Player Loses Out On $1M Over This Tough ‘Wheel of Fortune’
A recent Wheel of Fortune episode on May 13 shocked fans when contestant Sam Oh froze during the high-stakes Bonus Round, with a potential $1 million prize on the table. Themed “Bragging Rights,” the episode featured three coworkers from a pediatric office: Sam Oh from Cypress, Texas, and Peter Jung and Daniel Park from Houston. With history and workplace pride at stake, things got personal—and funny.
Host Ryan Seacrest opened with a joke after learning Jung had once been Park’s pediatrician. “Still waiting for him to grow,” Jung quipped. Seacrest replied, “People say the same about me!”
As a side bet, the two losers had to wear custom “Wheel of Misfortune” T-shirts designed by Jung’s wife. Oh was confident he wouldn’t be wearing one—and nearly proved it.
He quickly took the lead, solving “Giving a Little Pep Talk” and “Surround Sound System,” winning $28,050 and a trip to Costa Rica. Jung wasn’t far behind with $16,450 and a Maui vacation, while Park finished with $1,700.
The Bonus Round Breakdown
With the lead, Oh advanced to the Bonus Round—and picked the envelope containing the $1 million prize.
The category was “Phrase.” After getting the standard letters “R, S, T, L, N, E,” Oh froze when asked for three consonants and a vowel. He eventually chose C, G, M, and O, but it wasn’t enough.
The puzzle: O_T O_ _ _ C
His guess: “Out of…”
Correct answer: “Out of Whack.”
Inside the envelope? $40,000.
The $1 million card? Sitting on the “M” in “America.”
This marked the twelfth Bonus Round loss in a row, sparking comments online:
“Sam took way too long to pick his letters,” said one Redditor.
“That million-dollar pressure was real,” another added.
After the show, the three coworkers laughed backstage wearing their custom shirts. One shirt even read “Lose a Job.” Jung joked he was safe—but since Oh won the most money, maybe he’d be the one in trouble!
Though he didn’t walk away a millionaire, Sam Oh was still the night’s biggest winner—just not in show history.