He’s going to Barbados: Derby man wins big on ‘Wheel of Fortune’

Viewers of “Wheel of Fortune” on Thursday were greeted by a unique sight at the end of the show – a sign-off with Vanna White and Bob Stuhlsatz.

Stuhlsatz, a Derby resident, made for an apt replacement for Pat Sajak in the show’s final moments as he walked away with more than $23,000 in cash and prizes.

After taxes, he’ll probably take home about $11,000 in cash, he said – still not bad for being a casual “Wheel” watcher who hit a stroke of luck in being selected for the show.

“I was a teeny bit nervous at the very start, but then once I started doing the puzzles, then I was just completely relaxed and comfortable,” said Stuhlsatz, 59.

Stuhlsatz’s daughter is a “Wheel of Fortune” fan, so when the Wheelmobile – a roving version of the popular game show that serves as an audition for potential players – came to the Kansas Star Casino in May, his daughter talked him into tagging along, he said.

Little did he know that trip would result in him being invited to Los Angeles to be a contestant on “Wheel of Fortune.”

There’s probably a bit of jealousy at play from his daughter, too – Stuhlsatz admits he is just a casual watcher of the show, not a diehard fan like his daughter.

“It’s a great show, but I’m not a faithful watcher,” he said.

There was an amusing moment during the show when Stuhlsatz was playing a special game, “Free Play,” and he appeared to blank on the rules.

Sajak asked him on air “Have you ever watched this show?” Stuhlsatz recalls with a chuckle.

Stuhlsatz replied, “Yeah, but I get easily confused,” as Sajak shook his head.

But it was Stuhlsatz who got the last laugh – he solved a prize puzzle to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Barbados valued at $6,000. He said he has to take that trip between four and 10 months after the show’s air date and not during peak season, so he’s still trying to figure out when he can use his vacation.

Prepping for the show

Being only a casual viewer of the show, Stuhlsatz – an accounting professor at Friends University and Butler Community College – needed some help from his children to get ready for the show.

“We watched it when it came on TV or taped it if we missed it, but we also practiced it on my son’s” PlayStation 3 video game, Stuhlsatz said. “My daughter tried to drill the rules into me – all the different things, the different side games and deals they have on the Wheel.”

He flew out to Los Angeles with his wife and was one of many contestants to film on Jan. 6 – six episodes of “Wheel of Fortune” were filmed in the same day, he said.

“The interaction with all the other contestants – we all just seemed like normal people from the neighborhood – everybody got along real well,” Stuhlsatz said. “Vanna (White) came in midmorning and talked to us. She was very personable. I never did get an opportunity to visit with Pat (Sajak), though on the set they were very friendly.”

Stuhlsatz is one of a few recent “Wheel of Fortune” contestants who made it through auditioning at the Kansas Star Casino.

When he was watching the TV show in December, he said, he noticed there were contestants from Wichita and Hutchinson, so it’s likely they also auditioned in May at the casino.

This story was originally published February 2, 2017 at 7:01 PM with the headline "He’s going to Barbados: Derby man wins big on ‘Wheel of Fortune’."