'Wheel of Fortune' Player Wins Over $76,000
On Friday night at "Wheel of Fortune," a 23-year-old player proved that getting into the theme of the game could bring in victory as he took home $76,086 including two cruises.
While some of the audiences thought Robert Santoli was getting too busy answering as the other two contestants watched him win all puzzles save for one, he said he was just living in the moment.
In an interview with local online outlet TAPinto, Santoli shared his secret that led him to win $76,000 total in cash and prizes. "The instant I got my theme, I immediately came up with an ever-growing list of puzzles themed towards cruises, sailing, fish, boats -- anything on or in the water," he said.
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Host Pat Sajak was amazed at how Santoli quickly conquered the puzzles, specifically one puzzle where he immediately gave the answer after seeing just one letter: D. The answer was "Port & Starboard." Santoli told the newspaper that during a commercial break, Sajak asked him to take it slow and allow other players to answer.
Santoli then agreed that he hadn't been giving a chance to the other contestants so he allowed them to play. However, he ended up winning and answering the puzzles correctly.
Aside from doing his homework, the New York native has been watching the show for years and he knows that some of the puzzles can be repeated. As far as he can remember, "Port & Starboard" has been used twice before he joined the game.
Unlike some people winning the lottery or cash prizes in game shows, Santoli isn't using his loot all for pleasure. Instead, he is planning to pay off his student loans and after getting out of debt, he would like to either lease or buy his own car.
Friday's episode wasn't the first time Santoli tried to join the game show as he made it to the final audition when he was 19 years old but unfortunately wasn't able to get into the live show. He went on trying to audition in other cities but didn't get into any of them. This time, not only was he able to join the fun but he also took home loads of cash and trips to the sea.
