# If I see one more person screw up a Jeopardy! bet... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 31, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246 "2012-01-31T00:57:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/1 "2012-01-31T00:57:08Z")
…I’ll throw something at the TV, I swear it. People can be so amazingly dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/2 "2012-01-31T00:58:21Z")
Yeah, that caught me by surprise, too. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/3 "2012-01-31T01:08:41Z")
Even Alex was caught off guard. Last week we had a different one, the kind where the person in 3rd should just bet zero…that one got screwed up too. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/4 "2012-01-31T05:58:17Z")
Heh, yeah Alex sounded a bit confused with that one. “You have - twenty one… thousand four hundred.” And she made such a comeback too. Easy Final question. Seems she was betting the leader would get it wrong and forgot about the guy in 3rd place. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/5 "2012-01-31T06:10:56Z")
“Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/6 "2012-01-31T06:15:48Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Heh, yeah Alex sounded a bit confused with that one. “You have - twenty one… thousand four hundred.” > > And she made such a comeback too. Easy Final question. > > Seems she was betting the leader would get it wrong and forgot about the guy in 3rd place. People make stupid bets all the time, but this one saddened me because it wasted such a great comeback, after waiting 50 years to get on the show. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/7 "2012-01-31T06:21:52Z")
The shitty bets are why I stopped watching that show. EDIT: And if I had watched this episode it sounds like I’d need a new TV. ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/8 "2012-01-31T14:34:54Z")
can someone explain this for those who did not see the show? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/9 "2012-01-31T14:37:00Z")
Look, it is A LOT DIFFERENT when you’re up there in person. I’d practiced and practiced betting and still found it much harder than you’d think when you’re up there at the podium with some scratch paper. ETA - I didn’t see this particular show. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/10 "2012-01-31T14:39:04Z")
> [@phungi](#): > > can someone explain this for those who did not see the show? Seconding this request. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/11 "2012-01-31T15:37:33Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Seconding this request. Going into Final Jeopardy the leader had $21,000, second place $11,400, third place $11,000. Third place gets it right, bets it all, for a total of $22,000. Second place gets it right, bets $10,000 (!!??) for a total of $21,400. First place gets it wrong, so the person who was in third wins the game. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/12 "2012-01-31T15:39:57Z")
Whaaaa. Man, if I ever get on that show, I’m going to practice betting strategy at home with flashcards so that I don’t screw it up like that. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/13 "2012-01-31T15:47:11Z")
And what made it even worse was the woman in second place had started Double Jeopardy in the negative! She made it all the way back to second place with an impressive score, and lost it in the final seconds because of a poor wager. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/14 "2012-01-31T15:47:45Z")
Believe it or not, here is a complete [recap](http://fikklefame.com/final-jeopardy-1-30-12/) of last night’s Jeopardy. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/15 "2012-01-31T15:49:19Z")
I don’t understand why you wouldn’t always automatically bet it all (assuming you know the answer). If you don’t know the answer that’s one thing, but if you do and you’re behind, what do you have to lose?! ---
**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:** [January 31, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/16 "2012-01-31T15:54:22Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I don’t understand why you wouldn’t always automatically bet it all (assuming you know the answer). If you don’t know the answer that’s one thing, but if you do and you’re behind, what do you have to lose?! Sometimes everyone gets it wrong and a lower bet could save you. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/17 "2012-01-31T15:54:35Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I don’t understand why you wouldn’t always automatically bet it all (assuming you know the answer). If you don’t know the answer that’s one thing, but if you do and you’re behind, what do you have to lose?! Because you don’t know if you know the answer. And you don’t know if anybody else does, either. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/18 "2012-01-31T15:56:56Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Look, it is A LOT DIFFERENT when you’re up there in person. I’d practiced and practiced betting and still found it much harder than you’d think when you’re up there at the podium with some scratch paper… A second vote for this. That said, I double and triple-checked my math before trying to write in my wager with that ridiculous light pen they had. (Not that it mattered, when all three of us got the question right…sigh.) Edit: Nevermind, I get it. I wonder if they meant to write $11,000 and just spaced on how many "1"s they wrote? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/19 "2012-01-31T15:57:36Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I don’t understand why you wouldn’t always automatically bet it all (assuming you know the answer). If you don’t know the answer that’s one thing, but if you do and you’re behind, what do you have to lose?! If I’m understanding your question correctly, you wager after you see the category, not when you see the question, so you have no way of knowing if you know the answer until after you make your bet. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246/20 "2012-01-31T15:59:56Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I don’t understand why you wouldn’t always automatically bet it all (assuming you know the answer). If you don’t know the answer that’s one thing, but if you do and you’re behind, what do you have to lose?! Having a dollar left and getting $2,000 from their sponsor Aleve, which is fitting cause that’s what I’d need the minute I walked off stage. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-see-one-more-person-screw-up-a-jeopardy-bet/611246.md?page=2)