This past week on Jeopardy! sure kept us on our toes. If you are anything like me you were probably glued to your screen watching all the intense moments unfold. From reigning champion Stella Trout's honest thoughts about her challenging game to the nail-biting finals of Jeopardy! Masters, there was plenty to talk about. It always feels like anything can happen on that stage, does it not?
Stella Trout, a software engineer from Houston Texas, was back for her second game. She had already earned $28,800 after beating a three-day champion. On Wednesday June 4, she faced off against Jay Borsom from Plainfield Illinois and Joey Quismorio from San Antonio Texas. I always find it fascinating how different contestants approach the game. You can almost feel the tension through the screen.
Trout started by picking the first Daily Double, which is always a brave move, especially when you are at $0. She wagered the allowed $1,000. The clue was in "Give Us The Short Version." It read "Cut the lizard-related part off & you’re left with this 4-letter shortened word, the ‘terrible’ part." She correctly answered "dino" for $1,000. Trout later talked about this clue on Reddit. She said, "That first DD! I felt like I was in a Saw trap when I got the clue and didn’t know it off the bat, then felt like Zach Galifianakis in The Hangover parsing it out, then it just clicked. Extremely satisfying, just wish I didn’t find it immediately." I love how she shares her real feelings. It makes you feel like you are right there with her.
Stella Trout Navigates Daily Doubles And Nerves On Her Road To Final JeopardyA Champion's Candid Thoughts On Wagers And Missing That Crucial Last-Second Answer
Stella Trout did well for most of the first round. She ended with $7,200. Quismorio had $2,200 and Borsom trailed with $1,400. In Double Jeopardy the game got more intense. Quismorio and Borsom started catching up to Trout. Trout tried to keep her lead when she found the first Daily Double of the round. With $8,800 in her bank she wagered $2,000. The category was "Colleges & Universities." The clue read "Daniel Webster a grad of this Ivy League school argued & won an important 1819 Supreme Court case on its behalf." Trout correctly answered "What is Dartmouth?" This took her score to $10,800.
She did not have much time to take a breath. She found the last Daily Double on the very next clue. She wagered $4,000 in "The Same Letter 3 Times." The clue read "From the Latin for ‘iron’ it’s the specific job of someone who shoes horses & cares for their hooves." Trout correctly answered "a farrier." This brought her total to $14,800. She later opened up about her wagering choices. "Honestly, I was SO terrified up there on the stage and I think it really came across. On both DJ DDs, I bet against myself – in my head was just the question ‘How much can I afford to lose when I get it wrong?’ and so I was trying to maintain double Joey’s score with that in mind." She even said "I wish I’d believed in myself more, or that I’d bet big regardless, at least on the last DD. If I did so and answered wrong (but kept the lead), I would’ve been in the same situation that I ended up in at FJ, and if I’d answered right I’d have the lockout. I just wasn’t in the right mindset to see that.” It is so easy to say what you would do from the couch, is it not?
Trout finished Double Jeopardy in the lead with $17,200. Quismorio had $9,400 and Borsom was in third with $4,200. But as we all know Final Jeopardy can turn everything upside down. And it certainly did this time. The category for Final Jeopardy was "American History." The clue read "He recalled that before an 1831 revolt, he had a vision of ‘white spirits and black spirits engaged in battle.’" The correct answer was Nat Turner. Only one player got it right, Joey Quismorio. He wagered $7,801 ending with $17,201. Borsom’s answer was Brown. She wagered $3000 leaving her with a total of $1,200. Trout answered "Who is Sitting Bull?" She wagered $2,000 making her final total $15,200. This made Quismorio the winner of the night. He will be back for more on Thursday June 5. I guess we are all still learning from these amazing contestants.
Stella Trout also shared her thoughts on the Final Jeopardy clue. "My answer doesn’t make much sense. The ‘spirits’ part made me think of ghosts, which brought me to Ghost Dance and Sitting Bull. I didn’t even compute that ‘white’ and ‘black’ meant skin color until it was too late. Really silly but the nerves got me good; my head started spinning as soon as DJ finished and I saw it wasn’t a lockout :/." She also had a "not so fun fact" to add. "just as the music was ending (literally in the last 5 seconds), I took a fresh look at the clue and this time I got it. I realized what they meant and that it was Nat Turner at the same time I realized I didn’t have enough time to write it down (especially because I’d already set down the pen – future contestants, don’t do this), so I just accepted it was all down to Joey, who killed it, unsurprisingly and deservedly. So it goes.” It is a tough lesson to learn, but we have all been there, right?
