Chorsie Calbert IV, a lifelong escape-room fanatic from Whitehall, Ohio, came painfully close to driving away in a brand-new Toyota during Thursday’s Wheel of Fortune episode. As part of DraftKings Bonus Puzzle Week, Calbert faced Lenora Hebert of Massachusetts and Mike Dean of Indiana in a tense game that had viewers glued to the screen. He started strong, sweeping the first two Toss-Ups and adding an early Round 1 solve with “Take a Chance on Me.” His fast, strategic play quickly established him as the night’s front-runner, drawing cheers from the audience and from his parents watching proudly from the sidelines.

The game heated up in the Mystery Round when Calbert attempted to solve with “Pretending to Be Someone Else,” a near-miss that cost him the board but still earned him a lucrative 3x multiplier. Hebert recovered and solved the corrected phrase, keeping the competition close. Then Dean surged ahead by solving the Prize Puzzle — the “Landmark” clue “Leaning Tower of Pisa” — securing a massive $14,448 plus a trip to Italy. Calbert answered by sweeping all three Triple Toss-Ups, boosting his score to $14,200 and pulling within just $248 of the lead.

Momentum tipped again when Calbert confidently — and somewhat hesitantly — solved “Rock Star Parking,” adding $6,600 and cementing his place in the finals with a $20,800 total. Hebert finished at $2,000, while Dean held strong at $14,448. With the pressure on, Calbert entered the Bonus Round and chose “Food & Drink.” After receiving the standard letters, he selected C, H, M, and A, revealing the baffling pattern: _ _ _ _ LL _ N C _ _ E.

Despite his escape-room expertise, the clock worked against him. Calbert’s guesses circled wildly — “Million Coke,” “Trillion Coke,” “Something Cope” — but none hit the mark. When time expired, the correct answer flashed: “Bouillon Cube,” along with the heartbreaking reveal of the Toyota he narrowly missed. Still, Calbert advances to Friday’s DraftKings finals, carrying both momentum and the chance for redemption.