Evaluation: Free Play

I've always wondered the merits of calling for a vowel on Free Play. The only time when I think it could work is if it's really early in the puzzle, especially if a player has no money. During my audition, I remember the CC spinning a Free Play. I went against their advice and called L, which appeared 3 times in the puzzle. Fortunately, I knew what the puzzle was at that point, so using Free Play for a vowel is a moot point. Vowels aside, Free Play can be really helpful when there aren't many letters left and a player STILL doesn't know the puzzle (it can happen). By landing on a Free Play, the player can save his or her turn in case of a screw-up. Similarly, the player can narrow down his or her options on a Free Play, especially if he or she has it down to two possibilities (for instance, not knowing if a word in the puzzle is OF or ON). I think the solving rule on Free Play is pointless. If you knew the puzzle, you wouldn't have spun, would you? Even the CC's, in our briefing, treated the solving provision with skepticism.

I consider that Free Play is not a bad wedge: being able to save your turn is always good. However, I think that Free Spin could have continued in the show. Now if a contestant has a good amount of cash (or prizes) can't save his/her turn if (s)he doesn't land on FP. The FS was a good token that I think some contestants now miss when they lose the turn.

About vowels... When it was introduced, the minimum was $300 and tokens didn't award cash as it happens now: with almost every spin you have at least $500 (excluding the MDW and flipping the $10,000 of one of the Mystery Wedges). Of course, you save $250, but now it's hard to spin the Wheel and not winning $1,000: you have cash for buying four vowels. Free vowels are good, but they had more sense specially between 2009 and 2012, when tokens didn't award $500.

What I don't understand is what could encourage a player to solve the puzzle when landing on Free Play (I know that it has happened only a few times). Calling a consonant is much better: if you are wrong you know that your solution was wrong, and if you are right, you can win an extra money.

Seriously did Pat say that? Is there a video somewhere about it?

mechamind, that third time was what I was referring to, but I don't recall ever knowing about the other two times.

Free Play is a great wedge to have on the show. It allows you an extra turn if you screw up and it's a HUGE safe haven if you don't know a puzzle and you have a lot of money in your bank.

Using Free Play for vowels isn't bad, but it should only be used on vowels you're unsure of being in the puzzle considering how insignificant $250 is in the grand scheme of the game nowadays. It absolutely shouldn't be used to solve the puzzle, however, as doing that denies you the $500+ you could have won had you called a letter instead.

Free Play is a solid wedge. If only more players just knew how to make the most of it.

I'm not so sure how contestants are able to switch to "call a vowel" mentality so quickly when landing on it. Aside from the fact that Free Play lets you call vowels, it could still be treated like a normal dollar wedge and call a consonant. It's like most of them have this "I need vowels" urge built into their mind for some reason.

A vowel should only be called on Free Play if you know with absolute certainly you will not buy a dead vowel in any future turns. If it is not 100% certain, you should not be calling a vowel because it would be pointless to, as you will still need to gamble on which vowels would be on the board anyways, in which case calling a consonant will help you assist in calling that vowel, achieving the same result but with more cash on hand.

In other words, with vowels, don't gamble to decrease the chance of another gamble - that should only be the policy of consonants.

I digress though. Like I said, Free Play is solid and is definitely worth keeping for all rounds of the game, just need more contestants to use it better.

Which is more interesting from a gameplay perspective: Free Play or Free Spin?
Definitely Free Spin. It's an extra turn that you can save for the moment you need one, as opposed to one you can only use when landing on it on the Wheel.


What's the point of free vowels if all the dollar figures on the wheel are well over $250 anyway?
Because since they want contestants to buy vowels as often as possible, it seems like a no-brainer to jump at the vowel as soon as possible and to save the $250 cost, even though that's usually not the best thing to do. The only benefit for calling a vowel, or any letter really, is the fact that there's no penalty if it's a wrong one, so if you are going to call a vowel, don't call an E or an obvious one. Use that opportunity to call a U so that you're not torn between buying either U or I/O later in the round.


The Free Spin wedge (and an unclaimed Free Spin token) was taken off the wheel at varying points in the game throughout the show's history. Free Play stays on the wheel throughout the whole game. Does it need to?
It doesn't really need to be on the Wheel for R4+, since there's hardly any gameplay time after R3 these days, plus it's one less invalid wedge for Pat to hit on the Final Spin. I'm sure it would be removed after R3 like everything else if it weren't for its complex physical structure. The only time they take it off the Wheel at all is when they have to take it apart to travel.


I've always thought the name "Free Play" sounded a little dumb. Would you change it?
It does sound a little confusing, but I can't really think of a better name other than similar stuff like "Free Turn". Of course, I'm sure Wheel would love to change the name to "Free Vowel", but then that brings some serious limitations. The only reason it's not "Free Vowel" is because vowels run out fast, so what would happen if you landed on it when there were no more vowels to take? Also having the option for consonants and solves never makes it inopportune.


Overall, I like both Free Play and Free Spin, but I think I prefer the latter more, but one thing I like about Free Play is that it can be used multiple times, unlike Free Spin's later years where only one use was up for grabs for only one contestant. I have hosted fangames in the past with my own version of Free Spin where a "static" Free Spin token was placed on a cash wedge and calling a correct letter on it would get you a token as long as you weren't holding one already, even if you used one previously.



He did say it during one of the closings of the Season 27 premiere week. I remember he said he "never liked Free Spin" mainly because it didn't necessarily have to be used for a spin.

Just me?

I don't think it's so much "getting upset" so much as it is driving the point home that, yes, in fact, calling a vowel after spinning the wheel is allowed on this particular wedge only. Remember, the average Wheel watcher doesn't know the ins and outs of the game like we do.

Although, fat lot of difference $250 is gonna do in most games. Even I won my game by more than that.

(not *much* more, but still!)

We all know the Free Play wedge changes color.

Exactly what colors does it change to? Does anyone have a video or something that shows the wedge completing a full color change cycle?

I know there's blue, orange, & green. Those are the ones most seen on TV.