonus puzzles are meant to be short yet challenging. Erhard’s phrase was “Tough Workout.” She started the round with thestandard letters R, S, T, L, N, and E.But these obviously did not make the phrase immediately apparent to her.
That’s when her Wild Card came into play. Itallowed Erhard to choose an extra consonantthat completely changed the game. She picked H as her consonant and almost immediately, the answer became pretty obvious. Erhard then selected the word G, and at this point,she knew what the answer was.This goes to show that her strategic choices and careful gameplay worked out in her favor — and that’s what makesWheel of Fortuneso entertaining to watch. The contestants can rely on sheer luck, but at the end of the day, theirsmallest decisions can make all the difference.
The Million Dollar Prize Changed Erhard’s Life.
Autumn Erhard took $1,030,340 home,which marks the biggest win ever by a contestant on the show. Her win set a new bar for future contestants by showing that every spin onWheel of Fortunehas the potential to change someone’s life for the better — or worse! In an interview with ABC News right after her win, Erhard talked about her experience of winning over $1 million and shared thatshe was the second person in the show’s history to winthe big prize. The contestant added that she felt like she blacked out from excitement the minute she realized she had won. At the time, Erhard added that shewas going to use some of the money to pay for her weddingand save the rest for her future children.
A year after her win, she spoke withThe Hollywood Reporterand revealed that despite becoming a millionaire, she had still kept her job as an animal pharmaceutical sales representative. In her exact words:“As much as a million is, it still doesn’t last forever.”But she admitted that having all that money was life-changing, and she was trying to save up and grow as much of it as she could.
Wheel of FortuneSeason 42is airing every weeknight onABC. Episodes are also available to stream on Hulu.
