ONE DECISION… AND $74,000 VANISHED! Contestant Steven Meeks had a dream run on Wheel of Fortune — leading through the rounds, accumulating nearly $30,000 and confidently advancing to the Bonus Round. But a mid-game mistake, sacrificing a Wild Card for an “invisible” letter, proved to be a bitter turning point. In the final round, the puzzle was just a hair’s breadth away. He guessed repeatedly… and missed the answer “Too Much Hype.” Inside the envelope was $45,000, bringing his total prize money to a staggering $74,000. One moment of hesitation, and the huge prize slipped through his fingers — leaving the studio stunned. WATCH MORE BELOW

A bad mistake! A Wheel of Fortune contestant lost out on taking home $74,000 after he gave up his Wild Card earlier in the game.

Steven Meeks, from Sacramento, California, played against Gabrielle Gonzalez, from Cape Coral, Florida, and Kenlyn Evelyn, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, on February 19. Meeks is a travel and adventure lover who has done bungee jumping in Costa Rica and rappelled off a mountain in Switzerland.

Gonzalez, who has known her husband since she was 6 years old, solved the first toss-up. Meeks solved the second.

Meeks gained the Wild Card in round one, where he solved “Start a Lengthy Discussion.” He also picked up the Wheel of Fun wedge, worth $4,500, giving him $12,900.

Meeks gave up his Wild Card during the next round to get a free letter, but the “L” wasn’t in the puzzle. He solved “Gymnastics & Bath Mat” for $19,250.

Gonzalez solved the prize puzzle — “A Breath of Fresh Air” — and won a trip to Alaska. This gave her a total of $14,400.

Gonzalez solved two of the three Triple Toss-ups while Meeks solved the third one. Meeks put even more money in his bank when he solved the final puzzle — “Don’t Do Me Like That” — for a total of $29,750.