Jeopardy! Season 38 (2021-2022)

[dcalley]

2 hours ago, HyeChaps said:

Did the judges speak into Mayim's earpiece when his response was revealed, or are they able to read his screen in advance and have a little more time to make a ruling?

The judges and host can read the screens before they are revealed. I may have read this in Claire McNear's book, but I listened to the audiobook and thus can't search it to give a source. I just did a little searching online and found this to confirm, however.

[possibilities]

7 hours ago, saber5055 said:

IEIYKI

What does this mean? I tried to look it up and got nothing.

[853fisher]

5 hours ago, Tunia said:

That's not unusual when it comes to the Cape.  Rarely do people who know and love the Cape distinguish which specific town is in mention.  We'll always say "We're headed to the Cape for the weekend.", not "We're headed to Eastham..."  Or in answer to "Where are you vacationing?", we'd say "the Cape", not specifically Eastham, Orleans, etc.

Thanks for that perspective!  I would say I love the Cape, and know it too, although it sounds like maybe not as well as you (meant earnestly, not snarkily).  I agree that “the Cape” is in common colloquial use, but locals always seemed eager to share about their particular towns.  Out where I live now, people say “we’re going up to Napa for the weekend,” but those who live there would certainly introduce themselves as being from Yountville or St. Helena or what have you, not “Napa Valley, California.”  On the Cape too, I would have imagined that people would want to name their own particular place, but I guess you could say there's a certain all-Cape pride too.  I just couldn't recall, in all the years I've been watching, when anyone was introduced other than with a specific city.  Anyway, despite all the proverbial ink spilled, it's not the end of the world, whatever the reason.

Edited October 8, 2021 by 853fisher

[zoey1996]

8 hours ago, saber5055 said:

IEIYKI.

 

24 minutes ago, possibilities said:

What does this mean? I tried to look it up and got nothing.

It’s Easy If You Know It.

This needs to be added to the Glossary thread, if it’s not already there.

[Prevailing Wind]

Never mind.

[shapeshifter]

8 hours ago, saber5055 said:

IEIYKI.

48 minutes ago, possibilities said:

What does this mean? I tried to look it up and got nothing.

23 minutes ago, zoey1996 said:

It’s Easy If You Know It.

This needs to be added to the Glossary thread, if it’s not already there.

FWIW, I added it: 
forums.primetimer.com/topic/25226-what-is-the-jeopardy-glossary/?do=findComment&comment=7048502

 

 

[Bliss]

I wonder how they would have judged Buy-ath-lawn (hyphens for emPHAsis). Buyathlawn. It 'sounds' the same! (would be hilarious if the person saying it had a speech impediment - a lisp comes to mind... reminds me of a person from my past who lived on Athol Street... yes, I need to get out more, or get more sleep, obviously...)

Yay Mat! You continue to entertain me. xo

What's Amodio?

 

[opus]

9 hours ago, saber5055 said:

IEIYKI

IHIYD

[30 Helens]

3 hours ago, 853fisher said:

 I would have imagined that people would want to name their own particular place, but I guess you could say there's a certain all-Cape pride too.  I just couldn't recall, in all the years I've been watching, when anyone was introduced other than with a specific city.

My guess is this is more for the benefit of the audience, who may not know the specific town, but recognize Cape Cod. I expect they would do the same for someone from Martha’s Vineyard, which is also a collection of little towns. Many shows (not sure about Jeopardy) also do this for suburbs of large cities. For example, someone who is introduced as being from Dallas, Texas, may actually live in next-door Garland.  Dallas is just a better locator. 

[possibilities]

Long Island is also full of separate towns, but people say "I'm from Long Island." Some places are just like that. 

[GreekGeek]

8 hours ago, possibilities said:

I got a big laugh out of everyone missing the 1984 clue and thinking it was a Harry Potter reference. 

 

Yes, I kept waiting for Matt to ring in with "What's Smith?"

