BREEZY POINT — More oomph and one more click.
That’s what Sandy Brown said she needed to avoid landing on a “bankrupt” slot after spinning the wheel on the television game show “Wheel of Fortune.”
Even so, the Breezy Point woman won $12,000 when she was on a show recorded in March in California.
I was happy for third place. It’s very different when you’re under pressure and you have cameras on you.
Brown previously shared her story of how she became a contestant on her favorite game show, but she wasn’t able to reveal how she did before the episode aired.
That happened Thursday, May 18, and those who watched saw Brown successfully solve several puzzles and interact with her fellow two contestants and game show host Pat Sajak.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I was happy for third place,” Brown said. “It’s very different when you’re under pressure and you have cameras on you.
“That bankrupt is what did me in. And it was one click away (from not landing there),” she said, noting the other two contestants’ spins never ended on a “bankrupt” or “lose a turn” slot.
My No. 1 goal was to get up there and not embarrass myself. If I had to do it over again, I’d spin the wheel harder to get out of that bankrupt.
She said Sajak told contestants gathered at Sony Studios that that’s why the game is called “Wheel of Fortune” — lots of luck is involved.
Brown was pleased when Sajak shook her hand at the end of the show and told her to say hi to her parents, whom she'd said were the reason she auditioned to be on the show. They've always watched the show together.
We all worked real hard to get to that show, so you can’t begrudge anyone for doing well.
“My No. 1 goal was to get up there and not embarrass myself,” she said. “If I had to do it over again, I’d spin the wheel harder to get out of that bankrupt.”
Brown hosted a watch party at JJ’s Pub in Breezy Point when her episode aired, and about 50 people turned out to watch the show with her.

“Everybody was so enthusiastic. JJ’s was so cool. They put it on all the TVs and cranked up the sound,” she said.
The contestant who ended up winning and advancing to the bonus round couldn’t have been nicer, Brown said. Before their show began, the three contestants agreed to do fist bumps and be supportive of whatever happened.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We all worked real hard to get to that show, so you can’t begrudge anyone for doing well,” she said.
Nancy Vogt, editor, may be reached at 218-855-5877 or nancy.vogt@pineandlakes.com. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@PEJ_Nancy.