A recent episode of Wheel of Fortune had fans talking—after one contestant made a puzzling decision that may have cost him big money, even after a clear warning from host Ryan Seacrest.

The March 23 episode marked a return to individual contestants following a themed week, and the competition quickly heated up. Liza Sklar, a longtime high school librarian from New York, kicked things off by solving the opening toss-up. She shared a bit about her career, noting she’s spent over two decades helping students—despite personally disliking history as a subject.

Damian Mitchell, a former college football player turned sports radio personality from Alabama, gained early momentum by solving the second toss-up. He continued to dominate the early rounds, securing the Wild Card and correctly identifying “Chief Financial Officer,” building a solid cash total.

Mitchell’s winning streak continued during a “Before & After” puzzle, which he solved with confidence, pushing his earnings even higher. By the time the Prize Puzzle rolled around, he appeared firmly in control of the game.

That’s when things took a surprising turn.

During the Express Round—a high-risk, high-reward segment where each correct consonant adds to the player’s total—Mitchell seemed to have already figured out the solution. Despite this, he chose to purchase multiple vowels, which deduct money from his score. Even as Seacrest gently cautioned him about spending unnecessarily, Mitchell continued down the same path.

“I want to see you win money, not lose it,” the host remarked during the moment, hinting that the contestant may be overthinking a puzzle he already had solved.

Mitchell ultimately landed the correct answer, “Magic Carpet Ride,” earning himself a vacation prize and pushing his total past $30,000. Still, viewers at home couldn’t help but question his strategy, taking to social media to voice their confusion over the costly decisions.

While Mitchell maintained his lead, the other contestants had their moments. Sklar added to her score during the Triple Toss-Up round, while Harry Krenitsky, a contestant from Pennsylvania, finally got on the board and later solved the final puzzle of the game.

In the end, Mitchell advanced to the Bonus Round with a strong total exceeding $32,000. Choosing the “Phrase” category, he faced the final puzzle with the standard set of given letters before selecting additional ones.

As the clock ticked down, he got close—starting with “Change of…”—but couldn’t complete the correct answer: “Change of Venue.” The missed guess meant he walked away without the $40,000 prize hidden in the envelope.

Despite the loss, Mitchell still left the show with a sizable payday. Still, fans were left wondering how things might have turned out had he taken the host’s advice just a bit earlier.