[ABay]

4 hours ago, possibilities said:

Long Island is also full of separate towns, but people say "I'm from Long Island." Some places are just like that. 

The proper response to "I'm from Long Island" is "I'm sorry" if the person is nice and "No shit" if the person is an asshole.

[Clanstarling]

12 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

Well, we got another Rabbit question!

And I got it - which is odd, since I never read the Rabbit books. The titles seem to stick in my head though (my father read them)

12 hours ago, blueray said:

For FJ I was thinking the sport where they ski and shoot. So right answer but didn't know the name lol.

I got to that by "Scandinavian - cross country skiing" and then got to shooting, but never got to biathlon.

Somehow I came up with "Strawman" for "Scarecrow" - technically correct, but so very wrong.

I couldn't remember if it was Glenn Close or Meryl Streep in the Devil Wears Prada...so I went with the wrong one...sigh.

That was a really bad shot of Buster Keaton - which I could see well enough on my TV but I don't think the contestants could.

Have I never scrolled down far enough on J! Archive, or are these the result of the new programming? I don't recall seeing these before:

[MrAtoz]

12 hours ago, possibilities said:

I got a big laugh out of everyone missing the 1984 clue and thinking it was a Harry Potter reference. 

Yeah, that was weird.  I can only guess that they saw "Ministry of Truth," and thought that it said "Ministry of Magic."  Which is a strange mistake to make, but it's the only way I can figure out that they got there.

Edited to add:  To @Clanstarling, those graphs have been part of J-Archive for as long as I can remember.  You must have stopped scrolling too soon! 😀

Edited October 8, 2021 by MrAtoz

[Moose135]

15 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

Why not Minot?

Freezin's the reason...

 

1 hour ago, ABay said:

The proper response to "I'm from Long Island" is "I'm sorry" if the person is nice and "No shit" if the person is an asshole.

I'm from Long Island.

[ABay]

I'm sorry.

[Moose135]

20 minutes ago, ABay said:

I'm sorry.

You don't know me well, do you?

😆

[bankerchick]

15 hours ago, SHD said:

Bragging point, maybe? Since he was going to be second no matter what, it would’ve been much cooler to tell people “I scored $12,000 against Matt”.

I have noticed more contestants making it a 'true daily double' since Matt is so far ahead they can't catch up anyway.  Zero or 6000 doesn't make a lot of difference when playing against a guy who is at 38,000, so you might as well make the play you have waited your whole Jeopardy-watching life to make.

Edited October 8, 2021 by bankerchick

[saber5055]

About the judges not accepting "biathalon" in FJ yesterday, Andy Saunders posted this on his TJF site today:

"Today is the final day of the Mike Richards era of Jeopardy!; he was fired as Executive Producer a few days after the taping of this episode. After yesterday’s judging debacle in Final Jeopardy—the judges accepted “triathalon” in 1999 and “pentathalon” in 2013—I’m glad to see this era end."

Edited October 8, 2021 by saber5055

[Clanstarling]

3 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

Edited to add:  To @Clanstarling, those graphs have been part of J-Archive for as long as I can remember.  You must have stopped scrolling too soon! 😀

Thanks! I do have a tendency to under scroll. 😆

[SomeTameGazelle]

21 hours ago, SHD said:

But I don’t think they’re letting HIM get away with stuff. The judging got lax before Matt came on board - contestants not answering in question form, for example, started to be allowed to slide by.

The standard used to be that Alex would let you off with a warning in the first round but penalize you in Double Jeopardy if you didn't correct it before time ran out. I haven’t noticed any inconsistency lately although I know I have seen a challenger correct himself. 

[853fisher]

These were pretty good boards for me, except gemstones and state geography.  I always love a mention of Lucy.  I didn't know about FJ, so I said "giraffe," which I thought was cute.

