# 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:** 8
**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:** [April 27, 2019, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/141 "2019-04-27T00:35:38Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > … I think the young woman today, who was held by a big-name cinematic auteur when she was a baby (Francis Ford Coppola, I think?) would be a multiday champ under normal circumstances. It’s too bad, because I thought she was pretty cool. … Yes, it was Coppola. But the phenomenon of a multi-week champion means that among all the contestants mown down by the champ would be some that in other circumstances, would become five-time (+) winners themselves. You could end up with only ONE champion for an entire season of the show, making it impossible to have a Tournament of Champions. > [@MrAtoz](#): > > There was no Tournament of Champions in 2018. Which I’m sad about, because if there had been, I might have been in it. I’ve fallen off the bottom of the [ToC Tracker](https://www.jeopardy.com/contestant-zone/toc-tracker) now. ☹ For whatever reason, they seem to skip some years. … AH…now we see why they skip some years. (Or one potential reason.) I guess with all the tournaments they do, I hadn’t noticed the periodic absence of a TofC. So this may be another such year. The new All-Stars team-game concept may have been ‘it’ for a while. eta: meant to say, sorry about that result for you, MrAtoz. ---
**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 27, 2019, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/142 "2019-04-27T02:54:18Z")
> [@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.) Doesn’t MGP put up out-of-towners while they’re on the show? As for getting leave, most players (even the ones who don’t win big) are entrenched professionals, so I expect their employers would be sympathetic to their participation in _ **Jeopardy!** _ ---
**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:** [April 27, 2019, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/143 "2019-04-27T03:03:08Z")
And maybe even rooting them on. ---
**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 27, 2019, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/144 "2019-04-27T03:10:13Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > And maybe even rooting them on. It would be great publicity for any employer. ---
**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 27, 2019, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/145 "2019-04-27T05:01:09Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I’d like them to return to the old 5 day limit for appearances. So we get a couple guys who master the timing and can buzz in before anyone gets a chance. ZZZZZZZZZZZZ. Maybe we’ll see one guy last two entire seasons. I don’t think that’s good for the game. I don’t think it’s just his buzzer speed. He seems to rarely miss a Daily Double. ---
**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 27, 2019, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/146 "2019-04-27T09:19:29Z")
> [@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.) Considering James’s profession, I don’t think that’s a problem. > [@SlackerInc](#): > > I don’t think it’s just his buzzer speed. He seems to rarely miss a Daily Double. But he does occasionally miss a really easy clue that another player quickly gets. It’s like his brain momentarily drifts off. This could eventually be his downfall. ---
**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 27, 2019, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/147 "2019-04-27T12:22:01Z")
I’m surprised how often I know the ones no one buzzes in on, but I don’t know as many of the ones they do get (even your average Jeopardy winner). But I don’t remember many like you’re describing. It would be interesting if they gave the person who got the most recent correct answer a chance to have just a couple millisecond jump on using the buzzer. Sort of like pool or volleyball, it would give people a chance to go on runs and would be exciting, I think. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2019, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/148 "2019-04-27T20:46:28Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Doesn’t MGP put up out-of-towners while they’re on the show? > > As for getting leave, most players (even the ones who don’t win big) are entrenched professionals, so I expect their employers would be sympathetic to their participation in _ **Jeopardy!** _ They don’t pay for your lodging. They do have discount deals with a couple of hotels, although the discount is only about 10%. They don’t pay travel expenses either, for most contestants. For returning champions, they do pay airfare. It’s been discussed a few times in various Jeopardy! contestant forums, that it’s really true that Jeopardy! is a game that actually does require some level of economic security before you even participate. You have to pay your own way to get to the auditions, and then if you’re chosen, you have to pay your own way to L.A. to be on the show. Of course, you get some money even if you lose ($1,000 for third place, $2,000 for second place), so that can theoretically help cover those costs. But it’s literally months before you actually get that money. For example, my episodes taped in February 2018. They aired in June and July, and I got my check in September. So you have to be in the financial position that you can afford to pay for travel expenses and a hotel in a fairly expensive city, knowing that you won’t be “reimbursed” for those expenses for several months. You also have to have the kind of job where you can go in and tell your boss, “I need a few days off in a couple of weeks,” and your boss won’t say, “If you’re not here those days, don’t bother to come back.” This is where James is in a good position. As a professional gambler, he’s pretty much his own boss. And I suspect that he’s been successful enough that he had a good amount of money even before this all started. It should be noted that on this past Friday’s show, James didn’t find any of the Daily Doubles, and he still blew the others away. ---
