Strategies and skills of Jeopardy! champions: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Winning strategies used by Jeopardy! champions}} |
{{Short description|Winning strategies used by Jeopardy! champions}} |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}} |
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}} |
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''[[Jeopardy!]]'' is an American [[game show]] in which [[player (game)|contestant]]s use certain |
''[[Jeopardy!]]'' is an American [[quiz]] [[game show]] in which [[player (game)|contestant]]s use certain [[Strategy (game theory)|strategies]] and [[skill]]s to increase their chances of winning each game, win the most games, and ensure large [[American game show winnings records#2003–present: The Jeopardy! multimillionaires|winnings]]. |
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== |
== Strategies and skills == |
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From the outset, contestants tend to have exceptional natural abilities they are born with and skills they develop, such as very [[Intelligence quotient|high intelligence]], excellent [[Recall (memory)|recall memory]], superior knowledge of [[trivia]] and other facts, and lightning [[Cognition|mental]] and [[Motor planning|motor]] [[Mental chronometry|reaction time]]s.<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /><ref name="Pinsker_4/24/2019" /> |
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Because [[Memory and aging|memory]], reaction time, and certain other [[aging brain|brain functions decline with age]], the game favors the young. Therefore, one would think that older players cannot do well, but here their greater [[lifelong learning|acquired knowledge]] may compensate for the negative effects of older age.<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /> |
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The statistics documenting contestants' success are found at ''Jeopardy!'s'' "Hall of Fame".<ref name="JeopardyHOF" /><ref name="Belatedly">Belatedly, the Hall of Fame isn't always up-to-date, so check dates.</ref> |
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Many general and specific [[betting strategy|betting strategies]] have been described by fans who study the game and discover how contestants use them.<ref name="JFan_11/29/2019">{{cite web | title=Wagering Strategy 101: How To Bet In Final Jeopardy | website=The Jeopardy! Fan | date=November 29, 2019 | url=https://thejeopardyfan.com/final-jeopardy-betting | access-date=December 4, 2021}}</ref> |
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== Strategies == |
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{{seealso|Jeopardy!#Gameplay}} |
{{seealso|Jeopardy!#Gameplay}} |
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[[File:Jeopardy! game board US.svg|thumb|300px|right|The layout of the ''Jeopardy!'' game board since November 26, 2001, showing the dollar values used in the first round (in the second round, the values are doubled). Categories at the top of the board vary between each round and episode.]] |
[[File:Jeopardy! game board US.svg|thumb|300px|right|The layout of the ''Jeopardy!'' game board since November 26, 2001, showing the dollar values used in the first round (in the second round, the values are doubled). Categories at the top of the board vary between each round and episode.]] |
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From the outset, contestants tend to have exceptional natural [[aptitude|abilities]] they are born with and skills they [[Personal development|develop]], such as very [[Intelligence quotient|high intelligence]], excellent [[Recall (memory)|recall memory]], superior knowledge of [[trivia]] and other facts, and lightning [[Cognition|mental]] and [[Motor planning|motor]] [[Mental chronometry|reaction time]]s.<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /><ref name="Pinsker_4/24/2019" /> |
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The following are some of the skills and strategies used by champions: |
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Because [[Memory and aging|memory]], reaction time, and certain other [[aging brain|brain functions decline with age]], [[Ken Jennings]] said in 2004 that "It's kind of a young person's game." Therefore, one would think that older players cannot do well, but here their greater [[lifelong learning|acquired knowledge]] may compensate for the negative effects of older age.<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /> |
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=== 1. The fastest to ring the buzzer === |
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=== Buzzer management === |
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The timing of when to hit the [[buzzer]] is crucial,<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /><ref name="MacDonald_1/8/2020" /><ref name="Jeopardy!_12/3/2018">{{cite web | title=The Infamous Jeopardy! Buzzer Is the Key to Becoming a Jeopardy! Champion - J!Buzz | website=[[Jeopardy!|Jeopardy.com]] | date=December 3, 2018 | url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/behind-scenes/infamous-jeopardy-buzzer-key-becoming-jeopardy-champion | access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020">{{cite web | last=Woodward | first=Aylin | title=The greatest tournament in 'Jeopardy!' history pits 3 famous champs against each other this week. Here are the tricks they've used to win big. | website=[[Business Insider]] | date=January 7, 2020 | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/jeopardy-champions-use-statistics-game-theory-to-win-millions-2019-4 | access-date=November 28, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Jeopardy_buzzer">{{cite web | title=How Does the Jeopardy! Buzzer Work? - J!Buzz | website=[[Jeopardy!|Jeopardy.com]] | date=December 3, 2018 | url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/behind-scenes/how-does-jeopardy-buzzer-work | access-date=November 28, 2021}}</ref> as the show uses a [[lock-out device]] to determine in real-time which contestant has activated their signal first. Mastering the signaling device is commonly said to be at least as important as knowing the correct response to each clue.<ref name="Brainiac">{{cite book |last=Jennings |first=Ken |title=Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs |publisher=Villard |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-4000-6445-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/brainiac00kenj }}</ref> |
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The timing of when to hit the [[buzzer]] is crucial,<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /><ref name="MacDonald_1/8/2020" /><ref name="Jeopardy!_12/3/2018">{{cite web | title=The Infamous Jeopardy! Buzzer Is the Key to Becoming a Jeopardy! Champion – J!Buzz | website=[[Jeopardy!|Jeopardy.com]] | date=December 3, 2018 | url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/behind-scenes/infamous-jeopardy-buzzer-key-becoming-jeopardy-champion | access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020">{{cite web | last=Woodward | first=Aylin | title=The greatest tournament in 'Jeopardy!' history pits 3 famous champs against each other this week. Here are the tricks they've used to win big. | website=[[Business Insider]] | date=January 7, 2020 | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/jeopardy-champions-use-statistics-game-theory-to-win-millions-2019-4 | access-date=November 28, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Jeopardy_buzzer">{{cite web | title=How Does the Jeopardy! Buzzer Work? – J!Buzz | website=[[Jeopardy!|Jeopardy.com]] | date=December 3, 2018 | url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/behind-scenes/how-does-jeopardy-buzzer-work | access-date=November 28, 2021}}</ref> as the show uses a [[lock-out device]] to determine in real-time which contestant has activated their signal first. Mastering the signaling device is commonly said to be at least as important as knowing the correct response to each clue.<ref name="Brainiac">{{cite book |last=Jennings |first=Ken |title=Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs |publisher=Villard |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-4000-6445-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/brainiac00kenj }}</ref> |
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Speed is essential, as getting the opportunity to answer more clues first and right allows a player to pick more clues, thus increasing their chances of finding the Daily Doubles.<ref name="Boulton_12/10/2018" /> |
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Speed is essential, as getting the opportunity to answer more clues first and right allows a player to pick more clues, thus increasing their chances of finding the Daily Doubles.<ref name="Boulton_12/10/2018" /> |
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=== 2. Push the buzzer before knowing the answer === |
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Winning contestants have a "just go for it" mentality and often push the buzzer before they know if they can answer correctly, trusting that they probably can.<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /><ref name="MacDonald_1/8/2020" /> Playing fast is part of [[James Holzhauer]]'s "optimal strategy".<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /><ref name="Pinsker_4/24/2019" /> |
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=== Category and question management === |
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They have a "just go for it" mentality and often push the buzzer before they know if they can answer correctly, trusting that they probably can.<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /><ref name="MacDonald_1/8/2020" /> |
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Starting at the bottom with the high-value clues is part of the "Forrest Bounce" strategy and wins the most money, keeps the other contestants from earning as much, and increases the chances of finding the Daily Doubles.<ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020" /><ref name="Marchese_11/12/2018">{{cite web |first=David |last=Marchese |url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/alex-trebek-jeopardy-in-conversation.html |title=In Conversation: Alex Trebek: The Jeopardy! icon on retirement, his legacy, and why knowledge matters |website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] |publisher=[[New York (magazine)|New York Media]] |date=November 12, 2018 |access-date=April 8, 2023 |quote=What bothers me is when contestants jump all over the board even after the Daily Doubles have been dealt with. Why are they doing that? They're doing themselves a disservice. When the show's writers construct categories they do it so that there's a flow in terms of difficulty, and if you jump to the bottom of the category you may get a clue that would be easier to understand if you'd begun at the top of the category and saw how the clues worked. |archive-date=November 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113001332/https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/alex-trebek-jeopardy-in-conversation.html |url-access=subscription}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="Stump_4/18/2019">{{cite web | last=Stump | first=Scott | title='Jeopardy!' champ James Holzhauer has now won over $1 million | website=[[Today (American TV program)|Today]] | date=April 18, 2019 | url=https://www.today.com/popculture/jeopardy-winner-james-holzhauer-sets-sights-new-record-t152397 | access-date=November 27, 2021}}</ref> [[Alex Trebek]] objected to this strategy, as the clues become more difficult as one moves down the board.<ref name="Marchese_11/12/2018" /><ref name="Pennypacker_4/12/2017">{{cite web | last=Pennypacker | first=Jo | title=Ice Breaker Riddles | website=Our Pastimes | date=April 12, 2017 | url=https://ourpastimes.com/ice-breaker-riddles-8152920.html | access-date=November 29, 2021 |quote=The $100 questions are the easiest and they get harder as they move up to the $500 ones. }}</ref> |
