WoF Recap: January 9, 2017

For the first time since S31, were doing V8 week.

EPISODE #6521: ALWAYS GREAT! WHEEL & V8

$1K Tossup: RHYME TIME

_ _ _ _ _ / W _ _ / _ O
_ T A _ _ / _ _ U R / _ _ Y

Leah realizes that V8 is a GREAT WAY TO START YOUR DAY. In order, the first players of the week…

Leah Keller: registered nurse at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Hospital who rides bicycles in raising cancer awareness from Hoboken, NJ

Chris Jackson (female): risk consultant, book author & aspiring comedienne married to Tim for 26 yrs. w/ 2 kids from Mitchellville, MD

Tom VanHaaren: sportswriter married to Laura w/ 3 young kids who played golf since he was age three from Oxford, MI

$2K Tossup: THING

F A V O R I T E
_ E C I _ E

Chris solves FAVORITE RECIPE.

WEEKLONG PRIZE WEDGE: $7,500 from V8 (the gift tag is from said sponsor)

Round 1: FUN & GAMES

She opens up w/ a $1,200 pair of N’s, five A’s, but then D for dud. Second, Tom wastes a turn w/ the BANKRUPT near big money. Third, Leah calls out two $600 T’s, E, a $550 R, and three $500 H’s. After she buys the last vowel of four I’s…

H I _ I N G / T H E
A _ _ A _ A _ H I A N
T R A I _

…she solves HIKING THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL for $2,750 and $3,750 overall.

SOLE DUD: D (Chris)
INSTA-BANKRUPT: Tom

Crossword/Mystery Round: PIECE OF CAKE

Tom instantly duds out w/ T while on the MW near $650. Second, Leah selects a $700 S and an N while on the other MW before risking the 7 Benjamins…sorry. Third in line, Chris picks a $650 L, an A, a FP E, a $700 C, two I’s, three $650 G’s, and an unnecessary purchase of the last vowel of U. We have…

_				E
I	C	I	N	G
L				G
_				S	U	G	A	_

Sadly, she doesn’t know the first down word. Tom follows w/ a $500 M but then the same BANKRUPT. Leah then SPINGLES for the $600 K…

M				E
I	C	I	N	G
L				G
K				S	U	G	A	_

…she solves MILK, ICING, EGGS, SUGAR for a $400 bonus and is now at $4,750.

INSTA-DUD: T (Tom)
BANKRUPTS: 2 (Leah & Tom)
SOLE DQ: Chris’ time-over 

Leah: $4,750/Chris: $2K/Tom: NOTHING

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PP/Express Round: PHRASE

Leah hits the MDW’s right side instantaneously. Second for Chris are a $650 N, three A’s, but then the N recall. Third in Tom’s direction are a $1,200 pair of R’s, two E’s, but then the LaT. Leah tries again w/ an $1,800 T pair, two O’s and I’s to clean out the vowels, but the same MDW BANKRUPT nails her again to the tune of $1,300. Chris then picks up the 1/2 CAR w/ an F, only to lose that and the $900 right back to the same MDW BANKRUPT. Tom then FPs a pair of S’s…

T _ I S / _ A _ _ S / F O R
A / _ E _ E _ R A T I O N

THIS CALLS FOR A CELEBRATION — he’s finally on the board w/ $1,950 and a trip to the Las Brisas IXTAPA worth $7,870.

SOLE LaT: Tom
BANKRUPTS: 3 (Leah 2x, Chris)
SOLE DQ: Chris’ N repeat

Leah: $4,750/Chris: $2K/Tom: $9,820 cash & trip

---

$3K Tossup: AROUND THE HOUSE

F _ _ _ L Y
P _ _ _ _ _ R _ _ _ S

Leah blows it right away w/ FLUFFY.

F _ _ _ L Y
P _ _ _ _ _ R _ P _ S

Tom blanks out.

F _ M I L Y
P _ O T _ G R A P _ S

Chris finally gets FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS.

Speed-Up: EVENT

$1,600 per consonant in this low-scoring affair.

Chris: 2 N’s
Tom: G
Leah: S (DUD)
Chris: 3 M’s
Tom: T

_ M _ _ _ N G
M _ M _ N T

I wouldn’t exactly say this is an AMAZING MOMENT, but Tom solves for $3,200 and the win.

SOLE DUD: S (Leah)

FINAL SCORES
Leah: $4,750/Chris: $5K/Tom: $13,020 cash & trip

GT: $22,770
BANKRUPT TRASH (excl. plate): $3,400

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$100K Bonus Round

The next car in play is a ’17 Nissan JUKE. Tom lands on the S in SPIN.

Category: THING

Stingy RSTLNE help…

_ _ N _ _
_ _ _ _ E _ _ _ _

DGPA is good for…

_ A N D _
G _ _ D E _ _ _ _

Too bad I can’t give him a HANDY GUIDEBOOK to solve puzzles like this one, because he’s stuck w/ CANDY and he loses the $40K.

SWEEPSTAKES PUZZLE #1: ARRIVING EARLY

Everybody in the audience took home a bottle of V8.

MY RATING: 4