# 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:** 21
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/401 "2019-05-24T13:41:48Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > Here it has always been 7:30 Eastern. It is 7 for my SIL in Vegas (Wheel and Jeopardy are flipped)… PM, I presume? ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/402 "2019-05-24T13:47:23Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > My husband and daughter thought James was trying to lose, as if he had gotten bored with the whole thing. He did seem to be slow on the buzzer. But I can’t imagine he’d deliberately throw a game till he tops Ken’s dollar total. It seemed like that to me, too, but I think all that was really happening was that Nate was almost as quick on the buzzer as James. It was more like a normal game in terms of distribution of first buzzes, which we’re not used to with James. ---
**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:** [May 24, 2019, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/403 "2019-05-24T18:46:41Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > A lot of people stream the Alabama showing. The results are up on reddit shortly afterwards. Does anyone know how to stream this broadcast? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/404 "2019-05-24T18:52:36Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Does anyone know how to stream this broadcast? Of course. It’s easy. But that is potentially vaguely illegal so I can’t tell you here. Check the Jeopardy! subreddit. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/405 "2019-05-24T20:44:13Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > PM, I presume? You presume correctly. And to further clarify, my SIL’s time is whatever time zone Vegas is on (I think 3 hours behind Eastern, but I’m not sure). ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/406 "2019-05-24T21:06:08Z")
In today’s episode, for about half of Double Jeopardy, there was a strong chance that both challengers were going to finish in negative territory and be eliminated. I was kind of hoping for that to happen. As for the discussion of airing time in different markets, in Chicago, the show starts at 3:30, while Wheel of Fortune airs in the evening. I always thought it should be the opposite. Just guessing, I’d say that the average Jeopardy viewer is more likely to be employed than the average Wheel of Fortune viewer. Therefore, Jeopardy should air in the evening when most employed people arrive home from work. ---
**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 24, 2019, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/407 "2019-05-24T21:20:04Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > As for the discussion of airing time in different markets, in Chicago, the show starts at 3:30, while Wheel of Fortune airs in the evening. I always thought it should be the opposite. Just guessing, I’d say that the average Jeopardy viewer is more likely to be employed than the average Wheel of Fortune viewer. Therefore, Jeopardy should air in the evening when most employed people arrive home from work. On the other hand, with DVRs it doesn’t matter. (and Jeopardy is unwatchable without being able to fast forward through commercials. The last 10 minutes is about 7.5 minutes of ads. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/408 "2019-05-24T21:23:39Z")
Here on the west coast it airs at 7pm. I DVR it and usually watch it later in the evening. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/409 "2019-05-24T21:33:16Z")
actually, USA used to run game shows all afternoon back in the day and ive seen the 2 part press luck episodes where the guy memorized the patterns …funny thing is when the show originally aired people were pointing out it wouldnt be hard to memorize them i wouldnt of been suprised if people all ready had but not to the extreme… See guys problem was he got caught up in the rush of winning and forgot one of the rules of ethical cheating… lose a few randomly i mean he could of lost or passed when he knew there were gonna be a few wipeout squares if hed just figured out how to steer the others to them … Card counters get caught up in winning the same way tho ---
**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:** [May 24, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/410 "2019-05-24T21:40:22Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > actually, USA used to run game shows all afternoon back in the day and ive seen the 2 part press luck episodes where the guy memorized the patterns … I saw that one, too. In the Chicago market, that ran in the late morning. I was surprised to find that it only ran that one time, until it was shown again in a documentary in 2003 (and then a few times afterwards.) I would have been almost 9 at the time, but I was addicted to that show as a kid. I always just assumed I saw it on a rerun years later, given I was only a month shy of 9 when I saw it, but apparently not. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/411 "2019-05-24T21:43:57Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > See guys problem was he got caught up in the rush of winning and forgot one of the rules of ethical cheating… lose a few randomly i mean he could of lost or passed when he knew there were gonna be a few wipeout squares if hed just figured out how to steer the others to them … > Card counters get caught up in winning the same way tho I’m not sure what you’re trying to say. He wasn’t “caught.” He kept the money. ---
**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:** [May 24, 2019, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/412 "2019-05-24T21:51:21Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > I’m not sure what you’re trying to say. He wasn’t “caught.” He kept the money. Yeah, Michael Larson was his name. The episode spanned two days, and in the beginning, he did screw up his timing a few times. But then he just hit bonus tile after bonus tile after bonus tile until he started losing his nerve a little bit. They brought him back the next day (ETA, or rather, they split the episode up to two days–bad phrasing on my part)–and he did end up winning (looking it up, it was $110,237, the equivalent of about $270K today.) Typically, though, winners would come back for the next episode. He was not allowed to. And then CBS would not allow that episode to be shown for 19 years. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/413 "2019-05-24T22:36:47Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > In today’s episode, for about half of Double Jeopardy, there was a strong chance that both challengers were going to finish in negative territory and be eliminated. I was kind of hoping for that to happen. And if that theoretical possibility had actually happened, what would they do? Just say to hell with FJ, let him play but don’t award any money, let him play and bet whatever he wants? And how much would he bet in that situation - $1 or everything but $1 ? ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/414 "2019-05-24T22:52:44Z")
Just an FYI… if you quote a spoiler box it is no longer hidden. I knew this so made sure to not read it but just to make everyone aware. You can easily quote the post and delete the part that starts with [Spoiler]. ---
**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:** [May 25, 2019, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/415 "2019-05-25T00:12:52Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > And if that theoretical possibility had actually happened, what would they do? > > Just say to hell with FJ, let him play but don’t award any money, let him play and bet whatever he wants? And how much would he bet in that situation - $1 or everything but $1 ? It’s happened before. YouTube search for “one person final Jeopardy.” Game goes on as normal. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2019, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/416 "2019-05-25T00:25:35Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Which gives him quite an incentive to _lose_… > > For people who don’t have major savings, being a long-term Jeopardy! champion could mean an incredible drain on their finances—assuming their jobs aren’t in the LA area, they’d have to be living on savings during the weeks they’re playing. (And have an understanding employer, who’d be willing to give them a long leave of absence, unless the winnings are so huge that they can quit their job.) > > I guess technically since tapings take up only two days per week the person could get a temporary job in Los Angeles on the other five days—but I bet few do that. I’m surprised GEICO or some other company hasn’t come up with an ad featuring him. He’d probably get a good pay check from this while he waits for his Jeopardy money. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2019, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/417 "2019-05-25T00:41:53Z")
Laura from yesterday’s episode answered some questions in the reddit Thursday recap thread. Interesting insider info. The contestants are aware they have to play recklessly to beat James. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2019, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/418 "2019-05-25T00:44:41Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > Just an FYI… if you quote a spoiler box it is no longer hidden. I knew this so made sure to not read it but just to make everyone aware. You can easily quote the post and delete the part that starts with [Spoiler]. If I’m understanding your post correctly, I think this depends on which ‘theme’ or ‘style’ you are using to view the SDMB. The quoted spoilers in the above posts are still hidden for me. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2019, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/419 "2019-05-25T00:58:52Z")
Regarding the Daily Doubles in Double Jeopardy of today’s game: They seemed pretty difficult to me, and I wonder if James would have known them. The first was the one with the bible quote about shaping spears into ‘pruning hooks’. And the second, about the Wagner festival in the Bavarian town (Bayreuth) also seems obscure enough he might not have known it. Regarding the game overall: I’m probably reading too much into it, but there was a stretch there in Double Jeopardy when it felt like maybe James was holding back, trying to let the other contestants get back into the game. They both had negative points, and there were a few questions I thought James would pounce on but didn’t. Then he did eventually get back into it and started nailing questions like normal. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2019, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/420 "2019-05-25T01:10:23Z")
I have wondered if they’ll make the daily doubles and FJ questions much harder. That’s one way to slow down James. So he doesn’t bank huge dollars. They did seem harder today. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=22)