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=== 3. Play fast === |
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The "Forrest Bounce" is a strategy, named after [[Chuck Forrest]], in which contestants randomly pick clues to confuse opponents, as well as choosing higher-value clues from the bottom of the board.<ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020" /><ref name="Marchese_11/12/2018" /><ref name="Stump_4/18/2019" /><ref name="harris">{{cite book|last=Harris|first=Bob|title=Prisoner of Trebekistan|year=2006|publisher=Crown Publishers|isbn=978-0-307-33956-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/prisoneroftrebek00bobh/page/85 85]|quote=In September of 1985 [Forrest] pioneered a technique (still called the 'Forrest Bounce') in which he selected clues not in simple vertical lines but by hopscotching back and forth across the game board, continually changing categories.|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/prisoneroftrebek00bobh/page/85}} See also Dupée, ''op. cit.'', p. 69.</ref><ref name="secrets">Forrest, Chuck and [[Mark Lowenthal|Lowenthal, Mark]] (1992). ''Secrets of the Jeopardy Champions''. Grand Central Publishing. {{ISBN|978-0-446-39352-2}}, {{ISBN|0-446-39352-5}}.</ref> The Forrest Bounce is applied in the Jeopardy! and Double Jeopardy! rounds with the player in control of the board "bouncing" between different categories rather than continuing through individual categories in sequence. According to Forrest, "The basic point is, you know where you're going next and [your competitors] don't."<ref name="secrets" /> |
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Play fast all the time. This is part of Holzhauer's "optimal strategy".<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /><ref name="Pinsker_4/24/2019" /> |
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=== 4. Don't guess unless fairly certain === |
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Wrong answers deplete their own winnings and give clues to the other contestants.{{cn|date=December 2021}} |
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=== 5. Start at the bottom with the high-value clues === |
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This is part of the "Forrest Bounce" strategy and wins the most money, keeps the other contestants from earning as much, and increases the chances of finding the Daily Doubles.<ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020" /><ref name="Marchese_11/12/2018">{{cite web | first=David |last=Marchese| url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/alex-trebek-jeopardy-in-conversation.html| title=In Conversation: Alex Trebek| work=Vulture.com |date=November 12, 2018 |access-date=November 13, 2018 |quote=What bothers me is when contestants jump all over the board even after the Daily Doubles have been dealt with. Why are they doing that? They're doing themselves a disservice. When the show's writers construct categories they do it so that there's a flow in terms of difficulty, and if you jump to the bottom of the category you may get a clue that would be easier to understand if you'd begun at the top of the category and saw how the clues worked. }}</ref><ref name="Stump_4/18/2019">{{cite web | last=Stump | first=Scott | title='Jeopardy!' champ James Holzhauer has now won over $1 million | website=[[Today (American TV program)|Today]] | date=April 18, 2019 | url=https://www.today.com/popculture/jeopardy-winner-james-holzhauer-sets-sights-new-record-t152397 | access-date=November 27, 2021}}</ref> [[Alex Trebek]] objected to this strategy, as the questions get more difficult as one moves down the board.<ref name="Marchese_11/12/2018" /><ref name="Pennypacker_4/12/2017">{{cite web | last=Pennypacker | first=Jo | title=Ice Breaker Riddles | website=Our Pastimes | date=April 12, 2017 | url=https://ourpastimes.com/ice-breaker-riddles-8152920.html | access-date=November 29, 2021 |quote=The $100 questions are the easiest and they get harder as they move up to the $500 ones. }}</ref> |
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=== 6. Use the "Forrest Bounce" strategy === |
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This is a strategy, named after [[Chuck Forrest]], in which contestants randomly pick clues to confuse opponents, as well as choosing higher-value clues from the bottom of the board.<ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020" /><ref name="Marchese_11/12/2018" /><ref name="Stump_4/18/2019" /><ref name="harris">{{cite book|last=Harris|first=Bob|title=Prisoner of Trebekistan|year=2006|publisher=Crown Publishers|isbn=978-0-307-33956-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/prisoneroftrebek00bobh/page/85 85]|quote=In September of 1985 [Forrest] pioneered a technique (still called the 'Forrest Bounce') in which he selected clues not in simple vertical lines but by hopscotching back and forth across the game board, continually changing categories.|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/prisoneroftrebek00bobh/page/85}} See also Dupée, ''op. cit.'', p. 69.</ref><ref name="secrets">Forrest, Chuck and [[Mark Lowenthal|Lowenthal, Mark]] (1992). ''Secrets of the Jeopardy Champions''. Grand Central Publishing. {{ISBN|978-0-446-39352-2}}, {{ISBN|0-446-39352-5}}.</ref> |
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The Forrest Bounce is applied in the Jeopardy! and Double Jeopardy! rounds with the player in control of the board "bouncing" between different categories rather than continuing through individual categories in sequence. According to Forrest, "The basic point is, you know where you're going next and [your competitors] don't."<ref name="secrets" /> |
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Holzhauer does so "for a different reason — trying to win all the higher-value clues early in a game so he has more money to wager if he lands on one of the coveted Daily Double squares".<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /> |
Holzhauer does so "for a different reason — trying to win all the higher-value clues early in a game so he has more money to wager if he lands on one of the coveted Daily Double squares".<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /> |
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"Category [[Priming (psychology)|priming]]" is the act of immediately, as soon as one sees a category, "thinking in advance of items that fit". Psychologist Michael J. Kahana described an example: "So Alex Trebek is asking for Broadway songwriters? Prime your brain by thinking ahead about Gershwin and Sondheim, along with more recent notables such as Lin-Manuel Miranda and Elton John." Holzhauer admits to doing it, but "only for [[Jeopardy!#Final Jeopardy!|Final Jeopardy]] (and only for relatively narrow categories like 'European Capitals') as I felt it would be too distracting at any other point."<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /> |
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=== 7. Find the Daily Doubles quickly === |
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=== Wagering strategies === |
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Champions scour the board for the Daily Doubles.<ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020" /> There is one in the ''Jeopardy!'' round and two in Double Jeopardy! round.<ref name="Stump_4/18/2019" /> They are most often located in rows 3-5 but can appear anywhere.<ref name="J!_stats_2/12/2013">{{cite web | title=Daily Double statistics - Season 29 | website=[[J! Archive]] | date=February 12, 2013 | url=https://j-archive.com/ddstats.php?season=29 | access-date=November 28, 2021 | quote=Jeopardy! Round Daily Double statistics for Season 29...On average, the J! Round DD was located 3.85 clues down from the top of the board (standard deviation: 0.96). }}</ref> Researcher Nathan Yau created a complete statistical chart and found that the fourth row is "prime Daily Double territory", with different good and bad areas in the rows and columns. Daily Doubles were "almost never in the top two rows".<ref name="Kurtzleben_3/3/2015">{{cite web | last=Kurtzleben | first=Danielle | title=Here's where all the Daily Doubles on Jeopardy! are | website=[[Vox]] | date=March 3, 2015 | url=https://www.vox.com/2015/3/3/8140405/jeopardy-daily-double-statistics | access-date=November 28, 2021 | quote=[Yau] found that the fourth row is prime Daily Double territory, with 38 percent of all those clues, and the second and last columns are slightly worse than the others. Meanwhile, the top row (especially column two, apparently) is a terrible place to look. }}</ref> |
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Champions scour the board for the Daily Doubles.<ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020" /> There is one in the ''Jeopardy!'' round and two in Double Jeopardy! round.<ref name="Stump_4/18/2019" /> They are most often located in rows 3–5 but can appear anywhere.<ref name="J!_stats_2/12/2013">{{cite web | title=Daily Double statistics – Season 29 | website=[[J! Archive]] | date=February 12, 2013 | url=https://j-archive.com/ddstats.php?season=29 | access-date=November 28, 2021 | quote=Jeopardy! Round Daily Double statistics for Season 29...On average, the J! Round DD was located 3.85 clues down from the top of the board (standard deviation: 0.96). }}</ref> Researcher Nathan Yau created a complete statistical chart and found that the fourth row is "prime Daily Double territory", with different good and bad areas in the rows and columns. Daily Doubles were "almost never in the top two rows".<ref name="Kurtzleben_3/3/2015">{{cite web | last=Kurtzleben | first=Danielle | title=Here's where all the Daily Doubles on Jeopardy! are | website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] | date=March 3, 2015 | url=https://www.vox.com/2015/3/3/8140405/jeopardy-daily-double-statistics | access-date=November 28, 2021 | quote=[Yau] found that the fourth row is prime Daily Double territory, with 38 percent of all those clues, and the second and last columns are slightly worse than the others. Meanwhile, the top row (especially column two, apparently) is a terrible place to look. }}</ref> |
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Statistics show the effects of simply ''finding'' a Daily Double versus answering ''correctly''. They show that contestants "who don't land on the Daily Double at all have the lowest chance of winning...[and their] chance of winning increases with the number of Daily Doubles" they find. Those who answer correctly have an even bigger chance of winning the game.<ref name="Boulton_12/10/2018" /> |
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Statistics show significant beneficial effects for simply ''finding'' a Daily Double. They show that contestants "who don't land on the Daily Double at all have the lowest chance of winning...[and their] chance of winning increases with the number of Daily Doubles" they find. Those who answer correctly have an even bigger chance of winning the game.<ref name="Boulton_12/10/2018" /> |
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=== 8. Aggressive vs cautious Daily Double wagering === |
