A Wheel of Fortune episode aired on May 13 drew national attention when contestant Sam Oh nearly won $1 million—only to freeze in the critical Bonus Round. Themed “Bragging Rights,” the episode featured a trio of pediatric office coworkers: Sam Oh of Cypress, Texas, and Peter Jung and Daniel Park from Houston.
Host Ryan Seacrest opened with humor, learning that Jung was once Park’s pediatrician. Jung quipped, “Still waiting for him to grow,” prompting Seacrest to joke, “People say the same about me!” This lightheartedness set the tone for a fun, competitive episode.
Adding spice to the contest, the group made a side bet: the two losers would wear custom “Wheel of Misfortune” shirts, designed by Jung’s wife. Sam Oh, confident in his gameplay, said he wouldn’t need one—and it almost came true.
Sam led early on, correctly solving puzzles like “Giving a Little Pep Talk” and “Surround Sound System,” earning $28,050 and a trip to Costa Rica. Jung followed with $16,450 and a Maui vacation, while Park trailed with $1,700.
Thanks to his strong performance, Oh advanced to the Bonus Round, where he randomly picked the envelope that contained the $1 million grand prize—though he didn’t know it at the time. The category: Phrase.
After receiving the standard letters—R, S, T, L, N, E—Sam was asked for three consonants and one vowel. Visibly rattled, he slowly chose C, G, M, and O. Unfortunately, those letters weren’t enough to reveal the solution.
The puzzle read O_T O_ _ _ C. Sam guessed “Out of…” but was unable to finish. The correct answer? “Out of Whack.” When the envelope was opened, it revealed $40,000, not the million—but the card he had selected had indeed contained the grand prize.
Fans online reacted strongly. “Sam took way too long to pick his letters,” one Reddit user commented. Others empathized, noting, “That million-dollar pressure was real.”
After the show, the coworkers posed backstage in their custom shirts. One even read “Lose a Job.” Jung joked he was safe—though since Oh won the most, maybe he was the real target!
Though Sam Oh didn’t make history with a million-dollar win, he still walked away as the episode’s biggest winner—and left viewers with a memorable, emotional game night.