I didn't love Mayim's comment about the flying wedge.  I want the host of J! to exude mastery of the material, even though I understand that they don't necessarily know all these things independently.  I guess she thinks she's being appealingly self-effacing, maybe "relatable," when she makes those jokes or tells interviewers that she's sure she'd do badly as a contestant.  I'm sure others receive it that way too, but it's just not for me and I hope it's kept to a minimum.  She's still exceeding my expectations overall.

15 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

My guess is this is more for the benefit of the audience, who may not know the specific town, but recognize Cape Cod. I expect they would do the same for someone from Martha’s Vineyard, which is also a collection of little towns. Many shows (not sure about Jeopardy) also do this for suburbs of large cities. For example, someone who is introduced as being from Dallas, Texas, may actually live in next-door Garland.  Dallas is just a better locator. 

Thanks for this!  I hadn't considered that at all.  If it were me, I'd say, "let 'em Google it, I'm from _____."  But then I'm a pain in the ass, at least sometimes. ;)

[ams1001]

I like Mayim's outfit tonight! The houndstooth is a little busy but the dark blue blouse (a color I love) doesn't compete with it like the bright green did with the other jacket last week.

[853fisher]

Just now, ams1001 said:

I like Mayim's outfit tonight! The houndstooth is a little busy but the dark blue blouse (a color I love) doesn't compete with it like the bright green did with the other jacket last week.

I did too, and her hairstyle.  It was a really becoming look on her.  I would have said so in my own post but I didn't want it to seem like a tacky afterthought to my critique.  "Well, here's what I didn't like...but her outfit was nice."  But now you've put it on the table, I can second it.

[ams1001]

53% / 70% / 62%

Better game than last night, but I'm glad this week is over (Tuesday was my best game at 67%).

I ran October and got zero states, two Actor-Moguls, and three each in the rest in the first round. In DJ I ran I'd Like a Word With "U", got two Opera Houses, two Frenchmen, and four each in the other categories. 

There was only one TS in the whole game (fuel injection, in DJ); I didn't get it. But I did get all three DDs. 

FJ was an instaget. I had it at "zoologist looked for stitches" and "mammal"; I've heard that story before.
 

29 minutes ago, 853fisher said:

I did too, and her hairstyle.  It was a really becoming look on her.  I would have said so in my own post but I didn't want it to seem like a tacky afterthought to my critique.  "Well, here's what I didn't like...but her outfit was nice."  But now you've put it on the table, I can second it.

It was very librarian chic.

[DrSpaceman73]

So did everyone else hear the contestant say ironman TRIATHALON today and be ruled correct?   I guess they could argue it was ironman they wanted and the rest didn't matter, but still, looks bad after last night. 

A flying wedge is a football formation where the blockers line up in a v formation or 'wedge' and the runner is in the middle and behind them, makes it very hard to tackle.  Can't get to the runner.  And theyve cut back more and more on this over the years in the NFL because of concussions. They banned even two man wedges on kickoffs a few years back because kickoffs have the highest rate of concussions. It wasn't concussions on football that worries them at first though. Players literally were dying playing the game. 

[Prevailing Wind]

Closed captioning said "unalienable" rights. Did Max say that or inalienable? I was saying it at the same time, so didn't clearly hear his answer. I need to stop telling the cats what my responses are so I hear the real ones. LOL

[Browncoat]

Instaget FJ for me tonight.  I had it before Mayim even finished reading the clue.

I did not get any TS, though.  There was one I feel like I should have gotten, but I don't even remember what it was now.  

[ams1001]

16 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

Closed captioning said "unalienable" rights. Did Max say that or inalienable? I was saying it at the same time, so didn't clearly hear his answer. I need to stop telling the cats what my responses are so I hear the real ones. LOL

He said "unalienable"

10 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I did not get any TS, though.  There was one I feel like I should have gotten, but I don't even remember what it was now.  

The only one in the game was Fuel Injection.

[Browncoat]

7 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

The only one in the game was Fuel Injection.