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Champions bet as much as possible for categories they know well, but in a manner that |
Champions bet as much as possible for categories they know well, but in a manner that avoids losing the game if they are wrong.<ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020" /><ref name="Stump_4/18/2019" /><ref name="DecemberTaping">{{Cite web |url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/competition-title-jeopardy-goat-heats-contestants-talk-strategy-67617456 |title=Competition for the title of 'Jeopardy!' GOAT heats up as contestants talk strategy, rivalry |last=Bernabe |first=Angeline Jane |date=December 10, 2019 |website=[[Good Morning America]] |access-date=December 21, 2019 }}</ref> That means they sometimes place very small bets for categories they know little about: When [[Arthur Chu]] "came across a Daily Double in a category he knew nothing about — 'The Sports Hall of Fame' for instance" — he only bet $5, the lowest amount a contestant can wager in a Daily Double. When he then answered the sports question incorrectly his loss was minimal and he also stole a potential chance for his competitors (who might have more sports knowledge) to make a substantial gain.<ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020" /><ref name="Boulton_12/10/2018" /> |
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Even if one guesses wrong on a Daily Double, it blocks others from getting a chance to answer.<ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020" /> Statistics show that "While contestants who answer correctly have the best odds, even a wrong answer to a Daily Double appears better than no Daily Double."<ref name="Boulton_12/10/2018" /> |
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=== 9. Strategic betting to block others from betting === |
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Most contestants have played in a manner that prioritized winning the game and returning to play again, rather than maximizing the dollar value of their winnings. Arthur Chu and Keith Williams used this strategy. Chu used [[game theory]] to guide his betting: "Chu's goal wasn't to win the most money per day. Rather, he used game theory to give himself the highest probability of being able to return to the show the next day to play again."<ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020" /> [[Alex Jacob]] and [[James Holzhauer]], both of whom came from gambling backgrounds, were outliers: both made extremely aggressive Daily Double wagers (and to lesser extent on Final Jeopardy! wagers) that risked a game loss, but offered huge monetary gains if successful.<ref name="Stump_4/18/2019" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/provocative-jeopardy-champ-says-hq-trivia-owes-him-20-1836219879|title=Provocative Jeopardy Champ Says HQ Trivia Owes Him $20,000 In Winnings|first=Gita|last=Jackson|work=Kotaku.com|date=July 9, 2019|accessdate=July 9, 2019|quote=During his run on Jeopardy, where Jacob both thrilled and frustrated fans by jumping around categories looking for Daily Doubles and then betting so much money that no one could overtake him(...)}}</ref> Jennings credited the adoption of the high-risk strategy for his victory over Holzhauer & Rutter in ''[[Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time|The Greatest of All Time]]''.<ref name=vulturepostwin>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/01/ken-jennings-on-jeopardy-greatest-of-all-time-tournament-win.html|title=Ken Jennings Didn't Want to Compete in Jeopardy's Big Tournament, 'Which Sure Looks Pretty Dumb Now'|first=Devon|last=Ivie|work=Vulture.com|date=January 15, 2020|access-date=January 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116005420/https://www.vulture.com/2020/01/ken-jennings-on-jeopardy-greatest-of-all-time-tournament-win.html|archive-date=January 16, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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Even if one guesses wrong on a Daily Double, it blocks others from getting a chance to answer: "That way, even though Chu answered a sports question incorrectly, he only lost $5 and was still able to prevent his competitors (who might have more sports know-how) from getting the opportunity to bet big with the correct answer."<ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020" /> Statistics show that "While contestants who answer correctly have the best odds, even a wrong answer to a Daily Double appears better than no Daily Double."<ref name="Boulton_12/10/2018" /> |
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Many general and specific [[betting strategy|betting strategies]] have been described by fans who study the game and discover how contestants use them.<ref name="JFan_11/29/2019">{{cite web | title=Wagering Strategy 101: How To Bet In Final Jeopardy | website=The Jeopardy! Fan | date=November 29, 2019 | url=https://thejeopardyfan.com/final-jeopardy-betting | access-date=December 4, 2021}}</ref> |
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=== 10. Win the game; the money is secondary === |
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Various researchers have studied Final Jeopardy! wagering strategies. If the leader's score is more than twice the second place contestant's score (a situation known as a "runaway game"), the leader can guarantee victory by making a sufficiently small wager.<ref name="gilbert-hatcher">{{cite journal|last1=Gilbert|first1=George T.|last2=Hatcher|first2=Rhonda L.|title=Wagering in Final Jeopardy!|journal=Mathematics Magazine|date=October 1, 1994|volume=67|issue=4|pages=268–269|doi=10.2307/2690846|jstor=2690846}}</ref> Otherwise, according to ''Jeopardy!'' College Champion Keith Williams, the leader usually wagers in a way that they will end up with a dollar more than twice the second place contestant's score, guaranteeing a win with a correct response.<ref name="williams-on-wagering">{{cite web|last1=Williams|first1=Keith|title=Keith Williams on Wagering|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/features/wagering-keith-williams|website=Jeopardy! official website|publisher=Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc.|access-date=July 16, 2017|date=September 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625160432/https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/features/wagering-keith-williams|archive-date=June 25, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Writing about ''Jeopardy!'' wagering in the 1990s, Gilbert and Hatcher said that "most players wager aggressively".<ref name="gilbert-hatcher" /> |
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Above all, win the game. Betting that endangers the game is a very bad strategy. The money will work itself out in the end. Arthur Chu and Keith Williams used this strategy. Chu used [[game theory]] to guide his betting: "Chu's goal wasn't to win the most money per day. Rather, he used game theory to give himself the highest probability of being able to return to the show the next day to play again."<ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020" /> |
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A Swedish study has found factors that tend to favor men. When betting on Daily Double clues, men tend to bet more than women, even though men and women tend to answer correctly at nearly the same rate. Men also tend to answer correctly more often "when playing against only other men".<ref name="McCarty_11/30/2022">{{cite web | last=McCarty | first=India | title=One Reason Men Often Perform Better On 'Jeopardy!' Than Women Has Nothing To Do With The Questions | website=Suggest | date=November 30, 2022 | url=https://www.suggest.com/jeopardy-one-reason-men-often-perform-better-than-women-nothing-with-questions/2696919/ | access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref> |
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=== 11. Preface all responses with "What's" === |
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=== Preparation === |
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Follow Matt Amodio's example and preface all responses with "What's" instead of adjusting the [[interrogative word|interrogative pronoun]] to fit the response.<ref name="ap-amodio" /><ref name="Amodio_Yale_8/13/2021" /><ref name="Jeopardy_questions" /> |
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To prepare for the game, Champions have used [[Wikipedia]]'s [[WP:Wikilink|wikilinks]] to learn quickly;<ref name="Pinsker_4/24/2019" /><ref name="ap-amodio" /><ref name="Amodio_Yale_8/13/2021" /> read as much as they can,<ref name="Tips">{{cite web | year=2021 | title=Tips On How To Pass Jeopardy Online Test 2021 | website=xscholarship.com | url=https://xscholarship.com/jeopardy-online-test-study-guide-tips-dates-results-login-requirements/ | access-date=November 28, 2021 }}</ref> especially [[Children's literature|children's books]];<ref name="Tips" /><ref name="Flynn_4/10/2019" /> watched [[rerun]]s of ''Jeopardy!'';<ref name="Flynn_4/10/2019" /> scouted other winners and adjusted playing tactics accordingly;<ref name="DecemberTaping" /> [[overlearning|overlearned]];<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019">{{cite web | last=Avril | first=Tom | title=Can 'Jeopardy!' whiz James Holzhauer be beaten? The science of memory and recall, explained. | website=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] | date=May 16, 2019 | url=https://www.inquirer.com/science/jeopardy-champ-james-holzhauer-speed-psychology-20190516.html | access-date=November 28, 2021}}</ref> and self-tested<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /> by taking the practice test often.<ref name="Boulton_12/10/2018">{{cite web | last=Boulton | first=Freddy | title=The Power of Jeopardy's Daily Double | website=[[Medium (website)|Medium]] | date=December 10, 2018 | url=https://medium.com/s/story/does-the-daily-double-determine-who-wins-on-jeopardy-465378725826 | access-date=November 29, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Tips" /><ref name="Prep_center">{{cite web | title=''Jeopardy!'' Prep Center | website=[[Jeopardy!|Jeopardy.com]] | date= | url=https://www.jeopardy.com/be-on-j/prep-center | access-date=December 2, 2021}}</ref> A disproportionate number of ''Jeopardy!'' champions studied mathematics or computer science in college; Armando Fox, a computer science professor and former contestant on ''[[Win Ben Stein's Money]]'', and J. P. Allen, a former Professor's Tournament contestant, postulated that [[STEM]] fields tend to draw people with analytical skills and the ability to catalog information, making them well-suited for games and quiz shows.<ref name=compsci>{{Cite web|last=Gentile|first=Dan|date=2022-01-25|title=Why so many 'Jeopardy!' champions are computer scientists|url=https://www.sfgate.com/streaming/article/jeopardy-winner-amy-schneider-computer-science-16799711.php|access-date=2022-01-27|website=SFGATE|language=en-US}}</ref> Allen and Fox also noted that a background in liberal arts can also broaden a contestant's repertoire of knowledge, and that the two longest-running contestants, Jennings and Schneider, had backgrounds in both.<ref name=compsci/> A large number of contestants, and the majority of Teen Tournament and College Tournament contestants, competed in [[quiz bowl]]s in high school, particularly the [[National Academic Quiz Tournaments]], which Jennings described as a ''de facto'' [[minor league]] for ''Jeopardy!'' and other game shows.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://slate.com/culture/2019/04/jeopardy-quiz-bowl-connection-ken-jennings.html|title=The Jeopardy! Minor Leagues|first=Ken|last=Jennings|author-link=Ken Jennings|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=April 9, 2019|access-date=April 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409205432/https://slate.com/culture/2019/04/jeopardy-quiz-bowl-connection-ken-jennings.html|archive-date=April 9, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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=== 12. Practice category priming === |
