<P> Before the bonus round begins, the winning contestant chooses one of three categories for his or her puzzle (prior to season 35, the puzzle and category were predetermined). After doing so, the contestant spins a smaller wheel with 24 envelopes to determine the prize . He or she is then shown a puzzle in the chosen category, and every instance of R, S, T, L, N, and E is revealed . The contestant provides three more consonants (four if he / she is holding the Wild Card) and one more vowel, then has 10 seconds to solve the puzzle after his or her other letters (if any) are revealed . The contestant may make as many guesses as necessary, so long as the contestant begins the correct answer before time expires . Whether or not the contestant solves the puzzle, the host opens the envelope at the end of the round to reveal the prize at stake . Prizes in the bonus round include various cash amounts (with the lowest being the season number multiplied by $1,000), a vehicle (or two vehicles during weeks with two - contestant teams), and a top prize of $100,000 . </P> <P> If the contestant has the Million Dollar Wedge, the $100,000 envelope is replaced with a $1,000,000 envelope . The $1,000,000 prize has been awarded three times: to Michelle Loewenstein (on the episode that aired October 14, 2008), to Autumn Erhard (May 30, 2013), and to Sarah Manchester (September 17, 2014). Contestants who win the $1,000,000 may receive it in installments over 20 years, or in a lump sum of that amount's present value . When the contestant fails to land on the $1,000,000 wedge, Sajak will reveal where it was on the prize wheel . </P> <P> Originally, after winning a round, contestants spent their winnings on prizes that were presented onstage . At any time during a shopping round, most often if the contestant did not have enough left to buy another prize, a contestant could choose to put his or her winnings on a gift certificate, or he or she could put the winnings "on account" for use in a later shopping round . However, a contestant would lose any money on account by landing on Bankrupt or failing to claim it by not winning subsequent rounds . The shopping element was eliminated from the syndicated version on the episode that aired October 5, 1987, both to speed up gameplay and to alleviate the taxes paid by contestants . However, the network version continued to use the shopping element until the end of its first NBC run on June 30, 1989 . </P> <P> Before the introduction of toss - up puzzles at the start of the 18th syndicated season in 2000, the contestant at the red arrow always started round 1, with the next contestant clockwise starting each subsequent round . In addition, if a tie for first place occurred, an additional speed - up round was played between the tied contestants for the right to go to the bonus round . The wheel formerly featured a Free Spin wedge, which automatically awarded a token that the contestant could turn in after a lost turn to keep control of the wheel . It was replaced in 1989 with a single Free Spin token placed over a selected cash wedge . Free Spin was retired, and Free Play introduced, at the start of the 27th syndicated season in 2009 . Between September 16, 1996 and the end of season 30 in 2013, the show featured a progressive Jackpot wedge, which had been in several different rounds in its history . The jackpot started at $5,000 and had the value of every spin within the round added to it . To claim the jackpot, a contestant had to land on the wedge, call a correct letter, and solve the puzzle all in the same turn . In later years, it also offered $500 per correct letter and $500 to the jackpot, regardless of whether or not it was won in that turn . </P>

When did wheel of fortune stop shopping for prizes
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