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The wheel is much heavier than you'd think, so better make that practice spin count!

After more than 45 years on the air, Wheel of Fortune is still spinning its way into viewers' hearts. The fan-favorite show is much more than just vowels and Vanna — in order to walk home a winner, there are plenty of behind-the-scenes rules to keep in mind. Are contestants allowed to talk to Pat during commercial breaks? What's the one item you can't have on set? To really be a Wheel of Fortune pro, learn these often-unknown rules.

Spinning the Wheel of Fortune isn’t quite as easy as it appears on TV. Because of the wheel's unexpected heaviness, all contestants are given a practice spin before the taping. Phew!

After being selected, contestants must attend the taping in California. However, the studio does not cover travel expenses for the contestants — that is all out of pocket, so get your wallet ready.

There’s one technical rule that often ends up costing contestants thousands of dollars on the show. While answering a puzzle, each word must be said individually. If a contestant were to say all of the individual words together as a sentence, by adding “and,” they would be denied the win. And that would be devastating.

Of course there's a dress code on Wheel of Fortune! It is often described as business casual. Contestants are told to avoid wearing solid black, white, or bright red, as well as anything with patterns, like plaid or stripes.

There's no "phone a friend" going on here. On a set like Wheel of Fortune, production goes to great lengths to ensure cheating is impossible. That’s why contestants are required to have their cellphones turned off for the entire day while filming the episode.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wheel of Fortune is not filming in front of a live studio audience. However, under normal circumstances, each contestant is given five guest passes for friends and family.

While your guests may be on set cheering you on, all contestants are restricted from communicating with anyone outside of the production team or fellow players.

Part of the excitement of being on Wheel of Fortune is getting to meet Vanna and Pat – who have been on the show for 40 years. Luckily, contestants do have a chance to chat with the hosts during commercial breaks.

The producers on Wheel of Fortune don't take any chances with contestants on set, even going as far as escorting them to the bathroom. Awkward!

Sorry, Dan Levy and Justin Bieber! Per the online application, Wheel of Fortune isn’t currently accepting contestants from Canada.

Wheel of Fortune has a number of rules regarding a potential contestant’s previous game show experience. The program does not accept those who have filmed any game show in the past year or three game shows in the past 10 years.

No Real Housewives or Bachelors here! As it turns out, the aforementioned rule isn’t just talking about Jeopardy! or Family Feud. The ban applies to all reality show contestants as well — including those who have appeared on any dating show.

Contestants must be over the age of 18 to appear on the show. However, there have been exceptions made for special tapings, such as Wheel of Fortune Teen Week.

A chance to spin the wheel really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Contestants are not eligible to compete if they’ve participated in any version of the game show before.

Contestants on Wheel of Fortune are given the Hollywood treatment. Not only do they appear on an episode watched by millions, but they also must film a promotional TV advertisement for local stations to run.

All contestants have to do to make it on Wheel of Fortune is fill out an online application. The form must include a short personal video, and there’s no fee to submit!

If the show’s casting department thinks you’d be a good fit, you must go through the audition process. According to the official Wheel of Fortune website, the process takes about an hour, and you’ll be contacted if you’ve been selected.

As Beyoncé sings, "To the left, to the left!" Contestants are often seen looking to the left of the camera — and for good reason. They’re checking out the “used letterboard,” which is available to see which letters have already been guessed.

The show must go on — even if you have a travel delay. Because of this, production enlists a stand-in for each contestant traveling from out of state.

Fun fact: Wheel of Fortune is one of the quickest-produced game shows on television, shooting almost one month's worth of episodes in a single week. The show films six episodes per day, with each episode only taking 30 minutes to film.

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune is a spinoff of the popular game show. The show is still hosted by Pat Sajak and Vanna White, only the celebrity guests are playing for charity.

Shyness won't get you very far here. The one quality the casting department looks for the most in Wheel of Fortune hopefuls is confidence. As per the show’s website, “It's important that the game moves along quickly and that the players are decisive in calling out their letters with a strong, confident voice and in choosing their game strategy (whether to spin, buy a vowel or solve the puzzle).”

If you ever find yourself sharing the stage with Vanna and Pat, you'll want to look your best. All contestants have hair and makeup services provided for them on filming days, so that they look ready for the camera.

As contestants navigate high-pressure rounds, they should pay attention to Pat. The host has been known to warn players of technicalities and costly errors, especially when they have a lot of money on the line.

With lots of technical gameplay, contestants aren’t expected to be masters before appearing on the show. The producers brief each participant on the dos and don'ts before filming begins.

All contestants are given a parting gift of $1,000 at the end of each episode. So even if you don’t score big on the wheel, you’ll go home with something in your wallet.

You won’t receive your money until after the show has broadcast. Additionally, the cash and prizes can take up to 120 days to process.

As great as it would be to walk away with all your prizes and cash, game show winnings are considered income and are taxable.

Due to Wheel of Fortune's tightly-run schedule, there is plenty of time for reshoots, if needed. According to a former contestant, the show had players reshoot a round in order to get the desired result.

Once in the contestant pool, a producer will reach out to schedule the big day. Each individual is called to appear on one of two possible taping dates, meaning they must be available for both dates.