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== Strategies of select top champions == |
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"Category [[Priming (psychology)|priming]]" is the act of immediately, as soon as one sees a category, "thinking in advance of items that fit". Psychologist Michael J. Kahana described an example: "So Alex Trebek is asking for Broadway songwriters? Prime your brain by thinking ahead about Gershwin and Sondheim, along with more recent notables such as Lin-Manuel Miranda and Elton John." Holzhauer admits to doing it, but "only for Final Jeopardy (and only for relatively narrow categories like 'European Capitals') as I felt it would be too distracting at any other point."<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /> |
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{{seealso|Jeopardy!#Record holders}} |
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=== 13. Prepare well === |
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Many contestants throughout the show's history have received significant media attention and winnings because of their success on ''Jeopardy!'', particularly [[Brad Rutter]], who has won the most money on the show and was undefeated by a human until 2020; [[Ken Jennings]], who has the show's longest winning streak; [[James Holzhauer]], who holds several of the show's highest overall daily scores; and [[Amy Schneider]], who has the second-longest winning streak. |
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Champions use [[Wikipedia]]'s [[WP:Wikilink|wikilinks]] to learn quickly;<ref name="Pinsker_4/24/2019" /><ref name="ap-amodio" /><ref name="Amodio_Yale_8/13/2021" /> read as much as they can,<ref name="Tips">{{cite web | year=2021 | title=Tips On How To Pass Jeopardy Online Test 2021 | website=xscholarship.com | url=https://xscholarship.com/jeopardy-online-test-study-guide-tips-dates-results-login-requirements/ | access-date=November 28, 2021 }}</ref> especially [[Children's literature|children's books]];<ref name="Tips" /><ref name="Flynn_4/10/2019" /> watch [[rerun]]s of ''Jeopardy!'';<ref name="Flynn_4/10/2019" /> scout other winners and adjust playing tactics accordingly;<ref name="DecemberTaping" /> [[overlearning|overlearn]];<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019">{{cite web | last=Avril | first=Tom | title=Can 'Jeopardy!' whiz James Holzhauer be beaten? The science of memory and recall, explained. | website=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] | date=May 16, 2019 | url=https://www.inquirer.com/science/jeopardy-champ-james-holzhauer-speed-psychology-20190516.html | access-date=November 28, 2021}}</ref> and self-test<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /> by taking the practice test often.<ref name="Boulton_12/10/2018">{{cite web | last=Boulton | first=Freddy | title=The Power of Jeopardy's Daily Double | website=[[Medium (website)|Medium]] | date=December 10, 2018 | url=https://medium.com/s/story/does-the-daily-double-determine-who-wins-on-jeopardy-465378725826 | access-date=November 29, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Tips" /><ref name="Prep_center">{{cite web | title=''Jeopardy!'' Prep Center | website=[[Jeopardy!|Jeopardy.com]] | date= | url=https://www.jeopardy.com/be-on-j/prep-center | access-date=December 2, 2021}}</ref> |
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== Strategies of top champions == |
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{{seealso|Jeopardy!#Record holders |Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time#Contestants |List of Jeopardy! contestants |American game show winnings records#2003–present: The ''Jeopardy!'' multimillionaires |American game show winnings records#2003–present:All-time top twenty winnings list }} |
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<!-- The cast listing should be ordered according to the original broadcast credits per MOS:TVCAST --> |
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Many contestants throughout the show's history have received significant media attention and winnings because of their success on ''Jeopardy!'', particularly [[Brad Rutter]], who has won the most money on the show and was undefeated by a human until 2020; [[Ken Jennings]], who has the show's longest winning streak; [[James Holzhauer]], who holds several of the show's highest overall daily scores; and [[Matt Amodio]], who has the second-longest winning streak. |
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=== Brad Rutter === |
=== Brad Rutter === |
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[[Brad Rutter]] (first episode October 30, 2000) is the record holder for lifetime winnings.<ref name="Jeopardy Show History">{{cite web |title='Jeopardy!' Battle of the Decades Tournament winner Brad Rutter wins $1 million grand prize |url=http://zap2it.com/blog-post/jeopardy-battle-of-the-decades-tournament-winner-brad-rutter-wins-1-million-grand-prize/ |publisher=Zap2it |access-date=January 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204062255/http://zap2it.com/blog-post/jeopardy-battle-of-the-decades-tournament-winner-brad-rutter-wins-1-million-grand-prize/ |archive-date=February 4, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
[[Brad Rutter]] (first episode October 30, 2000) is the record holder for lifetime winnings.<ref name="Jeopardy Show History">{{cite web |title='Jeopardy!' Battle of the Decades Tournament winner Brad Rutter wins $1 million grand prize |url=http://zap2it.com/blog-post/jeopardy-battle-of-the-decades-tournament-winner-brad-rutter-wins-1-million-grand-prize/ |publisher=Zap2it |access-date=January 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204062255/http://zap2it.com/blog-post/jeopardy-battle-of-the-decades-tournament-winner-brad-rutter-wins-1-million-grand-prize/ |archive-date=February 4, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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Rutter was the [[American game show winnings records#All-time top twenty winnings list|highest-earning American game show contestant of all time]] entering the tournament. He first appeared on ''Jeopardy!'' in October 2000, during the era of the program where contestants were retired after winning five consecutive matches and before the show doubled its question values. After winning $55,102 in his initial run, Rutter qualified for and won the 2001 [[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events#Tournament of Champions|Tournament of Champions]], which at the time was played for $100,000. He was invited back in 2002 for the special Million Dollar Masters Tournament with several past champions, and emerged victorious again to become the first ''Jeopardy!'' contestant to win over $1 million. |
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Shortly after Jennings’s run as champion ended, Rutter was one of the many former champions invited back for the 2005 [[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events#Ultimate Tournament of Champions|Ultimate Tournament of Champions]], where two of the former champions in the field would face Jennings in the final match for $2 million. Rutter defeated Jennings and [[Jerome Vered]] in the final to win the tournament, and the prize money made him the new all-time American game show winnings leader. He later defeated Jennings and Roger Craig in the 2014 Battle of the Decades tournament, winning an additional $1,000,000 and reclaiming his spot at the top of the all-time winnings list from Jennings, who had retaken it in 2009. |
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Rutter still holds the record as the highest-earning contestant (primarily from special tournament events) on ''Jeopardy!'' with a total of $4,688,436 entering the tournament.<ref name="DecemberTaping">{{Cite web |url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/competition-title-jeopardy-goat-heats-contestants-talk-strategy-67617456 |title=Competition for the title of 'Jeopardy!' GOAT heats up as contestants talk strategy, rivalry |last=Bernabe |first=Angeline Jane |date=December 10, 2019 |website=[[Good Morning America]] |access-date=December 21, 2019 }}</ref> Rutter entered the tournament having never lost a match against a human, only coming up short in an exhibition match featuring him and Jennings taking on [[Watson (computer)|Watson]] in ''[[List of Jeopardy! tournaments and events#IBM Challenge|Jeopardy!: The IBM Challenge]]'' in 2011''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tvinsider.com/834206/biggest-american-game-show-winners/ |title=10 Biggest American Game Show Winners (Video) |last=Clarendon |first=Dan |date=November 27, 2019 |website=[[TV Insider]] |access-date=January 4, 2020 }}</ref><ref name="JeopardyHOF" /><ref name="HolzhauerTOCWin" /><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/18/arts/television/jeopardy-holzhauer-jennings-rutter.html |title='Jeopardy!' Tournament to Settle Question: Who Is the Greatest of All Time? |last=Jacobs |first=Julia |date=November 18, 2018 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20191205055408/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/18/arts/television/jeopardy-holzhauer-jennings-rutter.html |archive-date=December 5, 2019 |access-date=January 4, 2020 }}</ref><ref name="JeopardyGOATUSAToday">{{Cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2019/11/18/jeopardy-james-holzhauer-ken-jennings-brad-rutter-duel-abc/4201669002/ |title=Exclusive: Three top 'Jeopardy!' champs face off in ABC's Greatest of All Time tournament |last=Levin |first=Gary |date=November 18, 2019 |website=[[USA Today]] |access-date=December 21, 2019 }}</ref> |
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==== Rutter's strategies ==== |
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Rutter first picks clues from the center of the board because that "is where the daily doubles are". He will often push the buzzer before he knows if he can answer correctly, trusting that he probably can.<ref name="MacDonald_1/8/2020">{{cite web | last=MacDonald | first=Lindsay | title=Jeopardy!'s Greatest Champions Share Their Winning Strategy Secrets | website=[[TVGuide]] | date=January 8, 2020 | url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/jeopardy-greatest-of-all-time-strategy-secrets-james-holzhauer-ken-jennings-brad-rutter/ | access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> |
Rutter first picks clues from the center of the board because that "is where the daily doubles are". He will often push the buzzer before he knows if he can answer correctly, trusting that he probably can.<ref name="MacDonald_1/8/2020">{{cite web | last=MacDonald | first=Lindsay | title=Jeopardy!'s Greatest Champions Share Their Winning Strategy Secrets | website=[[TVGuide]] | date=January 8, 2020 | url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/jeopardy-greatest-of-all-time-strategy-secrets-james-holzhauer-ken-jennings-brad-rutter/ | access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> |
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=== Ken Jennings === |
=== Ken Jennings === |
