Jeopardy! Season 35 (2018-2019)

[Katy M]

I think I only missed 1 FJ all week. That's pretty good.  Love Fahrenheit 451.  The book moreso than the movie, but the movie was still pretty good.

Not unshockingly, I did not know what country bordered Colombia.  I did however know the capital.  So-so day for me.  But, I did better in Double than Single.

[M. Darcy]

I just watched Wed-Friday’s shows all in a row and thought all 3 FJs were easy. 

The messages being written next to FJ are driving me batshit crazy. I would love it if they started counting any answers he gets correct wrong because they start including them as his answer. 

[Bastet]

That odd noise you heard was me yelling "Junior!"  Martin Luther King, Jr., not Martin Luther King, wrote "Letter From a Birmingham Jail."  I was annoyed with both James and Alex on that one.

James is sure impressive to watch play, but I'm going to need treatment for eyeball sprain if I roll them too many more times at all these silly shout-outs he works into his wagers and FJ answers.

[peeayebee]

No TSs for me. (Were there any?)

I blew FJ. Stupidly I immediately said '1984,' but I really did know it was 'Fahrenheit 451.' Honestly.

[Katy M]

25 minutes ago, Bastet said:

That odd noise you heard was me yelling "Junior!"  Martin Luther King, Jr., not Martin Luther King, wrote "Letter From a Birmingham Jail."  I was annoyed with both James and Alex on that one.

They have never ruled wrong for leaving off the junior on MLK.

[Toothbrush]

I'm getting bored with these runaway games.

It's sad that I knew James had already wished Scarlett a happy birthday before Alex mentioned it. 

As we were ff'ing through the commercials during some show we were watching Dr. Toothbrush had me stop on a commercial for Chipotle because one of the actors looked like James. Finding his doppelganger is a game at this point 😃

[GreekGeek]

8 hours ago, Bastet said:

That odd noise you heard was me yelling "Junior!"  Martin Luther King, Jr., not Martin Luther King, wrote "Letter From a Birmingham Jail."  I was annoyed with both James and Alex on that one.

8 hours ago, Katy M said:

They have never ruled wrong for leaving off the junior on MLK.

Right, and if they really wanted to get nitpicky they could rule "a Birmingham jail" incorrect because it's always referred to as "Birmingham Jail," meaning one specific jail.

I missed the show last night (and can't find episodes on YouTube anymore) but read the outcome and FJ on thejeopardyfan.com. I assume it was another runaway going into FJ?

[Trey]

1 hour ago, GreekGeek said:

I assume it was another runaway going into FJ?

Yes, it was.  His winnings last night would also have broken Roger Craig's old record.

Another pair of gutsy challengers did pretty well against James but he still steamrollered them.

No ts's for me either but I did get FJ pretty quickly, after rejecting 1984.

[PaulaO]

I got FJ! from the books part of the clue but thought the book was written in the 60s.

[Clanstarling]

I'd been spoiled that FJ involved Bradbury, so I decided to judge whether or not I'd have gotten the FJ regardless - which was a firm yes. I loved the book - not so much the recent movie, despite loving the actors.

[BradandJanet]

I'm enjoying James's run. He's an information machine, and he's not afraid to throw down a bet. He projects confidence and calmness too, not waving his hands around mashing the buzzer like most contestants do. He plays poker, and I imagine he's very good at it. 

[graybrown bird]

If writing extra crap next to your FJ answer is against the rules and thus to be discouraged, why the heck does Alex make it a point to read that extra crap out loud to the audience? Does he think it's cute?  Ugh.

Edited April 13, 2019 by graybrown bird
Typo

[aces]

I just binge watched all of this week's episodes and I have to say I was disappointed that James didn't know the question about NFL's PAT considering he's a sports bettor. Other than that, impressive!

And if I'm not mistaken he admitted to being an arb bettor??

[Clanstarling]

I don't know from gambling. I once spent a week at a conference at the MGM Grand in Vegas and didn't spend a single dime gambling. Heck, even with silly bets at home, I only bet things like kisses (where we both win). I hold on to my money. That being said, if I ever were on Jeopardy, I'd probably pull a Claven, because my mind skitters away from math. I can do it, but not with a deadline.

