# 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:** 53
**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:** [March 31, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1041 "2020-03-31T22:58:01Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Wow, what a dramatic change in fortunes today. > > The returning champ was trailing late in Double Jeopardy, so went for a true Daily Double for a whopping $12,800, which would have given him the lead. He missed a fairly easy clue (identifying that one of the world’s largest stores in Chicago would be Sears, not Neiman-Marcus), dropping him to zero, then went to -400 after missing a subsequent clue, and had one last chance (in a game that was not a runaway) to get back in the positives when the final clue on the screen was the last Daily Double. He bet the maximum $2,000 and missed it, ending up at -$2,400 and out of the running for FJ. Had he come up with “Sears”, it presumably would have been a barnburner of wagering for FJ and a very nice payday for the winner, as the ultimate winning total was \<$24K. Thanks for the updates. Trump’s daily coronaramblings seem to be happening at the same time as when our local NBC affiliate airs Jeopardy, so I haven’t been able to watch it. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2020, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1042 "2020-04-01T00:59:10Z")
Ah, that sucks. I myself won’t be able to watch after the 10th, for a sort of complicated (yet boring) reason that will mean I no longer get local TV. BTW, just to be clear (not totally sure if I was originally): He was actually \*wagering \*$12,800, so missing the question actually cost him nearly $26K. Yowwwch. Good for him for really going for it though! ---
**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:** [April 1, 2020, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1043 "2020-04-01T07:06:36Z")
Damn. My DirecTV remote deleted all the saved eps of _Jeopardy!_ I hadn’t watched. Worst. Remote. Ever. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2020, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1044 "2020-04-01T17:46:43Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Ah, that sucks. I myself won’t be able to watch after the 10th, for a sort of complicated (yet boring) reason that will mean I no longer get local TV. > > BTW, just to be clear (not totally sure if I was originally): > > He was actually \*wagering \*$12,800, so missing the question actually cost him nearly $26K. Yowwwch. Good for him for really going for it though! I believe you are incorrect. He had $6400. The game is on J-archive already. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2020, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1045 "2020-04-01T20:39:27Z")
Oops, that’s what I get for half-watching the show while I am looking at my phone. :smack: I _thought_ it was an incredibly bold wager, but it was actually just a desperate (and necessary) attempt to come back and not let it be a runaway. Just call me Emily Latella, carry on. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2020, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1046 "2020-04-01T22:24:48Z")
Exciting game today! Good players. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2020, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1047 "2020-04-01T23:47:02Z")
How they missed _ **Treasure Island** _, _ **Ben-Hur** _, and _ **Heart of Darkness** _ is beyond me. Those were so easy! (I was expecting _ **Moby Dick** _ to be in there too.) ---
**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:** [April 1, 2020, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1048 "2020-04-01T23:54:33Z")
Very interesting strategic wagering in Final Jeopardy. The weird thing is, I knew one of the two parts of the final answer, and IIRC it was the part that none of the three of them got right despite their variety of answers: Manitoba. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1049 "2020-04-02T00:04:02Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Very interesting strategic wagering in Final Jeopardy. The weird thing is, I knew one of the two parts of the final answer, and IIRC it was the part that none of the three of them got right despite their variety of answers: Manitoba. I had to think about this one. Then I remembered that Nunavut is much farther to the east than Alberta. It had to be Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Newfoundland and Labrador, WTF?!? I knew those weren’t prairie provinces when I was in sixth grade! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2020, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1050 "2020-04-02T14:23:23Z")
Also, one province. And to your mention of the Ships catagory, the wife and I both had trouble with that one. Just couldn’t wrap our heads around the catagory. Of course in hindsight it is clear, but during the game play we just didn’t make the connection. Love Canadian catagories. Hate, hate, hate US presidents. Greg, in Alberta. Hooting at the wrong Final Jeopardy answers. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1051 "2020-04-02T14:42:05Z")
> [@gregorio](#): > > Also, one province. Yes, the two are indeed one. > [@](#): > > And to your mention of the Ships catagory, the wife and I both had trouble with that one. Just couldn’t wrap our heads around the catagory. Of course in hindsight it is clear, but during the game play we just didn’t make the connection. How the champion managed to associate the \*Amistad \* with Ancient Rome is beyond me. 😕 > [@](#): > > Love Canadian catagories. Hate, hate, hate US presidents. US Presidents is pretty easy for me. In primary school, I was one of those kids who spends all his time reading the encyclopedia whenever he goes to the library. Here’s one for you: In what years did the United States have three presidents? ---
