# Can You, Or Can You Not, Wager $420 On Jeopardy!? Has Any Contestant Done It? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 25, 2024, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058 "2024-05-25T15:10:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2024, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/1 "2024-05-25T15:10:28Z")
[Mashable](https://mashable.com/article/jeopardy-banned-wagers) says the only forbidden wagers are $69 (sex), $666 (Satanism), and $14, $88, and $1488 (white supremacy dog whistles), but that $420 is allowed. [Mattea Roach](https://x.com/mattearoach/status/1515460712591769602), however, says it’s banned. We also [talked about this on the Dope](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-on-jeopardy-ever-wagered-420/660950), albeit 11 years ago. So what’s the scoop? ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/2 "2024-05-26T01:11:01Z")
$1 to $4 are forbidden for double jeopardy (but not final Jeopardy) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/3 "2024-05-26T01:16:58Z")
I can’t read your link because I don’t subscribe to Twitter or X, whichever it is. Mattea should know. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/4 "2024-05-26T01:24:09Z")
Here’s a article referring to Mattea’s statement that isn’t under a paywall or blocked. > **[Jeopardy! host Ken and champ Mattea reveal the wagers you can't make on show](https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/5144363/jeopardy-ken-jennings-mattea-roach-banned-wagers/)** > > JEOPARDY! host Ken Jennings and champ Mattea Roach have revealed the wagers you can’t make on the popular game show. Contestants are forbidden from wagering certain amounts due to controversial ass… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/5 "2024-05-26T01:55:49Z")
Wow, great place for that article preview to cut off… “due to controversial ass…”. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/6 "2024-05-26T02:18:50Z")
Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/7 "2024-05-26T16:36:10Z")
> 420 refers to the act of smoking marijuana, given that April 20 is considered an occasion for celebrating the use of the drug. They got that backwards. April 20 is the holiday _because_ it’s “4/20.” The 420 came first. (Accounts differ on the origin of 420 being associated with pot. Some say it’s from the California penal code section. Others day a group of high school kids would meet every day at 4:20 and get high). ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/8 "2024-05-26T17:46:37Z")
I’m sure any Jeopardy! mega winner named Roach would be aware of these rules. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/9 "2024-05-26T19:48:20Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > > 420 refers to the act of smoking marijuana, given that April 20 is considered an occasion for celebrating the use of the drug. > > They got that backwards. April 20 is the holiday _because_ it’s “4/20.” The 420 came first. (Accounts differ on the origin of 420 being associated with pot. Some say it’s from the California penal code section. Others day a group of high school kids would meet every day at 4:20 and get high). It’s been officially confirmed that it originated from the Waldos (i.e. the high school kids that met at 4:20 PM to smoke). No one else has counterclaimed them. > **[420 Waldos, 4/20 Origin, Four Twenty](https://420waldos.com/)** > > 420 Founding Fathers ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/10 "2024-05-26T20:15:21Z")
Don’t contestants sometimes need to strategically wager an exact amount? What if that amount was $420 or $69? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/11 "2024-05-26T21:18:45Z")
It would require extraordinarly weird wagers earlier in the game for that to happen. Say, for example, that during one on the Daily Doubles the player wagers $931 because his birthday is September 31 or something. Such a wager would be extremely weird, but neither illegal nor unheard of, since 99.99% of all wagers place on the show are in multiples of $100 or maybe $10 in rare cases. In a case like that, a player could be compelled to wager $69 in a later Daily Double/Final Jeopardy. But I doubt it’s ever happened or is going to happen. Somebody wagering $420 for the lulz? I mean, lots of Americans smoke dope, but something tells me that if you put “People Who Think Wagering $420 On Jeopardy Is Funny” and “People Who Are Likely To Appear On Jeopardy” on a Venn Diagram, there’s likely to be little to no intersection. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/12 "2024-05-26T21:20:19Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > if you put “People Who Think Wagering $420 On Jeopardy Is Funny” and “People Who Are Likely To Appear On Jeopardy” on a Venn Diagram, there’s likely to be little to no intersection. No for nothing, I think such a bid would be hilarious, AND I smoke dope, AND I -think- I could qualify for Jeopardy, at least academically, but other than taking the online test a couple of times I’ve never made it very far into the selection process. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/13 "2024-05-26T21:22:10Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > because his birthday is September 31 That would be an unusual September. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/14 "2024-05-26T21:22:46Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > That would be an unusual September. Oops 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/15 "2024-05-28T03:55:40Z")
Years ago I saw a contestant bet 1337. Alex identified it right away. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/16 "2024-05-28T04:07:38Z")
We’re the eleet. 😏 ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/17 "2024-05-29T03:37:20Z")
And we got neet feet. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/18 "2024-05-29T04:35:16Z")
Mine are debatable. 😏 ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/19 "2024-05-29T04:49:46Z")
1337? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058/20 "2024-05-29T05:03:06Z")
Internet language made up by gamers. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-or-can-you-not-wager-420-on-jeopardy-has-any-contestant-done-it/1002058.md?page=2)