‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Ends In A Tie For The First Time In 10 Years

Two lucky contestants on Wednesday’s edition of Wheel of Fortune not only walked away with respectable chunks of cash, but also scored a tie. Ever since this show’s 1975 debut, fans have lost their wits over the tiniest glitches (like a gift box sticking to Vanna White’s dress or a particularly awful guess), so witnessing an elusive draw could send devotees over the edge. And that’s exactly what happened:

The last time a tie happened was March 2006 (and before that, March 2003), so while there was no mud-slinging to be had, it was still sweet to see the event itself and the resolution. The execution was pretty straightforward, too. One contestant, LaToya, was trucking her way to victory with $24,000 when her neighbor, Danielle, solved a “hollandaise sauce” puzzle that pushed her to the same amount. With such a rare event on display, there was the potential for chaos, but fortunately, smooth Pat Sajak knew exactly what to do.

First, the host acknowledged the lone male player, Dylan (who nabbed a paltry $5,900), as a “disinterested observer” of what was to come. Then Sajak swiftly set up a “toss-up playoff,” which saw the two ladies try to guess a quick puzzle. LaToya nailed “computer programmer” in an instant.

Watch the tie go down in this video. All told, this was a civilized affair.