I have no problem with the extra messages, though having a family that's small and barely extended, it's amazing to me how many people he has so he can wish Happy Birthday (btw, Happy 103rd Birthday Beverly Cleary).  Some of those extra messages (not his) have been pretty amusing.

I'm not particularly fond of runaway games, I like it when all three contestants have 5 figures going into final jeopardy. That being said, James is impressive, and sometimes it's fun just to watch the machine roll over everyone.

Edited April 13, 2019 by Clanstarling

[SHD]

3 hours ago, Trey said:

Another pair of gutsy challengers did pretty well against James but he still steamrollered them.

I’m surprised how well the challengers have done against him. He seems to be not only smart but good on the buzzer. I’m sure they know the answers to most of the ones he gets but their buzzer timing just isn’t as precise. I’m not sure what will be his downfall. My guess is a DD “all in” bet that he blows too late in the game.

I’m kind of surprised that challengers are just accepting and adopting his starting at the bottom clue now.

Edited April 13, 2019 by SHD

[3 is enough]

I am enjoying James' run.  You have to respect the fact that aside from the gutsy wagers he does have a wide base of knowledge.  

I live in Las Vegas, and he was on the front page of the paper yesterday.  He is a Golden Knights fan, and he said one of his fondest wishes is to crank the siren at a home game. Here's hoping that he will get his wish on Sunday or Tuesday!  Go Knights Go!

[GenerationX]

I vastly prefer starting at the top of each category and working down.  However, I understand and appreciate the strategy James has been using.  In SJ, he picks all the big $ clues first to try to build a bank before hitting the DD.  In DJ, he immediately hunts for DDs, picking the mid-level clues likely to have them.  If he catches one early, he'll go all-in and lock up the game right there.  I've not seen him even remotely rattled or nervous.

[ProudMary]

1 hour ago, SHD said:

I’m kind of surprised that challengers are just accepting and adopting his starting at the bottom clue now.

I'm very surprised at this also, especially when you consider that those of us in the television audience have had the benefit of watching James for seven games now and have gotten familiar with his M.O.  Are contestants who are scheduled to be challengers in shortly upcoming games allowed to watch games occurring prior to theirs? If not, big kudos to those who've been adapting that quickly to the game strategy James has been using.

[saber5055]

3 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

I loved the book - not so much the recent movie, despite loving the actors.

I don't think I ever read the book and did not know it was a recent movie, because it was on HBO, not the three network channels my rural antenna brings in. But, like @PaulaO, I got the answer easily from the "books were harmed" since, for some reason, I knew that book was about "firemen" burning books. Side note: 451 degrees F is the temp book paper starts to burn.

Some interesting stats from TheJeopardyFan.com about James:

• At $415,035, James moves to #4 on the all-time regular-play winnings list and #14 all-time overall.

• James’ $22,012 is a record for a player after the Jeopardy! round. The previous best score that I’ve been able to find is $16,800, from Matt Jackson on October 8, 2015.

• James is the first player since Austin Rogers to win all 5 games in a taping week.

• It had been a week’s worth of episodes (and the previous tape date a week earlier) since James had bet $9,812, so Alex could be excused for not remembering James’ Sept. 8, 2012 anniversary. Although @Toothbrush remembered!

• James’ performance of 32 correct without being incorrect (as well as getting Final Jeopardy! correct) is not a record. David Madden had a game of 35 correct, 0 incorrect, plus Final.

• Through 7 games, the only 2 players who have earned more on Daily Doubles than James Holzhauer are Matt Jackson and Ken Jennings.

Edited April 13, 2019 by saber5055

[Prevailing Wind]

2 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Side note: 451 degrees F is the temp book paper starts to burn.