That's the one -- it seemed obvious when Mayim said it.

[SyracuseMug]

I believe Matt reached the halfway point yesterday toward matching Ken's record, and now I just hope he can go all the way. Maybe even a hundred wins or more. 🙂

[shapeshifter]

Clown? Clown!?!?? How could TALES OF HORROR for $200 "...menaced not by 'Scarecrow in a Cornfield' but worse, this smiley creature 'In a Cornfield'" be a TS???

Were tonight's clues easier in general? IDK. I've been sleeping 2 hours a night all week and finally got a half hour nap before Jeopardy!, so maybe I was fresher than the folks at Jeopardy! Central.
FJ was an instaget too. 

 

10 hours ago, 853fisher said:

I didn't love Mayim's comment about the flying wedge.  I want the host of J! to exude mastery of the material, even though I understand that they don't necessarily know all these things independently.  I guess she thinks she's being appealingly self-effacing, maybe "relatable," when she makes those jokes or tells interviewers that she's sure she'd do badly as a contestant.  I'm sure others receive it that way too, but it's just not for me and I hope it's kept to a minimum.  She's still exceeding my expectations overall.

I twitched a tiny bit too at Mayim's attempt at self-effacement humor --which is Matt's schtick.
But Matt did it So Well tonight in describing how he yelled "Black Beauty! Black Beauty!" at his high school self (thereby making him even more relatable to long-time Jeopardy! viewers) that I can't fault Mayim, as a professional actor, for giving it a shot. This time.

Mayim's wardrobe was good all week. I have hope that they have figured it out so we won't have any distractions from that corner of the universe.

Edited October 9, 2021 by shapeshifter

[saber5055]

10 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Clown? Clown!?!?? How could TALES OF HORROR for $200 "...menaced not by 'Scarecrow in a Cornfield' but worse, this smiley creature 'In a Cornfield'" be a TS???

This is how. Not exactly fear inducing. Plus I've never heard of a clown in a cornfield, and all my closest neighbors are cornfields.

[sd dude]

17 hours ago, possibilities said:

Long Island is also full of separate towns, but people say "I'm from Long Island." Some places are just like that. 

True enough.  I have lived in SoCal for the past 30 years, and although there are plenty of LI transplants like myself, in general there is no point in being any more specific than New York, because most people here don't know anything about geography east of Pomona.  It only comes up when I meet another former New Yorker like myself, in which case the conversation always goes the same way:

Where you from?

New York.

Where in New York? 

Long Island.

Where on Long Island?

And then I know I've found another Lawn Guylander.

Interestingly, the same holds true when you still live on Long Island and you meet someone from NYC.  No point in saying anything more specific than Long Island, because the world doesn't exist beyond the City for those folks.  And if they are from Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens don't count as the City, either.

[Prevailing Wind]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

He said "unalienable"

OK. Thanks

Edited October 9, 2021 by Prevailing Wind

[possibilities]

I was mesmerized by Matt's tie today. I really  liked it. 

I was worried when I saw there was a Matt and a Max tonight, but Mayim did a very strong pronunciation to distinguish them, so there were no mishaps.

I also said "giraffe" for FJ, because I had heard a story about how no one believed such a creature was real when first discovered. But as soon as I saw "platypus" I knew that giraffe was not what they were looking for.

[Bastet]

I can't believe the clown TS (I've never heard of Clown in a Cornfield, but a "smiley creature" that would menace kids in a horror tale was a pretty good hint that I would never have expected not one of the three to come up with).  The fuel injection TS surprised me at first, too, but then I remembered contestants tend to miss clues about how cars run.

After a couple of rough games, I was back on track in the first round, running three categories and only missing one each in the others.  But in DJ, I only ran technology and gemstones, and blew the Frenchman category almost entirely, missing all but one.  I missed just one each in the rest, though, so still a good game overall.

Except I didn't get FJ, and then when it was revealed, I did the V8 head smack.

