# 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:** 22
**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 25, 2019, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/421 "2019-05-25T01:15:13Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > 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. I’m just using whatever the default is. When I see the quoted post I see the spoiler box as if the button has been pushed. It really is probably easier to just delete any spoilered pieces than to get everyone to use a specific view. Just my thoughts. ---
**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, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/422 "2019-05-25T01:17:18Z")
I’m using Tapatalk and the spoiler boxes are working fine. ---
**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 25, 2019, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/423 "2019-05-25T01:32:28Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’m using Tapatalk and the spoiler boxes are working fine. I’m using Chrome which I think may be more common and as I said they show. Again, I’m not upset, but it seems simple to just delete that part so nobody sees it no matter what you are using. ---
**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, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/424 "2019-05-25T01:35:15Z")
Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and you should see a drop-down box in the ribbon. Click on the box and select ‘StraightDope v3.7.3’ and it will ‘fix’ the quoted spoiler problem. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2019, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/425 "2019-05-25T01:46:04Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > 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. It’s an interesting idea; one of our former contestants may know if that sort of thing is explicitly disallowed by the paperwork you sign in order to appear on the show, or if it’s a grey area. ---
**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:** [May 25, 2019, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/426 "2019-05-25T02:22:11Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > 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. To some of us, these are common knowledge, not difficult at all. ---
**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, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/427 "2019-05-25T02:26:04Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > To some of us, these are common knowledge, not difficult at all. I would have been screwed on either of those, but the first one has its own Wikipedia page, so it’s probably not that obscure. I went to 12 years of Catholic school and I don’t remember it. The second one I feel is something I should know, given that I grew up playing classical music and I’ve been to cities very close to there (heck, I may have even driven through there), but nope. I do think that James would probably have known at least the first, if not the second. ---
**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 25, 2019, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/428 "2019-05-25T02:28:45Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and you should see a drop-down box in the ribbon. Click on the box and select ‘StraightDope v3.7.3’ and it will ‘fix’ the quoted spoiler problem. I understand how to regress to an older version than what I’m using. I don’t understand why that should be expected rather than simply clicking and highlighting the spoiler info and hitting delete instead of expecting everyone to go back to an earlier version (which is not the default). Again, this isn’t a big deal to me… I know how to not read something and just move past. It just seems like a common courtesy to me. No biggie… just a suggestion. ---
**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, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/429 "2019-05-25T02:57:30Z")
Just pointing out the style selection option because I don’t think everyone knows about it. And what we should **really** expect to be the default board behavior–rather than having to delete spoiler boxes from quotes–is that the newer version should handle spoiler boxes at least as proficiently as the older version. ---
**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, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/430 "2019-05-25T02:59:31Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > To some of us, these are common knowledge, not difficult at all. Well, la di da. 😉 ---
**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 25, 2019, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/431 "2019-05-25T05:09:00Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > Just pointing out the style selection option because I don’t think everyone knows about it. And what we should **really** expect to be the default board behavior–rather than having to delete spoiler boxes from quotes–is that the newer version should handle spoiler boxes at least as proficiently as the older version. I agree it should, and maybe version 3.8.8 will do so rather than asking every new and existing member who doesn’t realize this flaw to go back to 3.7.3. Seriously, I don’t have a burr up my butt over spoilers like some people. This is a bit of a different situation since I had no idea that some people could watch the show that I always assumed aired in the evening in the morning. If it was a prime time show and I lived on the west coast or was going to DVR it I just wouldn’t read the thread until after I had a chance to watch it. When I read something at noon I never realized someone would already know the results that I thought nobody knew until the evening. Ignorance fought. Is it that big of a stretch from people asking (demanding) that any spoiler be put in a spoiler box to asking that any quoted spoilers have the spoiler deleted? ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2019, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/432 "2019-05-25T05:54:12Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > I’m just using whatever the default is. When I see the quoted post I see the spoiler box as if the button has been pushed. It really is probably easier to just delete any spoilered pieces than to get everyone to use a specific view. > > Just my thoughts. Cosigned (also on Chrome). ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2019, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/433 "2019-05-25T07:07:14Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > 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. I think its just luck of the category. I thought it was pretty easy tonight. I’m not saying I’m some kind of smarty-pants. Put a ‘High School English Lit’ category up there, and I’m done!\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2019, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/434 "2019-05-25T12:24:04Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > To some of us, these are common knowledge, not difficult at all. But isn’t that true for every single possible piece of knowledge out there which somebody, somewhere, can easily recall ? ---
**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:** [May 25, 2019, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/435 "2019-05-25T14:14:33Z")
Does anyone still have his early episodes on their DVR? Because I distinctly remember Alex Trebek making comparisons to Ken Jennings _very_ early, like after one of his first week’s episode. I remember thinking at the time that it seemed premature to make such comparisons but not so much now. And if James manages six-figure wins in the next week, he could top Ken’s dollar total before Friday. Even at his average, he’s going to top Ken within six or seven episodes. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2019, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/436 "2019-05-25T14:35:01Z")
What if you needed the money but didn’t want to stop winning to get them to cut the check? Would a bank give you a “Jeopardy loan” with low interest? ETA: I wonder if the show would at some point say “Okay, James: we’re going to cap the maximum number of wins at (current number + 20 or so).” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2019, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/437 "2019-05-25T14:56:26Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > What if you needed the money but didn’t want to stop winning to get them to cut the check? Would a bank give you a “Jeopardy loan” with low interest? Hey, what banker is going to turn the guy down? “I’m not sure that I can help you, Mister Holzhauer.” “Well, then, I’ll just ask that blonde over there.” “Our part-time bank teller, Louise Farnsworth?” [quickly buzzing in] “Who is your mistress.” ---
**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:** [May 25, 2019, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/438 "2019-05-25T18:06:53Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > 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. It actually wouldn’t be that big of a burden. [Five episodes are taped each day, with two days of taping every other week.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeopardy!) If the shows are taped Tuesday and Wednesday, you would have to win the last game on Wednesday to come back in two weeks. And obviously only one person does that during each week of taping. So to come back for the third week of taping, you would have to win at least 11 consecutive episodes. (Last one on Wednesday, five on the next Tuesday of taping, then five on the following day), [At least 11 consecutive wins has happened only 8 times, including the current streak by James](https://www.jeopardy.com/contestant-zone/hall-of-fame). ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2019, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/439 "2019-05-25T20:06:21Z")
The selection process ensures that generally people with far greater than usual trivia knowledge get on the show. This, in turn, forces the questions to, at times, be much harder than a run-of-the-mill trivia whiz can answer. Having a Wikipedia page don’t mean squat. There’s one with my name on it and if _Jeopardy!_ based a question on that the chances of anyone getting it right are approximately zero. ---
**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:** [May 25, 2019, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/440 "2019-05-25T20:08:01Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > 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. Both of those DDs were behind high-value choices ($2000 and $1600, IIRC). That’s that determine the difficulty of the clues. P.S. Ditch sultantheme and the spoiler issue won’t arise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=21) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=23)