'Wheel of Fortune' Player Earned the Coveted "One-Letter Solve" By Channeling a Champion

There's something special about the Wheel of Fortune game show. Contestants have a chance to put their skills against one another and the clock as they race to be the first to solve a hangman-like puzzle based on as few letters as possible.

The vibe on the show is celebratory and light, making it a fun game to participate in, even if you don't bring the big win home. For some contestants, it's even more fun than for others.

For contestant Rufus Cumberlander, he experienced a moment that would go down in Wheel of Fortune history. Here's a look at Rufus's impressive win and another win that was almost as shocking.

Every puzzle on Wheel of Fortune comes with a differing level of difficulty. Sometimes players are faced with long and complicated phrases, and sometimes they're a single word or several short words. In some ways, the puzzles that only involve one or two words can be the most difficult. After all, the options become almost endless.

This is what Rufus was up against when he faced a puzzle board displaying two words: one long, and one short. He spun the wheel and earned $1,700 to start the round.

Rufus then guessed a "T." Luckily, the puzzle displayed a T. Only one T. In the middle of the second word.

Many people would have looked at it and decided there was no chance to guess the puzzle. But not Rufus.

With a mind full of vocabulary words and a spirit filled with hope, Rufus confidently guessed, "Championship Match."

Much to the shock of everyone in the studio and at home, Rufus was right. He managed to score the eye-popping coveted "one-letter solve" and walked away with $7,100.

If it hadn't been for Rufus's shocking win in 2015, another contestant might have been the one to go down in history as the most amazing Wheel of Fortune win of all time.

That contestant? Emil de Leon. Just a year before Rufus shocked the world, Emil managed to pull out his own impressive guess in 2014 and bring home the big win at the end of the game.

Like most contestants, Emil was a little nervous when he stood up to compete in the final puzzle. He was assigned the "thing" category, and a 12-letter, three-word phrase popped up on the board.

As part of the standard game, Emil was given two letters: N and E. They just so happened to appear next to each other at the start of the first word, leaving most people scratching their heads.

However, just like Rufus would a year later, Emil channeled the spirit of a champion and spit out his first guess, "New Baby Buggy."

And much to the shock of everyone, including host Pat Sajak, he was right.

The host even jokingly requested Emil be patted down for wires after his unlikely win. But luckily for Emil, he was on the up and up. He was just very, very good at the game.

While it may not be possible for every contestant to repeat Rufus and Emil's amazing win strategies, they certainly offer something to strive for.