# Spicoli's winning Jeopardy! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 23, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938 "2009-07-23T00:04:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/41 "2009-07-25T03:37:57Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > I dunno, describing your occupation as “gadabout,” wearing an ascot, wildly flailing your buzzer arm for every ring-in, and folding your arms glowering when you lose all add up to WORLD’S BIGGEST DOUCHE in my book. He had the nice story about his sister at the beginning though, so I’ll forgive him the wacky neckware. ---
**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:** [July 25, 2009, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/42 "2009-07-25T04:13:33Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > He finished up the 25th season of _Jeopardy!_ with his fifth win tonight and will be back when the show comes back in September. September?! I can’t wait that long to see Fabio again. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/43 "2009-07-25T16:29:35Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > Oh, yeah. They dissect every show. What’s even more surprising is that Sony funds it. If you head over there, you’ll see that Stefan has been posting about his wins under the name “seaborgian.” They get a surprising number of the actual contestants posting about their shows. > > [Jeopardy! Forums](http://boards.sonypictures.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=11) What a fun read! Stefan comes off as quite smart and witty, which I guess we knew from watching him. I liked the “Steve” smackdown. What is “DANSWER”? Shorthand for Dumb Answer? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/44 "2009-07-25T16:36:05Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > thank goodness I am not the only one who has never heard of that cheese. I also would have guessed Whiffenpoof Cheese, believe it or not. For some reason, I was thinking Yale was in New York. ---
**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:** [July 25, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/45 "2009-07-25T18:30:07Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > What is “DANSWER”? Shorthand for Dumb Answer? “DANSWER” was a category that the questions were all names of dances. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/46 "2009-07-25T21:55:12Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > He had the nice story about his sister at the beginning though, so I’ll forgive him the wacky neckware. Given everything else about the guy, I wouldn’t put it past him that he made the story up about his sister. According to the Stefan on the Jeopardy! forums, John was originally going to be a bon vivant, but changed it to gadabout. Stefan said he was originally going to call himself a stay-at-home son. I don’t know if he was joking about that. Incidentally, I guessed Dolly Parton as the answer. She is the same age as John’s wrong answer of Cher, at 63. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/47 "2009-07-25T23:09:42Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Oh, man, he creeps me the fuck out. Looks like some brainwashed cult member to me. Yep. Same here. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/48 "2009-07-25T23:51:01Z")
For what it’s worth, there are a few of us who have actually eaten Liederkranz cheese. Not that I actually miss it. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/49 "2009-07-26T07:07:33Z")
> [@Ataraxy](#): > > Given everything else about the guy, I wouldn’t put it past him that he made the story up about his sister. According to the Stefan on the Jeopardy! forums, John was originally going to be a bon vivant, but changed it to gadabout. Stefan said he was originally going to call himself a stay-at-home son. I don’t know if he was joking about that. > > Incidentally, I guessed Dolly Parton as the answer. She is the same age as John’s wrong answer of Cher, at 63. My reading of Stefan’s comment was that the producers of Jeopardy! were the ones who decided to change John’s occupation to “gadabout” rather than “bon vivant.” It sounds to me like John is unemployed, and they just don’t say that on Jeopardy! “An unemployed office worker from Flint, Michigan…” It also sounds like Stefan is unemployed, which is why he considered being described as “stay-at-home son,” though I’m certain the producers would never go along with that. He stated on the J! forums that he hasn’t been a camp counselor since his audition. I wonder if figuring out how to describe unemployed contestants is going to be an increasing problem on Jeopardy! due to the terrible economy. Both times I tried out, I didn’t currently have a job. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/50 "2009-07-26T13:00:36Z")
> [@Ataraxy](#): > > Stefan said he was originally going to call himself a stay-at-home son. I don’t know if he was joking about that. > [@Erdosain](#): > > It also sounds like Stefan is unemployed, which is why he considered being described as “stay-at-home son,” though I’m certain the producers would never go along with that. He stated on the J! forums that he hasn’t been a camp counselor since his audition. I knew it! I was just telling my wife the other day that listing two jobs for a contestant is game show code for “I am actually unemployed… but here are the last two jobs I held”. ---
**Author:** ![seaborgium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@seaborgium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seaborgium)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/51 "2009-07-28T05:01:39Z")
I hate to be the kind of guy who registers for a forum because there’s a single thread about him in it, but besides that, I have been a fan of The Straight Dope for around 15 years now (my dad had the first book, and I stumbled upon it around age 11 and read the hell out of it). Anyway, I wanted to pop in here and say that my Sony message board posts have been misread. I actually am testing games and getting paid for it, and I’m a camp counselor as well. I work nights at the game testing gig, which is how I’m able to do the two jobs. It’s crazy and exhausting, but it’s only eight weeks out of the year. And John’s story about his sister was absolutely true. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/52 "2009-07-28T05:09:28Z")