It's so great to watch this episode and know Richards got the boot afterward.

[HyeChaps]

So surprised that Matt wagered so little on Letter U.  Umami!  Of course he got it!  Where was his confidence?

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, HyeChaps said:

So surprised that Matt wagered so little on Letter U.  Umami!  Of course he got it!  Where was his confidence?

Matt surprised me a few times this past week by making more timid wagers. 
In an interview early in his run, Matt talked about not being comfortable with big, risky wagers and how Jeopardy! requires taking those risks at times.
In a more recent interview he mentioned having to think of it as “Monopoly money.” But then he had a couple of big losses that, IIRC, almost cost him the game.  
So I think Matt’s return to conservative wagering might reflect a goal to out-last Ken Jennings’ 74 winning games, as well as staying in his own comfort zone. 
🤷🏻‍♀️

 

Edited October 9, 2021 by shapeshifter

[shapeshifter]

On 10/7/2021 at 2:39 PM, M. Darcy said:

It’s ridiculous they keep letting him get away with this stuff - just saying Adams should never have been accepted.  And not that long ago, it never would have been. 

There have been many objections like this ☝️ one, both here and on other social media, to Matt’s (and some other recent contestants’) habit of giving only last names in their responses, and allowing these responses to be accepted without a “Be more specific.”

 I don’t know if this will settle the last-name-only objections, but it does offer a strong example of precedent:

Quote

…Jennings' entire winning streak nearly ended before it even began. [Jennings’ first] Final Jeopardy [clue] was, "She's the first female track & field athlete to win medals in five different events at a single Olympics." Jennings responded with "Who is Jones?", using only the last name of Marion Jones (who was not stripped of her medals until December 2007). Host Alex Trebek said, "We will accept that, in terms of female athletes, there aren't that many." If the response had not been accepted, Jennings would have finished in third place…

https://populartimelines.com/timeline/Ken-Jennings

 

[Clanstarling]

13 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Were tonight's clues easier in general? IDK. I've been sleeping 2 hours a night all week and finally got a half hour nap before Jeopardy!, so maybe I was fresher than the folks at Jeopardy! Central.
FJ was an instaget too.

Sleep deprivation must help you out - from where I stand, the questions weren't any easier. But then it's been a bad week for me on boards, but not so bad on FJ.

13 hours ago, saber5055 said:

This is how. Not exactly fear inducing. Plus I've never heard of a clown in a cornfield, and all my closest neighbors are cornfields.

Clearly you haven't seen IT. No cornfield, but a very scary clown, and I'm not even phobic about clowns like some people are. So I just pictured IT in a cornfield. (the latest IT, that is, Tim Curry was more campy than scary)

I didn't do well in October, but I nailed the first one because (TMI?) I got my annual mammo yesterday. And got the (good) results within an hour. Which is extraordinary. Thank you technology.

FJ was an instaget. I had to pull up a picture of it to show my husband that it also has a beaver tail. (or something like it). It's a supremely weird animal. One of nature's oopsies, or special surprises, who knows?

 

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, Clanstarling said:

Clearly you haven't seen IT. No cornfield, but a very scary clown, and I'm not even phobic about clowns like some people are.

I not only read "It" I own the book, and I saw the movie, yes. But Pennywise never went near a cornfield, in the movie or the book. So I have no idea where the writers got their idea for that (stupid) clue. Oh yeah, maybe because MR is not only the EP, he's one of the writers. That explains a lot of cr*p clues lately, and the stupid FJ rulings.

I don't have any problem with clowns, I don't see what freaks people out about them. Same with the word "moist." I just don't get it. Now if Jeopardy wants to talk about CHILDREN of the Corn, those kids were WAY creepy and more scary than any clown, and I remember being afraid to walk or even drive past cornfields when anyone would bring up those corn children. In fact, that was my answer to that clue. (Except they never smiled.)