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[[Ken Jennings]] (first episode June 2, 2004) holds the record for the longest winning streak and the record for the highest average correct responses per game.<ref name="Jennings_streak">{{Cite press release|title=''Jeopardy!'' Streak Over: Ken Jennings Loses in 75th Game, Takes Home a Record-Setting $2,520,700 |url=http://www.kingworld.com/release/jennings_113004.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928190251/http://www.kingworld.com/release/jennings_113004.html |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |publisher=King World |date=November 30, 2004 |access-date=March 7, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
[[Ken Jennings]] (first episode June 2, 2004) holds the record for the longest winning streak (74) and the record for the highest average correct responses per game.<ref name="Jennings_streak">{{Cite press release|title=''Jeopardy!'' Streak Over: Ken Jennings Loses in 75th Game, Takes Home a Record-Setting $2,520,700 |url=http://www.kingworld.com/release/jennings_113004.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928190251/http://www.kingworld.com/release/jennings_113004.html |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |publisher=King World |date=November 30, 2004 |access-date=March 7, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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Jennings, like Rutter, first picks clues from the center of the board and will often push the buzzer before he knows if he can answer correctly, trusting that he probably can.<ref name="MacDonald_1/8/2020" /> This was a regular strategy during the [[Art Fleming]] era, when contestants could ring in immediately after the clue was revealed instead of waiting for Fleming to finish reading the clues; Fleming noted that Trebek's 1985 decision to require contestants to wait until he finishes reading the clue made the show "a different game" and argued that the original rule increased the natural jeopardy of the game.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G6UKm2adEI Perception with Don Johnson] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190908235749/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G6UKm2adEI&gl=US&hl=en |date=September 8, 2019 }} interview with Art Fleming, 1987.</ref> |
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Jennings first appeared on the program in 2004 and set two ''Jeopardy!'' records that he still holds. He won 74 consecutive matches, and his total of $2,522,700 is a record for non-tournament winnings.<ref name="HolzhauerLoss" /> Entering the tournament, his total ''Jeopardy!'' winnings totaled $3,372,700, which was second-highest behind fellow competitor Rutter.<ref name="JeopardyHOF">{{Cite web |url=https://www.jeopardy.com/contestant-zone/hall-of-fame |title=Contestant Zone – Hall of Fame |website=[[Jeopardy!|Jeopardy.com]] |access-date=January 4, 2020 }}</ref><ref name="HolzhauerTOCWin" /> |
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He said he took part in the competition reluctantly, fearing that because of his age<ref name="Avril_5/16/2019" /> and repeated tournament losses to Rutter (Rutter having won every head-to-head matchup between the two except the IBM Challenge), he was past his peak as a ''Jeopardy!'' contestant. He agreed to compete largely out of respect for [[Alex Trebek]] and because it would "almost certainly [be Jennings'] last time" as a contestant.<ref name=usatodaypostwin>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/01/15/jeopardy-goat-ken-jennings-didnt-think-he-would-win-tourney/4478882002/|title=Jeopardy!' GOAT Ken Jennings interview: 'I ended up enjoying it more than I planned'|first=Bill|last=Keveney|work=USA Today|date=January 15, 2020|access-date=January 16, 2020 }}</ref><ref name=vulturepostwin>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/01/ken-jennings-on-jeopardy-greatest-of-all-time-tournament-win.html|title=Ken Jennings Didn't Want to Compete in Jeopardy's Big Tournament, 'Which Sure Looks Pretty Dumb Now'|first=Devon|last=Ivie|work=Vulture.com|date=January 15, 2020|access-date=January 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116005420/https://www.vulture.com/2020/01/ken-jennings-on-jeopardy-greatest-of-all-time-tournament-win.html|archive-date=January 16, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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==== Jennings' strategies ==== |
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Jennings, like Rutter, first picks clues from the center of the board and will often push the buzzer before he knows if he can answer correctly, trusting that he probably can.<ref name="MacDonald_1/8/2020" /> |
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=== James Holzhauer === |
=== James Holzhauer === |
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[[James Holzhauer]] (first episode April 4, 2019) holds the record for single-day winnings and is |
[[James Holzhauer]] (first episode April 4, 2019) holds the record for single-day winnings and is fourth in number of games won (32) behind Jennings, Amy Schneider, and Matt Amodio.<ref name="Arnowitz_Levin_6/3/2019">{{cite web | last1=Arnowitz | first1=Leora | last2=Levin | first2=Gary | title=James Holzhauer is (finally) unseated as 'Jeopardy!' champion; how did it all come down? | website=USA TODAY | date=June 3, 2019 | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2019/06/03/find-out-what-happens-jeopardy-champ-james-holzhauer/3579264002/ | access-date=November 27, 2021}}</ref> |
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Holzhauer used the "Forrest Bounce" strategy, aggressive Daily Double wagering,<ref name="Stump_4/18/2019" /> and played all of the higher-valued clues first.<ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020" /> He reads [[Children's literature|children's books]] and watches [[rerun]]s of ''Jeopardy!''.<ref name="Flynn_4/10/2019">{{cite news | last=Flynn | first=Meagan | title=The secret weapon of the sports gambler who just broke the single-game 'Jeopardy!' record? Children's books. | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=April 10, 2019 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/04/10/secret-weapon-sports-gambler-who-just-broke-single-game-jeopardy-record-childrens-books/ | access-date=November 28, 2021}}</ref> He first picks clues from the center of the board and will often push the buzzer before he knows if he can answer correctly, trusting that he probably can.<ref name="MacDonald_1/8/2020" /> |
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Holzhauer entered the tournament the third-highest-earning ''Jeopardy!'' contestant of all time, behind Rutter and Jennings. He had won $2,714,216 entering the tournament, with $2,464,216 of that won in 33 matches in 2019. He also won the 2019 Tournament of Champions several weeks before this tournament was announced, taking home an additional $250,000.<ref name="JeopardyHOF" /><ref name="HolzhauerTOCWin">{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/11/jeopardy-tournament-of-champions-winner-is-james-holzhauer-1202787900/ |title='Jeopardy!' Tournament Of Champions Grand Prize Goes To James Holzhauer |last=Haring |first=Bruce |date=November 15, 2019 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=January 4, 2020 }}</ref><ref name="HolzhauerLoss">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/06/03/james-holzhauer-was-pace-break-jeopardy-record-today-then-this-happened-spoiler/ |title=James Holzhauer was on pace to break a 'Jeopardy' record today. Then this happened. |last=Yahr |first=Emily |date=June 3, 2019 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=June 3, 2019 }}</ref> Holzhauer is second behind Jennings in total winnings during regular play and most consecutive wins, with 32 games. He is the only contestant besides Jennings and [[Matt Amodio]] to win more than 30 consecutive games. |
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Holzhauer's optimal strategy is to "Play fast, build a stack, bet big, and hope for the best." He is noted for his very large bets, which, given that he is a professional gambler, seem to come easy.<ref name="Pinsker_4/24/2019">{{cite web | last=Pinsker | first=Joe | title=James Holzhauer Explains the Strategy Behind His 'Jeopardy' Winning Streak | website=[[The Atlantic]] | date=April 24, 2019 | url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/04/james-holzhauer-jeopardy-1-million-win-or-lose/587878/ | access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> |
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Holzhauer’s aggressive wagering on clues allowed him to set several new single-day winning records. He is the only contestant to win $100,000 in a single game, doing so six times, and also holds the top 16 single-game scores in program history.<ref name="JeopardyHOF" /><ref name="HolzhauerLoss" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.wired.com/story/james-holzhauer-jeopardy-greatness-charts/ |title=James Holzhauer's ''Jeopardy!'' Greatness, in Charts |last=Barrett |first=Brian |date=May 28, 2019 |website=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |access-date=January 4, 2020 }}</ref> Jennings and Rutter said they had to mimic Holzhauer's aggressive style of play to stand a chance.<ref name="DecemberTaping" /><ref name=vulturepostwin/> |
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==== Holzhauer's strategies ==== |
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Holzhauer used the "Forrest Bounce" strategy, aggressive Daily Double wagering,<ref name="Stump_4/18/2019" /> and played all of the higher-valued clues first.<ref name="Woodward_1/7/2020" /> He reads [[Children's literature|children's books]] and watches [[rerun]]s of ''Jeopardy!''.<ref name="Flynn_4/10/2019">{{cite web | last=Flynn | first=Meagan | title=The secret weapon of the sports gambler who just broke the single-game 'Jeopardy!' record? Children's books. | website=[[The Washington Post]] | date=April 10, 2019 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/04/10/secret-weapon-sports-gambler-who-just-broke-single-game-jeopardy-record-childrens-books/ | access-date=November 28, 2021}}</ref> He first picks clues from the center of the board and will often push the buzzer before he knows if he can answer correctly, trusting that he probably can.<ref name="MacDonald_1/8/2020" /> |
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Holzhauer's optimal strategy is to "Play fast, build a stack, bet big, and hope for the best." He is noted for his very large bets, which, as a professional gambler, seem to come easy.<ref name="Pinsker_4/24/2019">{{cite web | last=Pinsker | first=Joe | title=James Holzhauer Explains the Strategy Behind His 'Jeopardy' Winning Streak | website=[[The Atlantic]] | date=April 24, 2019 | url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/04/james-holzhauer-jeopardy-1-million-win-or-lose/587878/ | access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref> |
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=== Matt Amodio === |
=== Matt Amodio === |
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[[Matt Amodio]] (first episode July 21, 2021) has the |
