# 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:** 35
**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:** [August 14, 2019, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/681 "2019-08-14T22:41:15Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Why does Francois look so familiar? This is a teacher tournament, not a TOC. Does he just have “one of those faces”? I thought this TT was a rerun? If it isn’t, I’d better start watching. ---
**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:** [August 14, 2019, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/682 "2019-08-14T22:58:38Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I thought this TT was a rerun? > > If it isn’t, I’d better start watching. It’s all reruns for the next few weeks. Season 36 is scheduled to begin on September 9. ---
**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:** [August 14, 2019, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/683 "2019-08-14T23:13:55Z")
Ah, that would explain it! Thanks. ---
**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:** [September 22, 2019, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/684 "2019-09-22T08:24:42Z")
So there’s a new champion making a big run. I don’t find him as appealing as James, but he’s fine. Did anyone notice the weird wagering this past week when the guy in second place after Double Jeopardy was only slightly behind the champion and they both got final Jeopardy wrong? The second-place guy lost most of his total, and the champion survived, albeit with a small amount of winnings for the day. I don’t remember the exact “rules”, but I thought when you are 90% to 95% as big a stack as the leader, you just wager enough to beat him or her by $1 if they wager nothing. Which also makes you likely to win if you both get it wrong, because it is too risky for the leader to not bet enough to cover you in case you do bet it all. I also noticed they are hyping a tournament of champions this season, with James back already to face 14 other champions. I wonder if this current guy will be one of them. And how do you make 15 players produce three finalist spots, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Garak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Garak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garak)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2019, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/685 "2019-09-22T10:21:15Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Ni76sXhYo8Y/maxresdefault.jpg "Coming Soon: The 2019 Tournament of Champions | JEOPARDY!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni76sXhYo8Y) they’ve already taped this year’s tournament of champions and the current guy isn’t in it 15 players play 5 games the 5 winners plus the 4 non-winners with the highest total advance to the next round those 9 then play 3 games, and the three winners of those are finalists ---
**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:** [September 22, 2019, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/686 "2019-09-22T13:49:01Z")
The name of the current champion is Jason Zuffranieri and he’s not in the Tournament of Champions (list of participants [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeopardy!_Tournament_of_Champions#List_of_participants)) because, as I understand the rules, only those who ended their runs during last year’s season qualify. He started his run during last year’s season and had he lost before the last episode, he would be in the tournament, which is scheduled to air November 4-15, 2019. Instead, presumably he will be in the tournament in 2020, unless fifteen others do better than him (unlikely) or they don’t have a tournament. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2019, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/687 "2019-09-22T14:16:17Z")
This was a clue from the first week > [@](#): > > Amateur astronomers know of the 5 planets that can be seen with the naked eye, this is the farthest from the Sun > **[J! Archive - Show #8048, aired 2019-09-11](https://j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=6412)** > > An archive of Jeopardy! clues and players for Show #8048. The question is “What is Saturn” But aren’t there 6 planets that can be seen with the naked eye? Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn… and Earth? ---
**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:** [September 22, 2019, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/688 "2019-09-22T15:09:51Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > This was a clue from the first week > > [J! Archive - Show #8048, aired 2019-09-11](http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=6412) > > The question is “What is Saturn” > > But aren’t there 6 planets that can be seen with the naked eye? Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn… and Earth? By either way of reckoning, Saturn is not the farthest. Uranus is a sixth magnitude object; if conditions are right, you can see it with the naked eye. I know, because I’ve done it. ---
**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:** [September 23, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/689 "2019-09-23T15:34:55Z")
I’m not the kind to say “I told you so,” but… Wait a minute. Yes I am! I TOLD YOU SO! The new champ, Jason Zuffranieri, has now won over $400,000 in 15 shows, and is #5 on the all-time Jeopardy! earners list. As I [predicted](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21684218&postcount=614), he has followed James H’s technique of going for the bottom two rows first, to build up a sizable pot before hitting the DDs and putting himself out of reach of the other two contestants. Jason didn’t start using the technique in earnest until game seven, and he doesn’t have the incredible range of knowledge that James did, so he hasn’t been quite as dominant as James. He’s had a few close calls. But in 10 of his 15 games he had a lock going in to FJ. I think this is a sign that, as I expected, the Holzhauer technique can be useful even without James’ huge knowledge base, and that it will soon become a common practice for Jeopardy! contestants. ---