I read an interview with Bradbury where he says that's not really true. Googling reveals:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-fahrenheit-451/

"Finally, you probably know that Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which paper burns, a bit of accepted wisdom that is fundamentally wrong. Paper will absolutely burn at that temperature. It will also burn at lower  temperatures, or not until the heat is cranked higher. It all depends on the kind of paper, and whether you’re talking about a single sheet or a thick book. Some point out that the temperature at which paper will spontaneously burn is pretty close to 451 degrees Fahrenheit, but even, so there’s some range there. The fact is, Bradbury asked one scientist for a number, liked the sound of it, and didn’t care to do any additional research. Which is great, because “Celsius 233” doesn’t have the same ring to it."

[Katy M]

3 hours ago, SHD said:

I’m kind of surprised that challengers are just accepting and adopting his starting at the bottom clue now.

It would be stupid not to.  If he starts at $1000 and you get the clue and then go to a $200 and he gets that one and goes back to the bottom, he's going to be the one that gets the DDs every single time.  Obviously, he's more likely to anyway, just on percentage since he's answering more questions, but if you're specifically allowing him to get to all the big clues before you do, you're assuring it.

[DrSpaceman]

Article I came across last night on not just him but his strategy.  Basically the strategy he is using, from a gambling and game play standpoint, is considered pretty much perfect for the rules of Jeopardy. 

Also pointed out, he rarely buzzes in and gets the wrong answer, which is important as well.  Up to the time of the article in his games, it had only happened like 4 times for him.  He doesn't guess if he doesn't know. 

https://www.wired.com/story/jeopardy-record-james-holzhauer-strategy/

Edited April 14, 2019 by DrSpaceman

[Clanstarling]

3 minutes ago, DrSpaceman said:

Article I came across last night on not just him but his strategy.  Basically the strategy he is using, from a gambling and game play standpoint, is considered pretty much perfect for the rules of Jeopardy. 

Also pointed out, he rarely buzzes in and gets the wrong answer, which is important as well.  Up to the time of the article in his games, it had only happened like 4 times for him.  He doesn't guess if he doesn't know. 

https://www.wired.com/story/jeopardy-record-james-holzhauer-strategy/

Guessing has tripped up so many people. Not guessing is a sound strategy. It'll be interesting to see how long James keeps this up.

[peeayebee]

I realize he wouldn't buzz in if he didn't know the answer, but I think when he doesn't buzz in during a string of clues it's because he wants to give the other contestants a chance to answer. 

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, peeayebee said:

I think when he doesn't buzz in during a string of clues it's because he wants to give the other contestants a chance to answer. 

I felt like that as Friday's game neared its end. James was silent for an extended period, which made me think he was sitting on his buzzer (not literally!), and I wondered about it. Then he buzzed in and cleared the last few clues. I wondered how much money someone would have to win to be generous to the other players, even though the amounts were small. If true, that was very kind of him. If not true, it was still kind!

I laugh because I can't imagine the amount James has won so far. I'm still the budget-conscious person who had to pay every dime of my college education out of my own pocket, and as a kid, if I wanted something, I had to earn money from babysitting and lawn mowing to buy it. Well, as an adult too.

[Browncoat]

10 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

if I wanted something, I had to earn money from babysitting and lawn mowing to buy it. Well, as an adult too.

I don't have any babysitting jobs for you, but you're welcome to come mow my lawn any time!

[saber5055]

24 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I don't have any babysitting jobs for you, but you're welcome to come mow my lawn any time! 

Only if you can cough up my rate of $2 per lawn. Car washes: $1.

Edited April 14, 2019 by saber5055

[DrSpaceman]

I too wondered in Friday's games if he was letting others buzz in at the end.  I don't think he cares as much about the lower dollar amounts once he is that far ahead. 

[Bliss]

1 hour ago, saber5055 said:

Only if you can cough up my rate of $2 per lawn. Car washes: $1.

I'll hire you in perpetuity!

[Bliss]

41 minutes ago, DrSpaceman said:

I too wondered in Friday's games if he was letting others buzz in at the end.  I don't think he cares as much about the lower dollar amounts once he is that far ahead. 

Agreed... had the exact same thought.

[hendersonrocks]

Quote

I felt like that as Friday's game neared its end. James was silent for an extended period, which made me think he was sitting on his buzzer (not literally!), and I wondered about it. Then he buzzed in and cleared the last few clues. I wondered how much money someone would have to win to be generous to the other players, even though the amounts were small. If true, that was very kind of him. If not true, it was still kind!