[[Matt Amodio]] (first episode July 21, 2021) has the third-longest winning streak (38), behind Ken Jennings and Amy Schneider,<ref>{{cite web|date=December 2, 2021|title=Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Consecutive Games Won|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/contestant-zone/hall-of-fame|work=[[Jeopardy!]]}}</ref> and he is the third millionaire contestant on the show in regular-season play.<ref name="Stelloh_10/11/2021">{{cite web | last=Stelloh | first=Tim | title=Second-longest winning streak on 'Jeopardy!' ends at 38 | website=[[NBC News]] | agency=[[NBC News]] | date=October 11, 2021 | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/tv/streak-second-all-time-champ-jeopardy-ends-38-wins-n1281294 | access-date=November 27, 2021}}</ref> He is the third-highest earner of all time in regular-season play,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/contestant-zone/hall-of-fame|title=Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Column: Highest Winnings (Regular-Season Play)|work=[[Jeopardy!]]|date=August 13, 2021}}</ref> second-most successful in consecutive games won<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/contestant-zone/hall-of-fame|title=Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Column: Consecutive Games Won|work=[[Jeopardy!]]|date=August 13, 2021}}</ref> and fourth-biggest all-time winner.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/contestant-zone/hall-of-fame|title=Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Column: All-Time Winnings (including tournaments)|work=[[Jeopardy!]]|date=August 13, 2021}}</ref> |
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Amodio is noted for his strategy of consistently prefacing his responses with "What's" instead of adjusting the [[interrogative word|interrogative pronoun]] to fit the response. He chose this method because ''Jeopardy!'' rules allow any question containing the correct response to be used; by not having to adjust the pronoun, he has one less thing to think about when formulating a response, potentially speeding response time.<ref name=ap-amodio>{{cite web|url=https://www.boston.com/culture/tv/2021/08/13/jeopardy-champ-matt-amodios-analytic-style-is-a-winner/|title='Jeopardy!' champ Matt Amodio's analytic style is a winner|first=Lynn|last=Elber|agency=Associated Press|date=August 13, 2021|access-date=August 13, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Amodio_Yale_8/13/2021">{{cite web | title=Who Is Matt Amodio, Jeopardy! Champion? | website=Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science | date=August 13, 2021 | url=https://seas.yale.edu/news-events/news/who-matt-amodio-jeopardy-champion | access-date=November 27, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Jeopardy_questions">{{cite web | title=What Are … Some Questions About Jeopardy! – J!Buzz | website=[[Jeopardy!|Jeopardy.com]] | date=December 3, 2018 | url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/behind-scenes/what-are-some-questions-about-jeopardy | access-date=November 28, 2021}}</ref> He has credited Wikipedia's [[WP:Wikilink|wikilinks]] format for allowing him to meander through various topics in a random but logical progression and learn content quickly.<ref name="ap-amodio" /> His strategy of "bet[ting] big to win big" gives him "insurmountable leads by the time Final Jeopardy rolls around".<ref name="Stunson_10/6/2021">{{cite web |last1=Stunson |first1=Mike |date=October 6, 2021 |title=Matt Amodio keeps winning on 'Jeopardy!' Can he catch James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings? |website=[[Miami Herald]] |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article254210928.html |access-date=November 29, 2021 }}</ref> |
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==== Amodio's strategies ==== |
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Amodio is noted for his strategy of consistently prefacing his responses with "What's" instead of adjusting the [[interrogative word|interrogative pronoun]] to fit the response. He chose this method because ''Jeopardy!'' rules allow any question containing the correct response to be used; by not having to adjust the pronoun, he has one less thing to think about when formulating a response, potentially speeding response time.<ref name=ap-amodio>{{cite web|url=https://www.boston.com/culture/tv/2021/08/13/jeopardy-champ-matt-amodios-analytic-style-is-a-winner/|title='Jeopardy!' champ Matt Amodio's analytic style is a winner|first=Lynn|last=Elber|agency=Associated Press|date=August 13, 2021|access-date=August 13, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Amodio_Yale_8/13/2021">{{cite web | title=Who Is Matt Amodio, Jeopardy! Champion? | website=Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science | date=August 13, 2021 | url=https://seas.yale.edu/news-events/news/who-matt-amodio-jeopardy-champion | access-date=November 27, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Jeopardy_questions">{{cite web | title=What Are … Some Questions About Jeopardy! - J!Buzz | website=[[Jeopardy!|Jeopardy.com]] | date=December 3, 2018 | url=https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/behind-scenes/what-are-some-questions-about-jeopardy | access-date=November 28, 2021}}</ref> He has credited Wikipedia's [[WP:Wikilink|wikilinks]] format for allowing him to meander through various topics in a random but logical progression and learn content quickly.<ref name="ap-amodio" /> His strategy of "bet[ting] big to win big" gives him "insurmountable leads by the time Final Jeopardy rolls around".<ref name="Stunson_10/6/2021">{{cite web |last1=Stunson |first1=Mike |date=October 6, 2021 |title=Matt Amodio keeps winning on 'Jeopardy!' Can he catch James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings? |website=[[Miami Herald]] |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article254210928.html |access-date=November 29, 2021 }}</ref> |
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=== Amy Schneider === |
=== Amy Schneider === |
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[[Amy Schneider]] (first episode November 17, 2021), won her 40th regular season game on January 25, 2022, and is second all-time in number of consecutive games won.<ref>{{cite web|date=December 2, 2021|title=Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Consecutive Games Won|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/contestant-zone/hall-of-fame|work=[[Jeopardy!]]}}</ref> By January 7, 2022, she had won $1,019,600, becoming the fourth millionaire contestant in regular-season play.<ref name="Florence_12/4/2021">{{cite web | last=Florence, Jr | first=Russell | title='Jeopardy' champion who grew up in Dayton continues historic run | website=dayton.com | date=December 4, 2021 | url=https://www.dayton.com/what-to-know/jeopardy-champ-who-grew-up-in-dayton-continues-historic-run/BKCXKBZTEZDRRF26GGJJ3U5BX4/ | access-date=December 4, 2021}}</ref><ref>''Jeopardy!'' official {{YouTube|g1BV_HRDxxg}}</ref> During season 38, Schneider qualified as the second seed in the next Tournament of Champions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/contestant-zone/toc-tracker|title=Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Eligible for Next Tournament of Champions|work=[[Jeopardy!]]|date=December 2, 2021}}</ref> |
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Schneider has explained that when she sees a category where she is weak, she gets it "out of the way first. That way, if there were any doubles in that category, they would come up when there wasn't as much money to be wagered."<ref name="Schneider_11/24/2021">{{cite web | last=Schneider | first=Amy | title=Amy Schneider: I'm the first trans Jeopardy! contestant in the Tournament of Champions | website=[[Newsweek]] | date=November 24, 2021 | url=https://www.newsweek.com/jeopardy-champion-transgender-woman-tournament-champions-1652910 | access-date=December 4, 2021}}</ref> Later, she described her wagering strategy in a runaway game with little competition: "...round up the second place score to the nearest thousand, double it, subtract it from my score, and then subtract another thousand in case I'd messed something up. So $5800->$6000->$12000, $30000–$12000–$1000<nowiki>=</nowiki>$17000."<ref name="Schneider_11/30/2021">{{cite web |last1=Schneider |first1=Amy |date=November 30, 2021 |title=My general wagering strategy for a runaway game |publisher=[[Twitter]] |url=https://twitter.com/Jeopardamy/status/1465768789627211780 |access-date=December 4, 2021 }}</ref> |
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[[List of Jeopardy! contestants#Amy Schneider|Amy Schneider]], by her 13th game on December 3, 2021, had won $536,400, becoming the fourth-winningest contestant in regular-season play.<ref name="Florence_12/4/2021">{{cite web | last=Florence, Jr | first=Russell | title='Jeopardy' champion who grew up in Dayton continues historic run | website=dayton.com | date=December 4, 2021 | url=https://www.dayton.com/what-to-know/jeopardy-champ-who-grew-up-in-dayton-continues-historic-run/BKCXKBZTEZDRRF26GGJJ3U5BX4/ | access-date=December 4, 2021}}</ref><ref>''Jeopardy!'' official {{YouTube|g1BV_HRDxxg}}</ref> During season 38, Schneider qualified as the second seed in the next Tournament of Champions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jeopardy.com/contestant-zone/toc-tracker|title=Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Eligible for Next Tournament of Champions|work=[[Jeopardy!]]|date=December 2, 2021}}</ref> She is the first openly [[transgender]] contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions.<ref>[https://www.today.com/popculture/jeopardy-contestant-kate-freeman-1st-out-transgender-player-win-t204063 'Jeopardy!' contestant makes history as 1st out transgender player to win]</ref> |
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==== Schneider's strategies ==== |
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Amy has explained that when she sees a category where she is weak, she gets it "out of the way first. That way, if there were any doubles in that category, they would come up when there wasn't as much money to be wagered."<ref name="Schneider_11/24/2021">{{cite web | last=Schneider | first=Amy | title=Amy Schneider: I'm the first trans Jeopardy! contestant in the Tournament of Champions | website=[[Newsweek]] | date=November 24, 2021 | url=https://www.newsweek.com/jeopardy-champion-transgender-woman-tournament-champions-1652910 | access-date=December 4, 2021}}</ref> Later, she revealed her wagering strategy for a runaway game: |
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Schneider said that doing [[crossword puzzles]] helps her think of words "as both a concept and a collection of letters at the same time".<ref name="Ricci_12/14/2021">{{cite web | last=Ricci | first=Kimberly | title='Jeopardy!' Champ Amy Schneider Suggests Secret Of Her Winning Streak | website=[[Uproxx]] | date=December 14, 2021 | url=https://uproxx.com/tv/jeopardy-amy-schneider-secret-success/ | access-date=December 19, 2021}}</ref> |
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== References == |
== References == |
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{{Commons category|Jeopardy!}} |
{{Commons category|Jeopardy!}} |
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* {{Official website|https://www.jeopardy.com/}} |
* {{Official website|https://www.jeopardy.com/}} |
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* [https://www.jeopardy.com/contestant-zone/hall-of-fame Official "Hall of Fame"] |
* [https://www.jeopardy.com/contestant-zone/hall-of-fame Official "Hall of Fame"] with statistics (not always up-to-date) |
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{{Jeopardy!}} |
{{Jeopardy!}} |
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Latest revision as of 21:36, 24 January 2024
Jeopardy! is an American quiz game show in which contestants use certain strategies and skills to increase their chances of winning each game, win the most games, and ensure large winnings.