**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:** [September 23, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/690 "2019-09-23T16:28:23Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I’m not the kind to say “I told you so,” but… > > Wait a minute. Yes I am! > > I TOLD YOU SO! > > The new champ, Jason Zuffranieri, has now won over $400,000 in 15 shows, and is #5 on the all-time Jeopardy! earners list. No idea what you told us so but Jason is behind only Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer in terms of regular season winnings. ---
**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:** [September 23, 2019, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/691 "2019-09-23T18:56:14Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > No idea what you told us so but Jason is behind only Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer in terms of regular season winnings. As for his standing, I got my info from a [CNN story from last Friday](https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/20/entertainment/jeopardy-jason-zuffranieri-winner-streak-trnd/index.html), that stated: “That puts him at #5 on both the all-time earnings list (he’s netted $418,343 so far) and the all-time consecutive games list.” That was correct for regular season play when they reported it, but they mistakenly called it all-time earnings, and I repeated that error without checking. My apologies. And yes, I should have highlighted my prediction, which was somewhat buried in the linked post: > [@commasense](#): > > Once we start getting contestants who have actually seen James’ performance on shows that have aired, more of them may attempt his technique of working across the bottom rows to build an early commanding lead, instead of working up or down the categories as Emma and her opponents tended to do in the post-James games. > > Of course, this plan requires 1) a better-than-(Jeopardy)-average level of knowledge, 2) the guts to bet boldly on the DDs, and 3) the all-important quick button finger, but I hope we see more people trying it. I expanded on the prediction in several subsequent posts: > [@commasense](#): > > In 1968, when Dick Fosbury examined the physics of the high jump and came up with the Fosbury Flop, a brand new style of jumping no one else had ever conceived of, he smashed existing records and won gold at the Olympics. Other competitors didn’t take it up “robotically” because it was stylish, but because it was successful. It’s how all high jumpers have jumped ever since. > > I think the Holzhauer strategy is analogous to the Fosbury Flop, and potentially more revolutionary than you’re giving it credit for. I believe it could become a new standard because, with a little luck, it may give players with less voluminous knowledge than James, Brad, and Ken enough of an edge to have longer-than-average runs. I strongly suspect we will start seeing this when players who have watched most or all of James’ run on TV get their chance to play. We may not see lots of people winning 30+ shows – that takes the one-in-a-million level of knowledge – but **I think we’ll see more people winning between 10 and 20 games by following the Holzhauer method.** Emphasis mine. Jason is the first in this trend I predicted, and he could go on to hit 30 or more wins. > [@commasense](#): > > My point is that I believe that Holzauer’s strategy may revolutionize Jeopardy! play for the same reason the Fosbury Flop revolutionized the high jump: it has the potential to help even lesser players improve their performance over any of the other techniques. It may not become as ubiquitous as the Fosbury Flop did it its field, but I expect to see a lot more of it. > > If it turns out not to be all that helpful, if really strong knowledge is more important, then maybe it won’t become as common as I am predicting. We shall see. ---
**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:** [September 23, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/692 "2019-09-23T21:28:37Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > By either way of reckoning, Saturn is not the farthest. Uranus is a sixth magnitude object; if conditions are right, you can see it with the naked eye. I know, because I’ve done it. I don’t want to see Uranus. Now, or at any time. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/693 "2019-09-24T00:13:18Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I don’t want to see Uranus. Now, or at any time. 