**Author:** ![Steven\_Maven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steven_maven/32/3272_2.png) [@Steven\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Maven)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2020, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1052 "2020-04-02T16:53:23Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > Trump’s daily coronaramblings seem to be happening at the same time as when our local NBC affiliate airs Jeopardy, so I haven’t been able to watch it. When our local ABC affiliate preempts Jeopardy! for news, they play it around 2 AM. My DVR recognizes the program no matter what time it airs, and records it. Unfortunately, Jeopardy! does not permit its regular episodes to be available from any On Demand service. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1053 "2020-04-02T18:45:32Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Exciting game today! Good players. That one dude, Hemant, blogs about atheism here: [https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/](https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/) I’m glad he won! ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2020, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1054 "2020-04-02T18:56:06Z")
I though Hulu showed Jeopardy! the day after it airs. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2020, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1055 "2020-04-02T19:36:04Z")
> [@Steven\_Maven](#): > > Unfortunately, Jeopardy! does not permit its regular episodes to be available from any On Demand service. YouTubeTV ? (I realize I may not understand what you mean.) ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2020, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1056 "2020-04-02T20:28:53Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Here’s one for you: In what years did the United States have three presidents? I was going to say this Canadian doesn’t have a clue. But I do have a clue. I won’t get it though. What is . . . the year one of your presidentin’ dudes died after only a few weeks (days?) in office? President one until inauguration, president two after inauguration, president three a few weeks (days?) later. My wager? Zero dollars, Alex. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1057 "2020-04-02T20:51:09Z")
> [@gregorio](#): > > I was going to say this Canadian doesn’t have a clue. But I do have a clue. I won’t get it though. > > What is . . . the year one of your presidentin’ dudes died after only a few weeks (days?) in office? President one until inauguration, president two after inauguration, president three a few weeks (days?) later. > > My wager? Zero dollars, Alex. We cannot accept your answer but you are on the right track. 1841 when Harrison died after getting sick during his inagural. His presidency was the shortest. 1881 when Garfield was shot. And if “American exceptionalism” didn’t infect (pun intended) medical thinking at the time, he wouldn’t have died, relegating this bit of trivia to non-existence. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1058 "2020-04-02T21:26:25Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > We cannot accept your answer but you are on the right track. > > 1841 when Harrison died after getting sick during his inagural. His presidency was the shortest. > > 1881 when Garfield was shot. And if “American exceptionalism” didn’t infect (pun intended) medical thinking at the time, he wouldn’t have died, relegating this bit of trivia to non-existence. Harrison and Garfield were both elected in zero years. Proof of Tecumseh’s Curse! > **[What is Tecumseh's Curse? - Periodic Presidents](https://periodicpresidents.com/2013/06/11/what-is-tecumsehs-curse/)** > > Tecumseh’s Curse is a legend associated with the fact that every president who was elected in a year ending in zero – from William Henry Harrison to John F. Kennedy – died in office. Proponents of Tecumseh’s Curse refer to the adversarial... ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1059 "2020-04-02T21:41:20Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > 1841 when Harrison died after getting sick during his inagural. His presidency was the shortest. Not necessarily: [https://www.history.com/news/the-24-hour-president](https://www.history.com/news/the-24-hour-president) Depends on which side you align yourself. 😉 ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/1060 "2020-04-02T23:54:30Z")
That the contestant from Maine was screened out in the past but made it now (“third time’s the charm”) adds a data point to the idea that the contestant pool is getting shallower. I was getting excited when, about halfway through DJ, I realized I had yet to fail to know the answer to any clue before anyone rang in. I don’t think I’ve ever gone on that long a streak, and I have definitely never had a perfect game. Alas, I quickly went on a “losing streak” (the Bible category was especially tough), but I did guess FJ right (I momentarily thought I had guessed wrong when I saw the reveal of the first contestant’s answer). > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > That one dude, Hemant, blogs about atheism here: [https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/](https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/) > I’m glad he won! Oh cool! I knew I liked him. Interesting that he is from the same town as James Holzhauer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=52) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=54)