Add me to the list of people wondering the same thing. I will be interested if the pattern continues, assuming he keeps going for a while. I thought that if it was indeed intentional, it was an incredibly gracious move - not trying to rack up dollars and records, but instead letting other people have some success. That would be...unusual for game shows, no?

[saber5055]

26 minutes ago, hendersonrocks said:

That would be...unusual for game shows, no? 

Not just game shows. Humans in general are rude, selfish and greedy. To see someone be kind and thoughtful to others is refreshing and gives hope that not everyone is horrible. JMHO, of course, based on life experience. I kinda hope this guy sticks around for a long time.

[DrSpaceman]

On Wheel of Fortune once I saw it happen

They were done to the final puzzle in the regular game and this lady kept picking just bad letters that weren't there, no one knew what was going on.  She later said she was trying to let one of the other players win who didn't have any money yet

[GenerationX]

There are unwritten rules in sports.  When a baseball team is up by a healthy margin, they stop stealing.  A football team in the same situation won't pass on first or second down.  It's taking your foot off the gas, because you don't want to rub it in.  Good sportsmanship says you don't need that extra base or 25-yard pass play as much as you need to let your opponent walk away without feeling completely humiliated.

I had that sense, too, that James knew he won the game and thought about being a good sport.  

[Writing Wrongs]

I have quit watching Jeopardy until the current champ is gone. My annoyance was outweighing my pleasure in watching, so I decided to step away. I really miss it, though. 😞

Somebody please beat him!

[adhoc]

I thought one of today's contestants looked pretty demoralized. Guess I would, too--you wait a long time, score a spot on the show, and then you're up against a human encyclopedia who's gobbling up all the cash/clearing the board like pac-man...

[SHD]

21 hours ago, GenerationX said:

 I had that sense, too, that James knew he won the game and thought about being a good sport.  

That crossed my mind, but it makes the least sense in Jeopardy, since people don’t get to keep the money they rack up unless they win. The other two are only ever going to get second and third place amounts, no matter what they earn. I’d believe it more if he answered NO questions at the end, but if his intention is to make challengers feel better, coming in right at the end and steamrolling them on the last few questions seems more like a “There, I hope you enjoyed your ‘gimmes’ but let me run over you at the end” move. I would think contestants on Jeopardy wouldn’t want pity points, anyway.

1 hour ago, adhoc said:

I thought one of today's contestants looked pretty demoralized. 

I felt that, too. But she kind of had that look even from the start. It did get worse as the game went on, though.

1 hour ago, Writing Wrongs said:

I have quit watching Jeopardy until the current champ is gone. My annoyance was outweighing my pleasure in watching, so I decided to step away. I really miss it, though. 😞

Somebody please beat him!

I hardly ever feel this way, except I did for that one champ...I think his name was Ryan.

The end scores of today’s game were disappointing because really no one had to bet anything in FJ. Even all in, third place couldn’t catch second place, second place couldn’t catch first place. 

I thought FJ was pretty easy. Did anyone have a guess that wasn’t the right answer? I can see not coming up with anything, but I couldn’t even have imagined what else it could be that made sense with the year.

[Browncoat]

I drew a blank, despite knowing it had to have something to do with WWII.  I didn't think it could have been anything in Europe, but events in the Pacific theater just didn't come to me in time.  I'm probably going to do very badly in the FJ contest until James is gone -- I find it hard to give the game my full attention when it's like there's only one person playing.

[Kathira]

9 minutes ago, SHD said:

I thought FJ was pretty easy. Did anyone have a guess that wasn’t the right answer? I can see not coming up with anything, but I couldn’t even have imagined what else it could be that made sense with the year.

I went with James's initial guess of D-Day. I figured that was probably wrong, but couldn't think of anything else.

[Katy M]

I got final right.  I did not do well in the first winner.  I think the only one I got was The Rose Bowl.  Also didn't do very well in in the country, or whatever it was called.  But, I think I got a couple.  Did better in the Biblical Paintings.  

