A recent episode of Wheel of Fortune left viewers in shock when a contestant froze during the high-pressure Bonus Round—with a potential \$1 million on the line.
Aired on May 13, the episode carried a special “Bragging Rights” theme, pitting three coworkers from the same pediatric medical office against one another. Representing Cypress, Texas, Sam Oh faced off against Houston colleagues Peter Jung and Daniel Park. With both professional pride and friendly rivalry on the line, the game turned both competitive and comedic.
Host Ryan Seacrest kept the mood light from the start. After discovering that Jung had once been Park’s pediatrician, Jung joked, “Still waiting for him to grow.” Seacrest fired back with a grin, “People say the same about me—careful now!”
As a playful side bet, the trio agreed that the two losers would have to wear homemade “Wheel of Misfortune” T-shirts—custom creations courtesy of Jung’s wife. Oh, brimming with confidence from the start, boldly declared he wouldn’t be wearing one—and he delivered on that promise.
Oh seized the early lead by nailing the second toss-up puzzle for \$2,000, then dominated the Jackpot Round by solving “Giving a Little Pep Talk,” adding another \$2,000 and scoring a vacation to Costa Rica. He kept the momentum going with a correct solve on “Surround Sound System,” pushing his total earnings to an impressive \$18,600.
Jung wasn’t far behind, though. He snagged the coveted \$1 million wedge and correctly solved the prize puzzle, “Macadamia Nut Cookies,” earning himself a trip to Maui and boosting his total to \$14,000. Park, while slower to gain traction, made a last-minute splash by solving the final puzzle, “This Girl Is On Fire,” and wrapped up the night with \$1,700.
By the end of regular gameplay, Sam Oh had surged ahead with \$28,050, edging out Peter Jung’s \$16,450 and securing his spot in the Bonus Round — with the coveted million-dollar envelope still in play.
The final category: “Phrase.” With his coworkers cheering him on — proudly wearing their “Wheel of Misfortune” T-shirts — Oh faced the puzzle board for a potentially life-changing moment.
But what began with high hopes quickly turned into an agonizing silence.
After receiving the standard letters “R, S, T, L, N, E,” Oh hesitated. When host Ryan Seacrest prompted him to choose three consonants and a vowel, Oh only managed a “C” before freezing up. Seacrest gently encouraged, “Take a guess,” and Oh eventually followed with “G, M, and O.”
The board revealed: O_T O_ _ _ C.
Oh tried, guessing “Out of…” but couldn’t land the final word. The correct answer? “Out of Whack.” The million-dollar dream slipped away in a moment of hesitation.
Inside the envelope? A hefty \$40,000 — gone in an instant. And the elusive \$1 million wedge? It had been tucked under the “M” in “America” all along.
Oh’s stumble marked the twelfth consecutive Bonus Round miss on Wheel of Fortune, and fans didn’t hold back their reactions.
“Sam took WAY too long to pick his letters,” one Reddit user commented. “I get that he was trying to be strategic, but it gave him an unfair advantage.”
Another chimed in: “I’m not surprised he missed it. The pressure from that million-dollar hype was intense.”
The moment sparked debate across fan forums, with some sympathizing with Oh’s nerves — and others questioning whether the rules need tightening for fairness during high-stakes rounds.
A YouTube commenter summed it up perfectly: “Twelve straight Bonus Round losses? That’s some serious misfortune.”
After the show, Sam Oh and his teammates chatted backstage with Maggie Sajak, proudly displaying their custom “Wheel of Misfortune” shirts — one of which featured a mock wedge labeled “Lose a Job.” Jung, the team’s boss, joked that his position was secure… but with Oh taking home the most money, they playfully suggested he might be the one with newfound leverage.
Though the million-dollar prize slipped through his fingers, Sam Oh still ended the night as the biggest winner — just not the biggest winner in Wheel of Fortune history.
