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| YouTube/Wheel of Fortune |
The 23-year-old Yorktown, New York, man solved all but one of the puzzles during the show, taking home $76,000 in addition to the cruises, CNN reported.
Host Pat Sajak was impressed by Santoli, and at one point joked, "Robert, what took you so long?" He even told him to slow down: "Let them come up, and then you can, I guess, tell us what's there."
Santoli, an avid game show watcher, first auditioned for the show at age 19, local news site TAPinto reported.
Told ahead of time that the episode he'd be appearing on was sponsored by Carnival Cruise Line and therefore nautical-themed, Santoli created a study guide. He also met and talked strategy with 2014 "Wheel of Fortune" standout Emil de Leon.
After coming so well prepared, Santoli solved the first puzzle — “Port & Starboard” — with only one letter on the board.
At one point in the game, which was taped in January, Santoli apologized to his competitors for dominating the game.
In his interview with TAPinto, Santoli described how it felt to compete.
"I know I look like a bit of a dork on the show with my high-pitched 'Yeahs!' and my childish jumping up and down after winning the Bonus Round, but I was really, to quote the Round 4 puzzle, 'Living in the Moment,'" he told the news site.
"I was so anxious when on the stage. I was shaking the whole time, first out of nervousness, then out of excitement once I kept solving puzzles. I got those same feelings when I finally watched the episode on TV. It feels weird seeing and hearing myself on a show that I’ve watched other strangers on for over 20 years."
He said he plans to use his winnings to pay off student loans and get a car.
A highlight video titled “Robert’s Incredible Game!” posted to YouTube on Saturday had about 2.4 million views by Thursday morning.
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