Wheel of Fortune (Philippines) - Common Rules

Common Rules

For fuller rules, see the game play section of the article about the US version.

The format was generally the same as the US version. They follow the rules implemented at the time of showing: the ABC version following rules of the game as of 2001 while the ABS-CBN version looks at those implemented in 2006. Listed below are rules common to the two versions as well as their differences:

• In the ABC version, Red Player would start Round 1, Yellow Player would begin Round 2, Blue Player would commence Round 3, and so on. In the ABS-CBN version, Toss-Up Rounds, valued at P5,000, P10,000, and P15,000 respectively, are played. The winner of each toss-up gets to begin the next round (however, the person starting Round 2 is the winner of Round 1). In both versions, play passes from Red, to Yellow, to Blue, and back to Red.
• In the ABC version, the 24-wedged wheel originally had mostly three-digit amounts starting at P100, but they were later replaced with four-digit ones ranging from P1,000 to P4,000. In the ABS-CBN version, the basic amounts range from P3,000 to P15,000. There are also Bankrupt and Lose A Turn spaces in the Wheel in both versions.
  • Unique to the ABC version was a "Surprise" Wedge. It was a detachable wedge to be won by the player who landed on it and guessed a correct letter. The surprise would be revealed if that player won that Round.
  • Unique to the ABS-CBN version are two unusual wedges.
    • The "second" Bankrupt wedge is a one-thirds size P100,000 wedge, with two one-thirds size Bankrupt wedges between the special value. This space is not a detachable wedge, unlike the special value one-thirds space wedge ($10,000 won in a round if won until 2008, Million since 2008) in the US version. Whoever lands on the P100,000 space and correctly guesses a letter wins that value as spendable cash instead of a cash prize (pre-2008) or a chance to win a cash prize in the bonus round (2008-). In succeeding rounds, the one-thirds size P100,000 space is occupied by a Jackpot wedge in Round 2, and the Power Wedge in Round 3 and beyond (see below). A similar P200,000 one-thirds size wedge (again surrounded by Bankrupts) also appears in Rounds 4 and beyond. The P4,000 space acted much the same way in the ABC version, as it was placed between a Lose a Turn and one Bankrupt space, both regular-sized, to add excitement.
    • Another wedge in the ABS-CBN version is a "Power" wedge. Anyone who lands on it and correctly guesses a letter can steal the earnings of the leading opponent in that round. This rule is unique only to the ABS-CBN version and neither the ABC version nor all other versions of the show have this rule.
• Both versions use a four-row 52-space puzzle board, with 12 spaces each on the upper and lower rows and 14 on each of the two middle rows. They both resemble the one the US version currently uses since 1997.
  • The ABC version's puzzle board was made up of translucent panes of glass. Panes that were part of a puzzle were illuminated blue on the sides. Such panes were then lighted green when they contained a correctly-guessed letter. The pane revealed the letter as if it was a shadow of a cutout one illuminated from behind. Arguably, setting up puzzles in such a board was like the procedure used in the US version prior to 1997 when it used trilons in its puzzle board.
  • The ABS-CBN version's puzzle board closely resembles the one in the US version, using 52 monitors that reveal the spaces of a puzzle easily and quickly. While the two puzzle assistants do the same thing Vanna White does in baring the letters (seemingly touching the right side of the monitor), it is revealed that each monitor has a small button on its right side, seen while a puzzle assistant is being introduced close-up.
• Players have the option to buy vowels. In the ABC version, vowels cost P500; in the ABS-CBN version, they cost P2,500. As is the standard rule globally, the price is flat rate so the cost of the vowel is subtracted from the player's round total no matter how many of that vowel appears in the puzzle or if that vowel is in the puzzle at all.
• The "Free Spin" can also be found in both versions. In the ABC version, it was an entire regular-sized orange detachable wedge. In the ABS-CBN version, it is a green oval token, similar to the one used in the US version until late 2000's rule changes eliminated the option.
  • Obtaining a Free Spin in the ABS-CBN version will also reward the contestant the value on which it is placed (in this case, P6,000) multiplied by the number of times the correctly-guessed consonant appears in the puzzle.
• There is a Jackpot Round in Round 2 in both versions. Like the American counterpart, the Jackpot increases with each spin with the amount last landed on to be added. To win it, the player must land on it, correctly guess a letter, and immediately solve the puzzle. However, on the ABS-CBN version, the amount landed will only be added to the jackpot should the player give a correct answer.
  • A slight difference in the ABS-CBN version is that a player is not given a choice of whether or not to solve (they must solve within five seconds), and should one be unable to, P3,000 per consonant will be added to the Jackpot and to the player's winnings for that round. Of course, the ABC version never implemented this rule.
• There are also Speed-Up Rounds in both versions. In the ABC version, each consonant revealed would earn a player a thousand pesos plus the amount landed on the final spin. Vowels were worth nothing. In the ABS-CBN version, the last spun amount becomes the worth of each consonant revealed. If the Wheel stops at the Power Wedge, the highest score earned by a contestant during that round would be the basis. Vowels would initially cost the contestant a flat rate of P2,500 (unless the contestant does not receive any money), but this rule was later scrapped. Sometimes in both versions, Speed-Up rounds are not played due to time constraints.
• Bonus Rounds are seen in both versions, wherein a player could win money or a car. In the ABC version, the 1989-2001 five-envelope format was used. In the ABS-CBN version, the format seen on the U. S. version since 2001 was used. After the Bonus puzzle is revealed, six predetermined letters are inserted, followed by three consonants and a vowel of the player's choice, and a ten-second time limit. The ABC version used the American-standard predetermined letters R, S, T, L, N, and E. The ABS-CBN version replaces R with K, since the latter occurs more in many Philippine languages than the former and the host's name starts with this letter.