'Rim’Shot d&r ---
**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:** [September 24, 2019, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/694 "2019-09-24T22:35:32Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I don’t want to see Uranus. Now, or at any time. At least not with my naked… anything. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2019, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/695 "2019-09-25T03:49:35Z")
Does everyone agree with me though that Jason should already be gone, if that one challenger had used basic correct Final Jeopardy betting strategy? > [@commasense](#): > > I’m not the kind to say “I told you so,” but… > > Wait a minute. Yes I am! > > I TOLD YOU SO! > > The new champ, Jason Zuffranieri, has now won over $400,000 in 15 shows, and is #5 on the all-time Jeopardy! earners list. As I [predicted](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21684218&postcount=614), he has followed James H’s technique of going for the bottom two rows first, to build up a sizable pot before hitting the DDs and putting himself out of reach of the other two contestants. > > Jason didn’t start using the technique in earnest until game seven, and he doesn’t have the incredible range of knowledge that James did, so he hasn’t been quite as dominant as James. He’s had a few close calls. But in 10 of his 15 games he had a lock going in to FJ. > > I think this is a sign that, as I expected, the Holzhauer technique can be useful even without James’ huge knowledge base, and that it will soon become a common practice for Jeopardy! contestants. I wonder if they will give up trying to advise contestants to go through the categories in order. Or maybe they will change the rules and require them to. > [@Garak](#): > > they've already taped this year's tournament of champions and the current guy isn't in it > > 15 players play 5 games > > the 5 winners plus the 4 non-winners with the highest total advance to the next round > > those 9 then play 3 games, and the three winners of those are finalists Makes sense, thanks. Interesting that in most of the first round matches, typically only one player will be eliminated from contention, and it’s even possible for no one to be eliminated. It’s like that first round is just to weed out the weakest champions. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2019, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/696 "2019-09-25T14:25:25Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Does everyone agree with me though that Jason should already be gone, if that one challenger had used basic correct Final Jeopardy betting strategy? I have only watched a few since Jason started. (My comments above were based on looking at his performance on the J!Archive.) Can you tell us which game you’re referring to, either by date or the name of the player? > [@](#): > > I wonder if they will give up trying to advise contestants to go through the categories in order. Or maybe they will change the rules and require them to. Why in Og’s name do you think they would or should do that? ---
**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:** [September 25, 2019, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/697 "2019-09-25T14:43:38Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Does everyone agree with me though that Jason should already be gone, if that one challenger had used basic correct Final Jeopardy betting strategy? There was one game, I think last week, where everyone got Final Jeopardy wrong and he ended up winning with “only” $5,000 or so. He could easily have been eliminated. BTW, his total just exceeded $500,000 and he is averaging about $28,000 per game. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/698 "2019-09-25T15:06:25Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > There was one game, I think last week, where everyone got Final Jeopardy wrong and he ended up winning with “only” $5,000 or so. He could easily have been eliminated. Specifically, it was the game that aired on Sept. 17. [Here](https://thejeopardyfan.com/2019/09/final-jeopardy-9-17-2019.html) is the recap on The Jeopardy! Fan website. Jason and his nearest competitor, Colin Kennedy, were very close going into FJ. Jason had $23,000, Colin had $20,300. The third contestant, Helen Lyons, was in a distant third with $5,400. In that situation, the smart play for Helen would be to bet $0, hoping that Jason and Colin both bet big to try to cover each other, and both get it wrong. Instead, she bet everything she had. As it happened, all three of them got FJ wrong. Jason ended up with $5,300. Had Helen bet nothing, she would have won the game by $1,000. Instead, she ended up in third place, and Jason continued his winning streak. Final Jeopardy betting can be so important! ---
**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:** [September 25, 2019, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/699 "2019-09-25T15:56:46Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > As it happened, all three of them got FJ wrong. Jason ended up with $5,300. Had Helen bet nothing, she would have won the game by $1,000. Instead, she ended up in third place, and Jason continued his winning streak. I think you mean $100? ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/700 "2019-09-25T17:29:18Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I think you mean $100? I certainly do. Thanks for the catch. I told you math was important! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=34) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=36)