Strategies and skills
From the outset, contestants tend to have exceptional natural abilities they are born with and skills they develop, such as very high intelligence, excellent recall memory, superior knowledge of trivia and other facts, and lightning mental and motor reaction times.[1][2]
Because memory, reaction time, and certain other brain functions decline with age, Ken Jennings said in 2004 that "It's kind of a young person's game." Therefore, one would think that older players cannot do well, but here their greater acquired knowledge may compensate for the negative effects of older age.[1]
Buzzer management
The timing of when to hit the buzzer is crucial,[1][3][4][5][6] as the show uses a lock-out device to determine in real-time which contestant has activated their signal first. Mastering the signaling device is commonly said to be at least as important as knowing the correct response to each clue.[7]
Speed is essential, as getting the opportunity to answer more clues first and right allows a player to pick more clues, thus increasing their chances of finding the Daily Doubles.[8] Winning contestants have a "just go for it" mentality and often push the buzzer before they know if they can answer correctly, trusting that they probably can.[1][3] Playing fast is part of James Holzhauer's "optimal strategy".[1][2]
Category and question management
Starting at the bottom with the high-value clues is part of the "Forrest Bounce" strategy and wins the most money, keeps the other contestants from earning as much, and increases the chances of finding the Daily Doubles.[5][9][10] Alex Trebek objected to this strategy, as the clues become more difficult as one moves down the board.[9][11]
The "Forrest Bounce" is a strategy, named after Chuck Forrest, in which contestants randomly pick clues to confuse opponents, as well as choosing higher-value clues from the bottom of the board.[5][9][10][12][13] The Forrest Bounce is applied in the Jeopardy! and Double Jeopardy! rounds with the player in control of the board "bouncing" between different categories rather than continuing through individual categories in sequence. According to Forrest, "The basic point is, you know where you're going next and [your competitors] don't."[13]
Holzhauer does so "for a different reason — trying to win all the higher-value clues early in a game so he has more money to wager if he lands on one of the coveted Daily Double squares".[1]
"Category priming" is the act of immediately, as soon as one sees a category, "thinking in advance of items that fit". Psychologist Michael J. Kahana described an example: "So Alex Trebek is asking for Broadway songwriters? Prime your brain by thinking ahead about Gershwin and Sondheim, along with more recent notables such as Lin-Manuel Miranda and Elton John." Holzhauer admits to doing it, but "only for Final Jeopardy (and only for relatively narrow categories like 'European Capitals') as I felt it would be too distracting at any other point."[1]
Wagering strategies
Champions scour the board for the Daily Doubles.[5] There is one in the Jeopardy! round and two in Double Jeopardy! round.[10] They are most often located in rows 3–5 but can appear anywhere.[14] Researcher Nathan Yau created a complete statistical chart and found that the fourth row is "prime Daily Double territory", with different good and bad areas in the rows and columns. Daily Doubles were "almost never in the top two rows".[15]
Statistics show significant beneficial effects for simply finding a Daily Double. They show that contestants "who don't land on the Daily Double at all have the lowest chance of winning...[and their] chance of winning increases with the number of Daily Doubles" they find. Those who answer correctly have an even bigger chance of winning the game.[8]
Champions bet as much as possible for categories they know well, but in a manner that avoids losing the game if they are wrong.[5][10][16] That means they sometimes place very small bets for categories they know little about: When Arthur Chu "came across a Daily Double in a category he knew nothing about — 'The Sports Hall of Fame' for instance" — he only bet $5, the lowest amount a contestant can wager in a Daily Double. When he then answered the sports question incorrectly his loss was minimal and he also stole a potential chance for his competitors (who might have more sports knowledge) to make a substantial gain.[5][8]
Even if one guesses wrong on a Daily Double, it blocks others from getting a chance to answer.[5] Statistics show that "While contestants who answer correctly have the best odds, even a wrong answer to a Daily Double appears better than no Daily Double."[8]
Most contestants have played in a manner that prioritized winning the game and returning to play again, rather than maximizing the dollar value of their winnings. Arthur Chu and Keith Williams used this strategy. Chu used game theory to guide his betting: "Chu's goal wasn't to win the most money per day. Rather, he used game theory to give himself the highest probability of being able to return to the show the next day to play again."[5] Alex Jacob and James Holzhauer, both of whom came from gambling backgrounds, were outliers: both made extremely aggressive Daily Double wagers (and to lesser extent on Final Jeopardy! wagers) that risked a game loss, but offered huge monetary gains if successful.[10][17] Jennings credited the adoption of the high-risk strategy for his victory over Holzhauer & Rutter in The Greatest of All Time.[18]
Many general and specific betting strategies have been described by fans who study the game and discover how contestants use them.[19]
Various researchers have studied Final Jeopardy! wagering strategies. If the leader's score is more than twice the second place contestant's score (a situation known as a "runaway game"), the leader can guarantee victory by making a sufficiently small wager.[20] Otherwise, according to Jeopardy! College Champion Keith Williams, the leader usually wagers in a way that they will end up with a dollar more than twice the second place contestant's score, guaranteeing a win with a correct response.[21] Writing about Jeopardy! wagering in the 1990s, Gilbert and Hatcher said that "most players wager aggressively".[20]
A Swedish study has found factors that tend to favor men. When betting on Daily Double clues, men tend to bet more than women, even though men and women tend to answer correctly at nearly the same rate. Men also tend to answer correctly more often "when playing against only other men".[22]
Preparation
To prepare for the game, Champions have used Wikipedia's wikilinks to learn quickly;[2][23][24] read as much as they can,[25] especially children's books;[25][26] watched reruns of Jeopardy!;[26] scouted other winners and adjusted playing tactics accordingly;[16] overlearned;[1] and self-tested[1] by taking the practice test often.[8][25][27] A disproportionate number of Jeopardy! champions studied mathematics or computer science in college; Armando Fox, a computer science professor and former contestant on Win Ben Stein's Money, and J. P. Allen, a former Professor's Tournament contestant, postulated that STEM fields tend to draw people with analytical skills and the ability to catalog information, making them well-suited for games and quiz shows.[28] Allen and Fox also noted that a background in liberal arts can also broaden a contestant's repertoire of knowledge, and that the two longest-running contestants, Jennings and Schneider, had backgrounds in both.[28] A large number of contestants, and the majority of Teen Tournament and College Tournament contestants, competed in quiz bowls in high school, particularly the National Academic Quiz Tournaments, which Jennings described as a de facto minor league for Jeopardy! and other game shows.[29]
Strategies of select top champions
Many contestants throughout the show's history have received significant media attention and winnings because of their success on Jeopardy!, particularly Brad Rutter, who has won the most money on the show and was undefeated by a human until 2020; Ken Jennings, who has the show's longest winning streak; James Holzhauer, who holds several of the show's highest overall daily scores; and Amy Schneider, who has the second-longest winning streak.