The Jeopardy Masters tournament is almost over. We are taking a look at who remains, a big change in the schedule, and how hard those final questions have been for players.
The Intense Battles Of Jeopardy! Masters Season 3 Reach Their Thrilling Conclusion
Who Battled Their Way Through The Semifinals To Claim A Coveted Spot In The Finale?
Beyond the regular games, Jeopardy! Masters season 3 has been an absolute blast. The semifinals kicked off on June 4 with four amazing contestants left: Yogesh Raut, Isaac Hirsch, Victoria Groce, and Juveria Zaheer. Only one person could take home the $500,000 prize. The show brings back some of the best players in Jeopardy! history. It is like a high-stakes, super-smart competition.
Victoria Groce, Isaac Hirsch, and Juveria Zaheer faced each other first. Groce quickly took the lead with $12,800. She then found a Daily Double in Double Jeopardy. She wagered $2,000 and nailed it. This put her at $18,000. By the end of the first part of the semifinals, Groce was the clear winner with $29,800. She had nine match wins, which sent her straight to the finals. That is a truly impressive run. She has been a force to watch this season.
Zaheer and Hirsch then competed against each other joined by Yogesh Raut. Raut hit a Daily Double early on and took an early lead, but Zaheer was right behind him. Unfortunately for Hirsch, he started with some misses, bringing his score down significantly. He managed to get back to $0 by the end of the round. Raut finished in the lead with $18,800. Zaheer had $10,400 and Hirsch ended with $3,600. The Final Jeopardy category was "Island Countries." Hirsch added a little joke with his correct answer, but it was not enough. Zaheer and Raut both got it right too. Zaheer ended with $20,801 and Raut with $10,400. So the three finalists for Masters were Victoria Groce, Yogesh Raut, and Juveria Zaheer. It was shaping up to be an exciting finish!
The third season of Jeopardy Masters is wrapping up with a big schedule shift. We are looking at the top four players and who might take home the trophy.
Victoria Groce's Dominance And The Show's Sports-Like Tournament Style
A Look At What Makes Jeopardy! Masters Such A Compelling And Engaging Event
Victoria Groce has truly made a name for herself. This was her second time in the Jeopardy! Masters semifinals. She won Season 2 last year, beating both Yogesh Raut and the Season 1 winner, James Holzhauer. Can she do it again? That was the big question going into the finals. Groce had six points going into the semifinals, while Raut had two and Hirsch and Zaheer had zero. These points are based on their ranking in earlier matches. They do not affect who wins the grand prize, but they do decide who gets to the finals. It is always thrilling to see such smart players battle it out.
The Jeopardy! Masters tournament, hosted by Ken Jennings, is set up more like a sports competition. It has leaderboards, detailed stats, and fast buzzer showdowns. It is definitely not your traditional daytime Jeopardy! The finals were set to air right after the semifinals on Wednesday June 4. Everyone was waiting to see who would claim the ultimate prize. I always appreciate how the show gives these intellectual battles such a big stage. It reminds me that being smart can be just as exciting as any athletic competition.
For those of us who cut the cord, watching the action live can be tricky. Hulu + Live TV is a good option. It offers real-time access to local ABC stations in most major areas. This lets viewers watch the show as it airs. A subscription starts at $82.99 a month. It also includes unlimited DVR storage and the full Hulu streaming library. So if you miss the live broadcast you can catch up the very next day. Hulu + Live TV's live guide makes finding ABC easy. You can also add extra screens and enhanced DVR if you want to record the whole season and watch it at your own pace. With these sharp competitors, you definitely want to see every clue as it is revealed. I know I do.
No matter who won all the contestants walk home with some cash. The top prize is $500,000. It is a huge amount of money. Even the players who do not make it to the very end still get a good payout. This definitely makes the competition even more exciting for everyone involved. I think it is great that such a challenging game show offers such big rewards. It keeps the stakes high and the players performing at their very best. We all look forward to seeing what these brilliant minds will do next.