[Clanstarling]

45 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

I not only read "It" I own the book, and I saw the movie, yes. But Pennywise never went near a cornfield, in the movie or the book. So I have no idea where the writers got their idea for that (stupid) clue. Oh yeah, maybe because MR is not only the EP, he's one of the writers. That explains a lot of cr*p clues lately, and the stupid FJ rulings.

I don't have any problem with clowns, I don't see what freaks people out about them. Same with the word "moist." I just don't get it. Now if Jeopardy wants to talk about CHILDREN of the Corn, those kids were WAY creepy and more scary than any clown, and I remember being afraid to walk or even drive past cornfields when anyone would bring up those corn children. In fact, that was my answer to that clue. (Except they never smiled.)

I had to look it up, but apparently there is a recent book and move called Clown in a Cornfield. So, it does come from somewhere (I'm all for blaming MR though). I didn't know that, but I put my two creepy King stories together somehow. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clown_in_a_Cornfield

I don't have a problem with clowns, but I do have a theory about why they creep people out. Their real faces are disguised by all that white and red makeup, so there is no way of knowing what their expressions really are. So I can get how they are scary to some.

Sorry about the the way I phrased the commenet, I was going to rewrite it, but it was early (my excuse for everything). I've owned at least 3 versions of the novel and watched every version. I gave my daughter my hardback as a Christmas present. IT is a thing with us.

She wore me down when she was  pre-teen (extremely persistent, a good trait now that she's out of the house)  and I finally said "fine, read it" and she scared herself silly. That's what passes as a heartwarming family story here. We had a great time going to see the first IT movie together awhile back, and the ticket is on my wall. I'm sentimental about the weirdest things.

 

Edited October 9, 2021 by Clanstarling

[shapeshifter]

52 minutes ago, Clanstarling said:

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

I not only read "It" I own the book, and I saw the movie, yes. But Pennywise never went near a cornfield, in the movie or the book. So I have no idea where the writers got their idea for that (stupid) clue. Oh yeah, maybe because MR is not only the EP, he's one of the writers. That explains a lot of cr*p clues lately, and the stupid FJ rulings.

I don't have any problem with clowns, I don't see what freaks people out about them. Same with the word "moist." I just don't get it. Now if Jeopardy wants to talk about CHILDREN of the Corn, those kids were WAY creepy and more scary than any clown, and I remember being afraid to walk or even drive past cornfields when anyone would bring up those corn children. In fact, that was my answer to that clue. (Except they never smiled.)

Expand  

Expand  

I had to look it up, but apparently there is a recent book and move called Clown in a Cornfield. So, it does come from somewhere (I'm all for blaming MR though). I didn't know that, but I put my two creepy King stories together somehow. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clown_in_a_Cornfield

I don't have a problem with clowns, but I do have a theory about why they creep people out. Their real faces are disguised by all that white and red makeup, so there is no way of knowing what their expressions really are. So I can get how they are scary to some.

Sorry about the the way I phrased the commenet, I was going to rewrite it, but it was early (my excuse for everything). I've owned at least 3 versions of the novel and watched every version. I gave my daughter my hardback as a Christmas present. IT is a thing with us.

She wore me down when she was  pre-teen (extremely persistent, a good trait now that she's out of the house)  and I finally said "fine, read it" and she scared herself silly. That's what passes as a heartwarming family story here. We had a great time going to see the first IT movie together awhile back, and the ticket is on my wall. I'm sentimental about the weirdest things.

I have dragged this discussion the the Small Talk thread here: https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/2175-small-talk-ill-take-non-show-chat-for-400-alex/?do=findComment&comment=7050854

 

[seacliffsal]

Lots of mentions about Mayim's clothing choices/styles but what I have really been noticing is that she has different eye glass frames every show.  Sigh.  Yes, I know-I should be paying more attention to the game, but sometimes it's just the little things.

