Rinaldi wasn’t finished. He dominated all three Triple Toss-Up puzzles, pocketing another $10,000. Gathright finally got on the board with “Cooking with Gas” for $4,500, but Rinaldi finished the main game with $24,365 and the Aruba trip locked in.

Bonus Round Brings Laughter—and a Big Win

In the Bonus Round, Rinaldi chose the category “Place.” Standing with his friend Hannah and a cousin, he explained his wife was at home with their two baby boys and couldn’t attend.

After choosing bonus letters—including one from his Wild Card—the puzzle revealed:

G _ _ E B O

Rinaldi immediately recognized the word. But just as he prepared to shout it out, host Ryan Seacrest reminded him to wait for the clock. As soon as the buzzer sounded, he exclaimed, “Gazebo!”—securing a $40,000 bonus.

That brought his final prize total to $64,365.

A Dream Fulfilled

After the show, Rinaldi shared his excitement on Reddit.
“Thanks everyone for the well wishes,” he wrote. “It was an unbelievable experience. Everyone was so kind, and I checked an item off my bucket list!”

He also revealed why he picked “Place” in the Bonus Round. “What Are You Doing” can be risky with unpredictable letters, and “Thing” felt too broad. “Place” seemed like the safest bet.

Although his Wild Card didn’t give him any extra letters, he said it boosted his confidence.

With a dream trip to Aruba and over $64,000 in winnings, Rich Rinaldi didn’t just win the game—he won the hearts of viewers and lived out a lifelong dream.