# The Jeopardy thread \[was James Holzhauer\]\[contains spoilers\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** reality-or-game-show\ **Created:** [April 17, 2019, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696 "2019-04-17T21:53:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 121
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2403 "2021-07-30T02:25:08Z")
They’re building him up by giving him weak opponents. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2404 "2021-07-30T02:28:22Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > tonight finished with $74,000 I was surprised by the size of his FJ bet today. And it wasn’t exactly an easy answer, either. That dude is one sharp guy. He’s now at 268,800 bucks. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2405 "2021-07-30T03:28:30Z")
Today’s episode was preempted by Biden’s COVID announcements. Thanks Biden! (I wish there was an easy way to catch them in cases like this.) ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2406 "2021-07-30T03:46:40Z")
“They,” of course, are doing nothing of the sort and would be in violation of Federal law if they even tried. Contestants for each game are selected randomly from the pool of the week’s players and alternates. And the game “material” (the sets of answers and questions) are also picked randomly after the game’s contestants are chosen. In any case, even if the producers wanted to manipulate the game in the manner you imply, how could they know in advance who would perform well when it came to actual play? Or perhaps you were joking? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2407 "2021-07-30T04:29:44Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Amodio is on his way to being the next Jennings or Holzhauer. Very exciting! Except for his insistence on phrasing EVERY response with “What’s—.” I’m starting to hope that at the end of Friday’s episode, they announce that they’re canceling the show rather than let him do that any more. 🤬 I also hope that Yale refuses to accept his doctoral dissertation, and cancels the doctoral program for whatever field he’s pursuing. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2408 "2021-07-30T04:42:45Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > Then they don’t clear the board that round, and there will be a couple of top-row clues left which we never get to find out what they were. They eventually show up in potpourri categories. In today’s game he was “lawn mowing” from the bottom up. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2409 "2021-07-30T04:43:22Z")
Yeah, I noticed that in his first show. It’s very annoying. I have this idea that he’s just decided to start every response with “What” to avoid having to think about which word to use. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2410 "2021-07-30T05:06:02Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > [@Arcite](#): > > > > Then they don’t clear the board that round, and there will be a couple of top-row clues left which we never get to find out what they were. > > They eventually show up in potpourri categories. > > In today’s game he was “lawn mowing” from the bottom up. Wow, I never knew unrevealed clues from previous games were the source of the potpourri categories! > [@commasense](#): > > Yeah, I noticed that in his first show. It’s very annoying. I have this idea that he’s just decided to start every response with “What” to avoid having to think about which word to use. Per his Linkedin, he has degrees in actuarial science and statistics, and is getting his Ph.D. in artificial intelligence, so it’s not surprising he would take such a robotic, mechanistic approach. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2411 "2021-07-30T07:15:19Z")
He’s getting weak opponents because the pool of candidates is weak. Statistically, things like this happen from time to time, usually in clusters. It’s bound to clear up later, especially once the pandemic is more or less over. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2412 "2021-07-30T14:44:30Z")
Matt Amodio has proven to be knowledgeable across a wide variety of subjects, which is a must for a multiple-day Jeopardy champion. He has also figured out the correct technique of when to buzz in, another must. He’s using, to full advantage, the same bottom-to-the-top technique that Holzhauer used to build up his score early, as well as finding the Daily Doubles before his opponents can find them. He’s not as personable as Jeopardy James, and he doesn’t try to double up every time he does find a DD. But, yeah, weak opponents. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2413 "2021-07-30T16:51:07Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Yeah, I noticed that in his first show. It’s very annoying. I have this idea that he’s just decided to start every response with “What” to avoid having to think about which word to use. I wonder, has anyone in the history of Jeopardy! ever approached this by using something like “when” or “why”? It would be annoying, but I guess permissible? ---
**Author:** ![mjmartin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3d9bf3/32.png) [@mjmartin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjmartin)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2414 "2021-07-30T17:03:51Z")
Is it just me, or does Burton get too excited when a contestant that is behind gets an answer right? Its more of a “YES!” than a “yes,” like a teacher that is surprised that the dunce student gets a correct answer. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2415 "2021-07-30T17:14:54Z")
I’ve been thinking the same thing. I was looking forward to Burton’s tenure as guest host, but now admit to being somewhat disappointed. He just doesn’t sound like he’s cut out to be a game show host, at least not on one like _ **Jeopardy!** _ ---
**Author:** ![mjmartin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3d9bf3/32.png) [@mjmartin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjmartin)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2416 "2021-07-30T17:18:23Z")
Given his resume, I was really hoping he would do well. Every game though there seems to be awkward moments where the game doesn’t flow smoothly. If he were the first guest host after Alex, I would just assume its the difference between a new host and someone that did it for decades, but other guest hosts have done far better. Its a shame. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2417 "2021-07-30T17:24:01Z")
> [@mjmartin](#): > > Its a shame. It’s no disgrace to be below par at an unusual skill. The weird part is that he’s one of the few who seems to actually be hoping for the full time position. Most of these guests seem to be just having a week or two of fun. (Buzzy might also want it, and perhaps Ken Jennings). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2418 "2021-07-30T17:27:31Z")
Honestly, most of the guest hosts have much bigger day jobs so I doubt they’d take the hosting position even if was offered to them. On the other hand, Buzzy and Ken Jennings (and perhaps Levar Burton) don’t already have a full-time job, or at least nothing comparable to this, so my guess is the new host is going to be either Buzzy or Ken. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2419 "2021-07-30T17:31:09Z")
I hope so, I liked both of them. Re Levar Burton, I guess when you read books aloud to kids, you develop a more dynamic manner of speaking. ---
**Author:** ![mjmartin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3d9bf3/32.png) [@mjmartin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjmartin)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2420 "2021-07-30T18:09:14Z")
Dynamic I could live with. It has come across to me as more bad timing, causing awkward pauses. Could easily be solved if he had a bunch of time to work on it, but I just doubt he will be given the opportunity when there have been others without similar issues. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2421 "2021-07-30T18:57:47Z")
Burton also has weird pauses before he says, “Correct!” - and I’m not sure if it’s editing or what exactly the deal is. I think Matt’s quirk about always saying “what’s,” not even “what is” is fun and different. And as far as weak contestants go, one of them was a PhD student just like Matt, if that means anything. He just doesn’t give them time to buzz in! If they do get in, they seemed surprised and don’t have an answer ready. He hasn’t been a runaway every time, either. I’m enjoying him very much, and I hope he sets some records. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/2422 "2021-07-30T19:06:33Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > I think Matt’s quirk about always saying “what’s,” not even “what is” is fun and different. I don’t dislike him as a player (and he’s unquestionably good, he would certainly beat me at the game) but I find that quirk pretty annoying. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=120) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=122)