'Wheel of Fortune' contestant laughs through easy bonus puzzle win, takes home over $64,000
Rich Rinaldi, a Pennsylvania native, excitedly announced on LinkedIn that he would be crossing an item off his bucket list by participating on 'Wheel of Fortune.' Little did the behavioral health executive know that he would not only advance to the Bonus Round but also end up winning a staggering amount by solving an easy puzzle. Rinaldi was up against Cherie Mohr from Henderson, Nevada, and Unnecia Gathright from Bolingbrook, Illinois. He started on a positive note by rightly guessing the first toss-up, “Cracking Open A Coconut,” which earned him $1,000. He was then allowed to spin the wheel but faced the "Lose a Turn" option. However, Rinaldi bounced back after solving the second toss-up, “Put Down The Phone,” and won $2,000.
Gathright was not so lucky and kept landing on “Bankrupt.” Rinaldi solved the puzzle – “Working on Vacation,” which added $1,150 to his savings and earned him a Wild Card. During the “Before and After” puzzle, Mohr's guess worked like a charm, and she landed on the $10,000 wedge. After correctly answering “Orange Chicken Little,” her total earnings reached a staggering $18,200. Gathright, who is a lieutenant at the Cook County Sheriff's Department, hit a breakthrough during the Prize Puzzle round, and she earned a decent $3,500. However, a major letter blunder landed her back at square one. Gathright wrongly guessed an “R” and went bankrupt again.
Meanwhile, it was raining prizes for Rinaldi. He correctly guessed “Gazing up at the clouds" and won a lavish trip to Aruba, and his earnings jumped to $14,365. He went on to solve all three toss-ups and ended up with $10,000. However, Gathright jumped back in the game by solving “Cooking with Gas” and walked away with $4,500. Mohr made an impressive $18,200, but Rinaldi stole the game after bringing his total to $24,365. He then advanced to the Bonus Round. Right before the big spin, he introduced his friend Hannah and his wife's cousin Danielle to host Ryan Seacrest. The father of two also explained that his wife was at home looking after their infant sons.
Rinaldi chose the 'Place' category, and the puzzle board gave him the standard letters “R, S, T, L, N, and E.” After which, he selected “B, G, H, O, and a D" with his Wild Card. The board read: “G_ _EBO.” Rinaldi couldn't control his excitement as he realized solving the puzzle was a piece of cake. He was about to give away the answer even before the timer went off, and Seacrest had to stop him. Rinaldi exclaimed, “Gazebo!” in the first instant and won a $40,000 cash prize, which brought his total to a staggering $64,365.
“Thanks, everyone, for the well wishes. It was an incredible experience being on the show. Everyone was so very kind, and I checked an item off my bucket list!” he commented under the now-viral YouTube video. "We're so glad you had fun! Congratulations on winning your Bonus Round!" the game page replied.