Welcome, congratulations, and good luck. ---
**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:** [July 28, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/53 "2009-07-28T05:12:29Z")
If you are indeed Stefan, I missed today’s show, but do imagine you’ve been invited to the Tournament of Champions. If or when you attend, I politely, but firmly request that you put a small fan on your podium to blow your hair. The more hidden the fan is from camera view the better. Also, I imagine the J! suits wouldn’t let you do this, so just put your foot down and _tell_ them that you’re putting a fan on your podium. EDIT: Missing today’s show doesn’t actually mean anything, because I forgot the end of the season was Friday. So nevermind me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/54 "2009-07-28T13:47:17Z")
Stefan, welcome! Stick around! Now you can be in the list of Dopers who’ve won on Jeopardy. We also have a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=519075&highlight=Jeopardy+audition)for those of us poor saps who have auditioned and are waiting for the call (that’d be me, jayjay, DrFidelius and a few others). ---
**Author:** ![StinkyBurrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@StinkyBurrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StinkyBurrito)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/55 "2009-07-28T15:34:35Z")
Welcome, Stefan. I admire your style of play including occasional large bets and humerous questions. I am studying and hope to make it on the show one day. My plan is to bet big or bet it all at every opportunity during the first game and hope to hit it big. Then I would play it more conventionally thereafter. I figure it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to take a chance like that. Good luck! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/56 "2009-07-28T17:28:43Z")
> [@seaborgium](#): > > I hate to be the kind of guy who registers for a forum because there’s a single thread about him in it, but besides that, I have been a fan of The Straight Dope for around 15 years now (my dad had the first book, and I stumbled upon it around age 11 and read the hell out of it). > > Anyway, I wanted to pop in here and say that my Sony message board posts have been misread. I actually am testing games and getting paid for it, and I’m a camp counselor as well. I work nights at the game testing gig, which is how I’m able to do the two jobs. It’s crazy and exhausting, but it’s only eight weeks out of the year. > > And John’s story about his sister was absolutely true. My bad, **seaborgium** , since I am the one who suggested you might be unemployed and that you weren’t a camp counselor anymore. For the record (and so people don’t think I was just making stuff up!) this was your comment on the J! Forums that I misinterpreted: [QUOTE=seaborgium at J! Forums] For what it’s worth, I was only a camp counselor when I auditioned (and not for long; I had a week or two left, after which I had no job for several months—“stay-at-home son” was how I decided I’d be introduced, should I get the call during a jobless period). [/QUOTE] As you can see, it sounded like you were saying that you were no longer a counselor, although I guess you meant you weren’t yet a video game tester? At any rate, I’m glad you have a job (or two), though I guess you don’t need one as badly now. And since you were the reigning champ at the end of the season, does that mean you don’t get to go to the Tournament of Champions until 2010? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/57 "2009-07-28T17:51:10Z")
> [@seaborgium](#): > > I hate to be the kind of guy who registers for a forum because there’s a single thread about him in it, but besides that, I have been a fan of The Straight Dope for around 15 years now (my dad had the first book, and I stumbled upon it around age 11 and read the hell out of it). I’ll be honest. Part of the reason I started this thread was to check if you were a member (or lurker – Dopes appearing on _Jeopardy_ tend to mention it.) ---
**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:** [July 28, 2009, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/58 "2009-07-28T18:47:00Z")
> [@StinkyBurrito](#): > > Welcome, Stefan. I admire your style of play including occasional large bets and humerous questions. I am studying and hope to make it on the show one day. My plan is to bet big or bet it all at every opportunity during the first game and hope to hit it big. Then I would play it more conventionally thereafter. I figure it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to take a chance like that. > > Good luck! 😉 I believe betting large (i.e. all of it) in the first round is correct. If you lose it all, your opponents are very likely to only have peanuts compared to what you can win in Double Jeopardy. You’ll probably make it up with just two or three correct answers. Also, if one of your opponents has a large lead, no better way to catch up than to double your winnings. Speaking of Double Jeopardy, if you’re in the lead, might as well bet all\* of your lead minus a hundred bucks or so. This way you’re still leading at least. If you’re behind, bet the amount you’re behind by. \*Unless you’re close to just running away with the whole game. **Fallacy Alert!** If all else fails, appeal to authority. Ken Jennings would bet big in the first round. His second round doesn’t matter though because half way through he’d have more than his opponents combined. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/59 "2009-07-28T19:14:57Z")
I think if I ever got on Jeopardy! and I had a DD or FJ answer that I could not question correctly, I would say “May I changed my wager to Zero?” or something similar. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938/60 "2009-07-28T19:20:04Z")
Well, at least you phrased it in the form of a question. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spicolis-winning-jeopardy/503938.md?page=4)