Brad Rutter
Brad Rutter (first episode October 30, 2000) is the record holder for lifetime winnings.[30]
Rutter first picks clues from the center of the board because that "is where the daily doubles are". He will often push the buzzer before he knows if he can answer correctly, trusting that he probably can.[3]
Ken Jennings
Ken Jennings (first episode June 2, 2004) holds the record for the longest winning streak (74) and the record for the highest average correct responses per game.[31]
Jennings, like Rutter, first picks clues from the center of the board and will often push the buzzer before he knows if he can answer correctly, trusting that he probably can.[3] This was a regular strategy during the Art Fleming era, when contestants could ring in immediately after the clue was revealed instead of waiting for Fleming to finish reading the clues; Fleming noted that Trebek's 1985 decision to require contestants to wait until he finishes reading the clue made the show "a different game" and argued that the original rule increased the natural jeopardy of the game.[32]
James Holzhauer
James Holzhauer (first episode April 4, 2019) holds the record for single-day winnings and is fourth in number of games won (32) behind Jennings, Amy Schneider, and Matt Amodio.[33]
Holzhauer used the "Forrest Bounce" strategy, aggressive Daily Double wagering,[10] and played all of the higher-valued clues first.[5] He reads children's books and watches reruns of Jeopardy!.[26] He first picks clues from the center of the board and will often push the buzzer before he knows if he can answer correctly, trusting that he probably can.[3]
Holzhauer's optimal strategy is to "Play fast, build a stack, bet big, and hope for the best." He is noted for his very large bets, which, given that he is a professional gambler, seem to come easy.[2]
Matt Amodio
Matt Amodio (first episode July 21, 2021) has the third-longest winning streak (38), behind Ken Jennings and Amy Schneider,[34] and he is the third millionaire contestant on the show in regular-season play.[35] He is the third-highest earner of all time in regular-season play,[36] second-most successful in consecutive games won[37] and fourth-biggest all-time winner.[38]
Amodio is noted for his strategy of consistently prefacing his responses with "What's" instead of adjusting the interrogative pronoun to fit the response. He chose this method because Jeopardy! rules allow any question containing the correct response to be used; by not having to adjust the pronoun, he has one less thing to think about when formulating a response, potentially speeding response time.[23][24][39] He has credited Wikipedia's wikilinks format for allowing him to meander through various topics in a random but logical progression and learn content quickly.[23] His strategy of "bet[ting] big to win big" gives him "insurmountable leads by the time Final Jeopardy rolls around".[40]
Amy Schneider
Amy Schneider (first episode November 17, 2021), won her 40th regular season game on January 25, 2022, and is second all-time in number of consecutive games won.[41] By January 7, 2022, she had won $1,019,600, becoming the fourth millionaire contestant in regular-season play.[42][43] During season 38, Schneider qualified as the second seed in the next Tournament of Champions.[44]
Schneider has explained that when she sees a category where she is weak, she gets it "out of the way first. That way, if there were any doubles in that category, they would come up when there wasn't as much money to be wagered."[45] Later, she described her wagering strategy in a runaway game with little competition: "...round up the second place score to the nearest thousand, double it, subtract it from my score, and then subtract another thousand in case I'd messed something up. So $5800->$6000->$12000, $30000–$12000–$1000=$17000."[46]
Schneider said that doing crossword puzzles helps her think of words "as both a concept and a collection of letters at the same time".[47]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Avril, Tom (May 16, 2019). "Can 'Jeopardy!' whiz James Holzhauer be beaten? The science of memory and recall, explained". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Pinsker, Joe (April 24, 2019). "James Holzhauer Explains the Strategy Behind His 'Jeopardy' Winning Streak". The Atlantic. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e MacDonald, Lindsay (January 8, 2020). "Jeopardy!'s Greatest Champions Share Their Winning Strategy Secrets". TVGuide. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ "The Infamous Jeopardy! Buzzer Is the Key to Becoming a Jeopardy! Champion – J!Buzz". Jeopardy.com. December 3, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Woodward, Aylin (January 7, 2020). "The greatest tournament in 'Jeopardy!' history pits 3 famous champs against each other this week. Here are the tricks they've used to win big". Business Insider. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
- ^ "How Does the Jeopardy! Buzzer Work? – J!Buzz". Jeopardy.com. December 3, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
- ^ Jennings, Ken (2006). Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs. Villard. ISBN 978-1-4000-6445-8.
- ^ a b c d e Boulton, Freddy (December 10, 2018). "The Power of Jeopardy's Daily Double". Medium. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
- ^ a b c Marchese, David (November 12, 2018). "In Conversation: Alex Trebek: The Jeopardy! icon on retirement, his legacy, and why knowledge matters". Vulture. New York Media. Archived from the original on November 13, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
What bothers me is when contestants jump all over the board even after the Daily Doubles have been dealt with. Why are they doing that? They're doing themselves a disservice. When the show's writers construct categories they do it so that there's a flow in terms of difficulty, and if you jump to the bottom of the category you may get a clue that would be easier to understand if you'd begun at the top of the category and saw how the clues worked.
- ^ a b c d e f Stump, Scott (April 18, 2019). "'Jeopardy!' champ James Holzhauer has now won over $1 million". Today. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ Pennypacker, Jo (April 12, 2017). "Ice Breaker Riddles". Our Pastimes. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
The $100 questions are the easiest and they get harder as they move up to the $500 ones.
- ^ Harris, Bob (2006). Prisoner of Trebekistan. Crown Publishers. p. 85. ISBN 978-0-307-33956-0.
In September of 1985 [Forrest] pioneered a technique (still called the 'Forrest Bounce') in which he selected clues not in simple vertical lines but by hopscotching back and forth across the game board, continually changing categories.
See also Dupée, op. cit., p. 69. - ^ a b Forrest, Chuck and Lowenthal, Mark (1992). Secrets of the Jeopardy Champions. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-0-446-39352-2, ISBN 0-446-39352-5.
- ^ "Daily Double statistics – Season 29". J! Archive. February 12, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
Jeopardy! Round Daily Double statistics for Season 29...On average, the J! Round DD was located 3.85 clues down from the top of the board (standard deviation: 0.96).
- ^ Kurtzleben, Danielle (March 3, 2015). "Here's where all the Daily Doubles on Jeopardy! are". Vox. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
[Yau] found that the fourth row is prime Daily Double territory, with 38 percent of all those clues, and the second and last columns are slightly worse than the others. Meanwhile, the top row (especially column two, apparently) is a terrible place to look.
- ^ a b Bernabe, Angeline Jane (December 10, 2019). "Competition for the title of 'Jeopardy!' GOAT heats up as contestants talk strategy, rivalry". Good Morning America. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
- ^ Jackson, Gita (July 9, 2019). "Provocative Jeopardy Champ Says HQ Trivia Owes Him $20,000 In Winnings". Kotaku.com. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
During his run on Jeopardy, where Jacob both thrilled and frustrated fans by jumping around categories looking for Daily Doubles and then betting so much money that no one could overtake him(...)
- ^ Ivie, Devon (January 15, 2020). "Ken Jennings Didn't Want to Compete in Jeopardy's Big Tournament, 'Which Sure Looks Pretty Dumb Now'". Vulture.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- ^ "Wagering Strategy 101: How To Bet In Final Jeopardy". The Jeopardy! Fan. November 29, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ a b Gilbert, George T.; Hatcher, Rhonda L. (October 1, 1994). "Wagering in Final Jeopardy!". Mathematics Magazine. 67 (4): 268–269. doi:10.2307/2690846. JSTOR 2690846.
- ^ Williams, Keith (September 1, 2015). "Keith Williams on Wagering". Jeopardy! official website. Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
- ^ McCarty, India (November 30, 2022). "One Reason Men Often Perform Better On 'Jeopardy!' Than Women Has Nothing To Do With The Questions". Suggest. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ^ a b c Elber, Lynn (August 13, 2021). "'Jeopardy!' champ Matt Amodio's analytic style is a winner". Associated Press. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ a b "Who Is Matt Amodio, Jeopardy! Champion?". Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science. August 13, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Tips On How To Pass Jeopardy Online Test 2021". xscholarship.com. 2021. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
- ^ a b c Flynn, Meagan (April 10, 2019). "The secret weapon of the sports gambler who just broke the single-game 'Jeopardy!' record? Children's books". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
- ^ "Jeopardy! Prep Center". Jeopardy.com. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
- ^ a b Gentile, Dan (January 25, 2022). "Why so many 'Jeopardy!' champions are computer scientists". SFGATE. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ Jennings, Ken (April 9, 2019). "The Jeopardy! Minor Leagues". Slate. Archived from the original on April 9, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- ^ "'Jeopardy!' Battle of the Decades Tournament winner Brad Rutter wins $1 million grand prize". Zap2it. Archived from the original on February 4, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
- ^ "Jeopardy! Streak Over: Ken Jennings Loses in 75th Game, Takes Home a Record-Setting $2,520,700" (Press release). King World. November 30, 2004. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved March 7, 2007.
- ^ Perception with Don Johnson Archived September 8, 2019, at the Wayback Machine interview with Art Fleming, 1987.
- ^ Arnowitz, Leora; Levin, Gary (June 3, 2019). "James Holzhauer is (finally) unseated as 'Jeopardy!' champion; how did it all come down?". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ "Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Consecutive Games Won". Jeopardy!. December 2, 2021.
- ^ Stelloh, Tim (October 11, 2021). "Second-longest winning streak on 'Jeopardy!' ends at 38". NBC News. NBC News. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ "Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Column: Highest Winnings (Regular-Season Play)". Jeopardy!. August 13, 2021.
- ^ "Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Column: Consecutive Games Won". Jeopardy!. August 13, 2021.
- ^ "Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Column: All-Time Winnings (including tournaments)". Jeopardy!. August 13, 2021.
- ^ "What Are … Some Questions About Jeopardy! – J!Buzz". Jeopardy.com. December 3, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
- ^ Stunson, Mike (October 6, 2021). "Matt Amodio keeps winning on 'Jeopardy!' Can he catch James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings?". Miami Herald. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
- ^ "Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Consecutive Games Won". Jeopardy!. December 2, 2021.
- ^ Florence, Jr, Russell (December 4, 2021). "'Jeopardy' champion who grew up in Dayton continues historic run". dayton.com. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ Jeopardy! official Video on YouTube
- ^ "Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Eligible for Next Tournament of Champions". Jeopardy!. December 2, 2021.
- ^ Schneider, Amy (November 24, 2021). "Amy Schneider: I'm the first trans Jeopardy! contestant in the Tournament of Champions". Newsweek. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ Schneider, Amy (November 30, 2021). "My general wagering strategy for a runaway game". Twitter. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ Ricci, Kimberly (December 14, 2021). "'Jeopardy!' Champ Amy Schneider Suggests Secret Of Her Winning Streak". Uproxx. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
External links
Wikiquote has quotations related to Strategies and skills of Jeopardy! champions.
Look up Jeopardy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jeopardy!.
- Official website
- Official "Hall of Fame" with statistics (not always up-to-date)
