Rules of Wheel of Fortune
The main aim of the game is to solve the word puzzle and gain more money than all the other players. The game is played with a special wheel with 24 segments that determine the value of the called letters. Before the show is taped, players draw special colored strips that stand for their positions by the wheel.
Each game starts with a host naming a category of the puzzle, which can be anything from a Thing to Novelty categories.
Players spin the wheel one by one naming the letters to guess the puzzle. In case some player thinks he knows the word he may use the Toss up and buzz in at any time in the game to solve it. In case the guess is correct he goes on to the next round and gets a prize being $1000 for the first round and $2000 for the second. In addition, the second Toss up gives a player the right to start round 1. The player to his/her left starts Round 2 and the last player starts the 3rd Round. In case the Toss-up has not been won by any contestants, or if all the letters have been revealed without a Toss-up, no cash is won.
Wheel
lots of games all over the world.
The wheel has 24 segments with different cash values, prizes, penalties and others.
Players spin the wheel and depending on the type of the segment they are either paid and get the right to name the letter or get a penalty. If the segment is not a penalty one, the player can name one consonant. If the guess is correct, the prize according to the segment is paid. In case the guess was wrong, the next player takes the turn.
Segments:
Cash – in case the guess is correct, the player gets the amount of cash written on the segment times the number of times that letter is in the puzzle.
Prizes and Gifts – In order to get the prize, if the segment indicates it, the player has to guess a consonant. Usually the prize is added to the wheel at the start of Round 1 and taken away is no one has won it before Round 4 starts. The cash value of prizes and gift tags is announced in the beginning of the game.
Free Play – this sector allows the player to name a free vowel or to buy a consonant for $500. In case the player is wrong, no penalty is used and player resumes his turn.
Wild card – wild card can be used in two different ways. The first way is to call a second consonant for the same value as the segment he is on. The second way is to use it in the bonus round to call an extra consonant, if he of course makes it to the bonus round.
Million Dollar Wedge – this is a special wedge placed on the wheel for the first three rounds. This wedge is usually surrounded with two bankrupt wedges on both sides. If not won during first three rounds, it is removed from the table after the third round. In case the player claims this wedge, he has to avoid Bankrupt till the end of the game, win the round and finish as the game champion this wedge will be placed on the bonus wheel instead of the $100,00 envelope.
Bankrupt – (black) special segment that costs the player all the money and prizes won in that round, the Wild card and the Million Dollar Wedge. There is one Bankrupt segment in the 1st round, and 2 in the 2nd and 3rd.
Lose a Turn – (white) this segment costs a player his turn only. This segment remains on the wheel for the whole game.
Jackpot Wedge – appears in the Round 2 and gives a player a chance to win the progressive jackpot. This jackpot starts with $5000 and is accumulated during the game by all the money prizes won in the game. In case the player claims this wedge, and guesses the correct consonant, he may try to win the jackpot by solving the puzzle.
Mystery Wedges – 2 special wedges that appear in the 3rd Round. This wedge is marked with a question mark and may either give the player a $1000 cash prize or if he decides to turn it over either a $10,000 cash prize (in the first versions it was an economy car) or a Bankrupt. In case one wedge has already been turned over the second one remains in the round and stands for a $1000 prize only.
Vowels
You have probably noticed, that players that do not get a penalty on spinning the wheel have the chance to name a consonant. Vowels may be bought for extra cash. The cost of a vowel is usually $250 and if the player is wrong the money is still taken from the account. Players are allowed to buy several vowels at once if they wish. If the word does not contain any more vowels, the host will tell the players about it and vice versa, if the word has only vowels left, the players will be offered to buy them.
Solving the Puzzle
but there will be many others
Players that try to solve the puzzle may do this at his/her turn after buying a vowel or naming a letter. Incorrect guess costs player’s turn. The player that solves the puzzle is the only one who keeps all the money won at this round. If the money amount is less than $1000, it is increased to the minimum game amount of $1000.
When the player wins the round he may be offered to take the Bonus solution. This solution is a question associated with the puzzle itself and if the player solves it he gets extra $3000. The game may involve a Prize Puzzle that awards the winner a trip.
There is an extra prize called a SPIN ID. This is a prize that may be granted to one of the non-players of the "Wheel Watchers Club". The viewers that have signed up at the game website receive a "Special Prize Identification Number" (S.P.I.N.). The number is revealed in the game and the viewer with the exact same number has exactly 24 hours to claim for it at the website. The prize may be cash or a car won by the player in the studio. In case the winner has a Sony card, he will be granted extra $50,000.
Final Spin
The final spin also called a Speed up round is played if the game is running short and has no more extra time. At some point at the game a bell rings to indicate this and hosts announces that this is a final spin of the wheel. From this point the consonants are worth $1000 and vowels are free. The players name letters one by one and if the guess is correct, the player has 3 seconds to guess the word.
The end
The player with the most cash and prizes wins the game and goes on to the bonus round. All players that won nothing receive a consolation prize of $1,000. In case of a tie, the players play a 4th Toss-up that has no cash value and is used only to find the player who proceeds to the bonus round.
Bonus Rounds
The top winner of the whole game gets to spin the Bonus wheel. Each segment of the wheel this time has an envelope with a prize or cash check in it. Player is told the category of the puzzle and such letters as R, S, T, L, N and E are revealed. Player gets to open 3 more consonants and 1 vowel. After this he has 5 seconds to solve the puzzle and reveal the prize.
Special games
Some shows may be for two-player teams, when all the basic wins (as consolation prize or a car) are doubled and players play in the team of two but as one player.
Another type of a special game is the one with celebrities as guests. If contestants win- they take the money and prizes, but is the celebrity wins – he/she donates the money to charity.