How To Win On "Wheel Of Fortune"
"Wheel" is the ultimate play-along, scream-out-the-answer game show. Check out these tips, and if Wheelmobile comes your way, you'll be ready to hitch a ride.
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Step 1:
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Know Your ETA's
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The most common letters in the English language, in order, are: E, T, A, O, I, N, S, H, R, D, L, and U. You can remember these letters by joining them together into the acronym "Etaoin Shrdlu" (EE-tay-oh-in SHERD-loo), a type-testing word from the days of linotype machines. Then, take it a step further. Study letter combinations and word frequency to give yourself an edge in solving the puzzle.
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Step 2:
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Spin The Wheel
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Contestants agree that the wheel is much heavier than they expected. So put some muscle into it when it's your turn. But if the contestant before you hits Bankrupt or Lose-A-Turn, try a weak spin to avoid going back around and repeating their bad luck.
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Step 3:
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Use The Category As A Clue
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The word "By" usually appears in the categories, SONG/ARTIST, ROCK ON and TITLE/AUTHOR. So call the B and Y early on. Also, in the STAR & ROLE category, you'll probably find the word "As"- so call an "S" or buy an "A".
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Step 4:
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Q & A
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If you see a puzzle containing a question mark, there's a good chance that it contains one of the words in the old journalist's credo: WHO; WHAT; WHEN; WHERE; WHY; and HOW. For these puzzles, call a W and an H before anything else.
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Step 5:
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Slow Down
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But before you solve the puzzle, think about spinning again. True, you risk going bankrupt, but if you don't have much cash in your kitty, it could be worth it. And if you know there are multiple occurrences of a letter in a puzzle, call it when you've landed on a high dollar amount: say, 500 or more, since you get paid for each occurrence.
