Nelson Muntz
I am fairly certain that when they have clebrity shows they do show the “stars” the questions so they don’t appear to be total idiots. Or maybe that’s the Hollywood squares. I’m certain that the real contestants on Jeopardy aren’t forwarned.
Celebrity Jeopardy questions are easier, dauerbach.
Haven’t you ever watched SNL? 
I briefly, very briefly considered making my Final Jeopardy wager that would have possibly allowed a three-way tie on my fourth victory. But I beleive you always want to face new opponents that don’t have experience with the buzzer.
It is a custom, however, for the defending champion to “allow” a tie on his or her fifth victory.
I felt badly for the 2nd place finisher losing by $1.
Anybody remember the Jeopardy where the guy (who was in the service, I believe) won with one dollar?
I’m sorry, you have to phrase that in the form of a question.
I always assumed that they played a few test rounds before taping so that everyone could get used to the buzzers. Not so, huh?
BTW … what’s the deal when you see someone press the buzzer several times early and forcefully without getting the answer first? Are they buzzing in too early?
Yes, they do, bordelond - but they’re still not easy to get used to. The buzzers are released by a stagehand as soon as Alex finishes the question. Contestants know that’s happened when lights on the side of the board (not shown on broadcast) go on, and try to hit the buzzers right then. If you hit the button before the light goes on, you have to release it and be locked out for 0.3 seconds (you’re doomed). You pump the button in case another contestant did ring in early and got locked out.
Under the pressure of a real game, everything including the buzzer starts to feel different from the practice rounds anyway. The returning contestant has a serious advantage that way, and you do not want to face an experienced competitor.
Ah! I always wondered what the deal with pumping the button was. It seemed unlikely that the buzzer was simply malfunctioning.
Wow! Not only was there a tie tonight, but the third contestant just needed to get the Final Jeopardy question and it would have been a three-way tie! (and the first in Jeopardy history)
The two co-champions come back tomorrow, can they continue their alliance?
ElvisL1ves, I was following you until the last sentence. Can you elaborate? Why do people pump the button?
I saw that game last night, and remembering this thread, remarked to my wife that the guy who allowed the tie made a big mistake. He made it so that one of his opponents for the next game was an experienced player, familiar with the buzzer.
And sure enough, in the game tonight, that player (who should’ve lost the night before) was in the lead going into Final Jeopardy. Mr. Magnanimous was in last place. (Final Jeopardy ended with the new challenger winning, though.) [This is second-hand info, BTW; I missed tonight’s game.]
I was on Jeopardy! in 1991 (won the first show–$7,200–and came in second on the second), and of course the contestants aren’t given any information–questions, answers, categories–before the taping.
In fact, thanks to the laws implemented after the quiz show scandals of the late '50s, there are very rigid restrictions in place. Contestants are only permitted to have contact with three members of the show’s staff: the contestant coordinators, who welcome you to the show, go over the rules with you, walk you through the practice session, etc. And the CCs are not permitted to have any contact with the writers or the technical staff who handle the answer/question sets (“the material” in their parlance). We were given strict instructions not to talk to anyone in the studio, cameramen, sound men, etc., or face possible removal.
The contestants must be in the company of a CC at all times, including when going to the bathroom.
We were also told (although, for obvious reasons, we did not see this) that before every taping day (five shows are taped each day) ten sets of “material” are prepared, and the set to be used in each show is randomly chosen only a few minutes before the taping begins. So it would be difficult for someone to ensure that a certain contestant got a certain set of answers/questions.
In case you were wondering, you don’t meet Alex before he walks onto the set, and the only time you get to chat with him is the interview section of the show and while the credits are rolling after the game is over. As soon as the credits stop, he walks off the set.
As for the tie situation, no one here has mentioned the case I think makes most sense: tying a departing 5-time champ. While we were waiting to go on, one of my fellow contestants pointedly remarked that if he were in the position to win his fifth game, he would try to go for a tie. Why not? Everyone (except KingWorld) wins: the champ goes off with five wins and the car, the challenger keeps the cash and comes back as a one-time champ. It’s not against the rules, at least it wasn’t when I played.
I’ve always thought it mean (even unsportsmanlike) of challengers to rob a four-time champ of the fifth win when they could have tied. But it almost never happens. Maybe they have changed the rules in the last 12 years.