ATASCADERO – Rebecca Berg, Atascadero resident, appeared on the popular national game show Wheel of Fortune Wednesday night and wowed the competition by winning the game and taking home more than $67,000.
Berg, who works as an accountant, developed his love of puns at a young age while playing with his grandparents.
My grandparents would often watch it, and I would always go to their house and watch it with them, Berg said. My grandfather died when I was 17, so these are bittersweet memories of the good times I had with my grandparents.
After decades of sitting at home, Berg finally decided it was time to test and apply his knowledge. With the help of her husband Troy, she made a 20-second video and sent it in. Soon after, she was invited for a series of interviews and learned that she had won a place on the legendary Wheel of Fortune.
Once the lights came on, Berg hardly stopped and solved all but two of the puzzles in the show, which lasted 30 minutes.
Photo Credit:
2021Quadra Productions, Inc, photographer Carol Kalson. All rights reserved.
Wheel of Fortune begins quickly with two puzzles worth $1,000 each, and local Atascadero wasted no time in winning both. Hiding behind her bright smile and radiant personality, she gently began to destroy the competition.
After the first two puzzles, Berg was finally able to turn the wheel, and the next category was song lyrics. After a few turns, the puzzle began to pile up, but disaster struck when his turn ended up on a bankrupt corner, reducing his winnings to zero.
Actually, I knew the answer, Berg said. But you’ve only been on Wheel of Fortune once, so I wanted to keep spinning and guessing letters. I knew there were three and I wanted them so badly, but I ended up going bankrupt. I was immediately pissed, but at the same time, that’s why you play the game, it was a lot of fun.
In the next puzzle Berg makes another mistake, and then it’s all over for his two competitors. With growing confidence, Berg answered the final five puzzles and won a trip to Costa Rica and $67,350.
At the start of the triple draw, Berg counted his opponent Erica between $14,049 and $12,950.
I don’t like playing on the couch, but this was the best part of the evening.
Berg shone even more when the pressure was on him, answering each of the three broken puzzles before his opponents even had time to call. For the final round, his winnings were $22,350.
For the final round, he drew on his experience and all those nights spent with his grandparents, which earned him another $45,000.
In the bonus round, I knew it was a local company [category name], but I didn’t know the middle word. I just guessed my usual letters that I use when I play at home, and thankfully it worked.
Berg solved the final puzzle, which involved a local do-it-yourself store, and the festivities began as the bells and joyous cries of the game show world alerted everyone that the champion had been crowned.
It was such a surreal experience, she said. He stands next to Patt [Sajak] and wins. It was the fastest 30 minutes of my life.
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