[MrAtoz]

3 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I had to look it up, but apparently there is a recent book and move called Clown in a Cornfield. So, it does come from somewhere (I'm all for blaming MR though). I didn't know that, but I put my two creepy King stories together somehow. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clown_in_a_Cornfield

Indeed, the clue is a direct reference to that novel.  It mentioned "the kids of Kettle Springs," which is the town where Clown in a Cornfield is set.  So you've got the mention of the setting, for those who have read the novel, and the word "smiley" as a hint for those who haven't.  Seems like a perfectly legitimate clue to me.

And clowns are awful!

[JMarie99]

I am officially in the midst of Jeopardy withdrawal. I skipped Thursday and Friday and I’m hoping I can get through Monday without watching. I just can’t take any more Matt. I’m sure he’s a lovely person but he has ruined the game for me. I’m sick of the runaway games. I’m sick of “What’s Churchill” or whatever. My 4-year-old grandson can tell the difference between a person, place or thing. It’s not that hard.  I’m sick of him ringing in before he knows the answer (although of course he usually does end up knowing it!). I’m sick of him scooping up all the high-money questions at the beginning of the round - and now the other contestants are doing it as well. I always find myself liking one or both of the other contestants, hoping they may have a chance, but soon realizing they are doomed. I’m done. I’ll be keeping my eye on the news for when he eventually loses and then I’ll start watching again. 

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, JMarie99 said:

…I just can’t take any more Matt. I’m sure he’s a lovely person but he has ruined the game for me.…

Fair enough. 
I’d offer to message you when my “internet son” eventually loses, but you’ll likely hear some sort of collective noise faster than I can type, LOL.

See you on the other side!

[ams1001]

From today's NY Times "The Morning" newsletter:

Quote

‘The Amodio rodeo’ continues

Matt Amodio doesn’t come off as an aggressive person. He is a self-effacing graduate student from Ohio who hopes to become a computer science professor. But Amodio is also a strategically ruthless “Jeopardy!” player on the second-longest winning streak in the show’s history.

His biggest advantage is his broad knowledge, gleaned partly from reading Wikipedia pages late into the night. But he also benefits from a Moneyball approach to the game, looking for almost any small advantage.

He starts almost every response with “What’s … ,” rather than wasting mental energy on choosing among “What,” “Who” or “Where.” He pauses after saying “What’s …” even when he seems to know the answer, to double check himself. When the correct response is a person, he gives only the last name, to avoid a needless mistake on the first name.

He also uses a betting strategy — aggressive early, often cautious later — that maximizes his chances of winning the game, rather than maximizing his winning dollar total.

As of Friday’s show, Amodio, who is a graduate student at Yale, had won 38 games, still a long way from Ken Jennings’s record of 74. Amodio has somehow managed to become popular even among the players he beats, The Ringer’s Claire McNear reported: When his total winnings exceeded $1 million, he received a standing ovation from the defeated players in the room.

I probably won't be able to watch Thursday; it's my mom's birthday and apparently we're going out to dinner (my dad texted me the other day to ask what time I could get to a specific restaurant, I told him and he said he'd let me know). Even if we go back to my parents' house after I doubt it'll be by 7:00. It'll be the first game I'll miss this season (not counting ones that got preempted; guess I'll be searching youtube). :( 

Edited October 11, 2021 by ams1001

[saber5055]

2 hours ago, ams1001 said:

guess I'll be searching youtube

I had luck catching an episode I missed last week on YouTube later that evening, so good luck to you. And an early happy birthday to your mom. That's a special event and worthy of a YouTube search later.

It's interesting to me how many viewers don't watch this show to play along to see how many clues/answers they can get correct. Contestants and how they play aren't important to me, I remember only a handful of past players, and no One And Dones. I watch to see how much I know and maybe learn something. And if I know a category (say, Purebred Dogs), starting at the low-dollar clues is not smart play. These contestants are on the show with the objective to win, not to make viewers at home happy.

I will add, however, that my current teevee boyfriend is making me very happy.