[hendersonrocks]

Quote

I thought one of today's contestants looked pretty demoralized. Guess I would, too--you wait a long time, score a spot on the show, and then you're up against a human encyclopedia who's gobbling up all the cash/clearing the board like pac-man...

It was bad from jump - I think she was initially frustrated that she wasn't getting anything off the buzzer, based on some of her body language, and then it kind of went downhill from there with lots of side-eyes (putting it mildly). I was glad to see her be able to laugh a little bit in FJ.

It was interesting to see James go down to 0 on a bad DD bet. He didn't let it faze him, but no doubt it helped that it was so early on.

[KLovestoShop]

I’m surprised that they have made so many of the Daily Doubles so easy.  When I know the answers, they’re not all that tough because I’m no Einstein.  I’d really like to see the DD’s be very tough when he does his “All In” push.  

[Browncoat]

I did get pine and stylus.  I figured stylus was a TS because it was before their time (along with vinyl records and turntables).  🙂

[Katy M]

4 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I did get pine and stylus.  I figured stylus was a TS because it was before their time (along with vinyl records and turntables).  🙂

I had a record player, but I had no clue.  I always just called it the needle.

[saber5055]

26 minutes ago, SHD said:

I hardly ever feel this way, except I did for that one champ...I think his name was Ryan.

Oh, man, I disliked that guy. Jeopardy has a rerun every Sunday night at midnight. Last week I tuned in and RYAN was on. Gah. I turned it off. Last night I tuned in and Ryan is still there. Double gah. I'll try again next Sunday with hopes he's gone.

28 minutes ago, SHD said:

I thought FJ was pretty easy. Did anyone have a guess that wasn’t the right answer? I can see not coming up with anything, but I couldn’t even have imagined what else it could be that made sense with the year.

I instantly said D-Day invasion although I didn't know what "real" people the stamp would depict, maybe just generic soldiers. Iwo Jima was a "duh" moment. But most FJs are for me so today was no different. They are EIYKI, like everything in life.

I missed all of this episode except got home in time to see FJ. I might try to find it online. Or not. Probably not.

[SHD]

4 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

Jeopardy has a rerun every Sunday night at midnight. Last week I tuned in and RYAN was on. Gah. I turned it off. Last night I tuned in and Ryan is still there. Double gah. I'll try again next Sunday with hopes he's gone.

We get the reruns on Saturday. They seem to like picking a long-running winner and they show all that person’s games. They just finished months of Austin reruns and now they started Ryan’s wins. Ugh.

6 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

I  instantly said D-Day invasion although I didn't know what "real" people the stamp would depict, maybe just generic soldiers. Iwo Jima was a "duh" moment. But most FJs are for me so today was no different. They are EIYKI, like everything in life.

In my case it was easy because I’m kind of a dope. I’m terrible at history and that was the only thing I could think of. D-Day (a perfectly reasonable guess) never even entered my mind.

[ProudMary]

Oh to have enough money to have a "year of wow."  James' wife has a fabulous idea there!

[Kathira]

16 minutes ago, hendersonrocks said:

It was interesting to see James go down to 0 on a bad DD bet. He didn't let it faze him, but no doubt it helped that it was so early on.

I wondered whether or not Alex essentially egged him on to do it, by stopping to explain James's "all in" gesture before the wager. If he hadn't made it up and won anyway, it would sort of been Alex's fault.

[Grundoon59]

I am deeply envious of The Year of Wow.  It sounds wonderful and a great way to use winnings if you don't need them for more practical purposes.  

Possibly because of my recent trip to the WWII Museum, FJ was an instaget.  Also I remembered that the men from Iwo Jima were used for a lot of wartime propaganda.

Edited April 16, 2019 by Grundoon59
Because rent doesn't equal recent.

[Prevailing Wind]

Are y'all talking about Ryan, the Puppy Ignorer?  Fenster.  I had a boss named Fenster and Ryan would be about the right age to be his grandson. I found him on FB and he had no friends or relatives from my ex-boss' family, so I decided they weren't related, even though he had a physical resemblance to my ex-boss & his two sons.

Yeah, that Year of Wow sounds amazing!!