**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 27, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/149 "2019-04-27T23:45:06Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > They don’t pay for your lodging. They do have discount deals with a couple of hotels, although the discount is only about 10%. They don’t pay travel expenses either, for most contestants. That sucks. ☹ ---
**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 28, 2019, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/150 "2019-04-28T00:51:44Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > It’s been discussed a few times in various Jeopardy! contestant forums, that it’s really true that Jeopardy! is a game that actually does require some level of economic security before you even participate. … You also have to have the kind of job where you can go in and tell your boss, “I need a few days off in a couple of weeks,” and your boss won’t say, “If you’re not here those days, don’t bother to come back.” That explains why there are so many lawyers, or as I call them, Anna Tourney. ---
**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 28, 2019, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/151 "2019-04-28T02:48:49Z")
Aren’t there also presumably a lot of people playing who are simply residents of the L.A. area? ---
**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 28, 2019, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/152 "2019-04-28T04:44:37Z")
I found an interesting article about jumping around the board vs. going straight from top to bottom of a category. The TL;DR is that they encourage people to do it the “traditional” way, but tell them it’s not required. Also, in past cases viewers have gotten annoyed at players who jump around: > **[Arthur Chu’s dangerous game of Jeopardy! | Toronto Star](https://web.archive.org/web/20141129073935/http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2014/02/21/arthur_chus_dangerous_game_of_jeopardy.html)** > > How one Jeopardy! contestant gained instant infamy merely for injecting the genteel game show with a dose of strategy. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2019, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/153 "2019-04-28T15:44:06Z")
I remember there was a Jeopardy category that all the clues/correct responses were a de facto puzzle. You really needed to go from top to bottom to get each succeeding response correct as each clue built on to the clue above it. ---
**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:** [April 28, 2019, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/154 "2019-04-28T21:57:17Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Aren’t there also presumably a lot of people playing who are simply residents of the L.A. area? Yes, but LA residents aren’t as large a proportion of the players as was true before online testing started. ---
**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:** [April 29, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/155 "2019-04-29T16:46:51Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > That explains why there are so many lawyers, or as I call them, Anna Tourney. When I qualified in a regional tryout in Ohio in the early Nineties, they warned us that they had 'way too many lawyers and doctors qualify, and liked to bring in people from other professions when possible. Sure enough, I never got the call to be on the show. ---
**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 29, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/156 "2019-04-29T17:04:51Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > When I qualified in a regional tryout in Ohio in the early Nineties, they warned us that they had 'way too many lawyers and doctors qualify, and liked to bring in people from other professions when possible. Sure enough, I never got the call to be on the show. Can you get phone calls in your Herkimer Battle Jitney? When I was living in NYC I qualified in the tryout, but they had too many people from New York. Now that I’m in Ohio I’m too old and forgetful to even try. ---
**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:** [April 29, 2019, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/157 "2019-04-29T17:28:54Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Can you get phone calls in your Herkimer Battle Jitney?.. Yeah, if I hold my phone out the window, since otherwise the armor blocks cell signals. ---
**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 29, 2019, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/158 "2019-04-29T20:09:18Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Aren’t there also presumably a lot of people playing who are simply residents of the L.A. area? I figure some, but not all,. of the LA residents are last minute callups for times when an Ohio or whatever contestant can’t make it. They can be there in a hurry. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/159 "2019-04-30T00:30:13Z")
Well James won again today, but the guy in second place almost got him. That dude won 53999, and Holzhauer had 54017. ---
**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 30, 2019, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/160 "2019-04-30T02:51:19Z")
Yeah, although even if the second-place guy had finished Double Jeopardy much further behind but with at least 51% of Holzhauer’s total, it would still be the same basic math in Final: he needed to get it right, and Holzhauer to get it wrong (instead they both got it right). So what it \*really \*came down to is that he couldn’t quite outscore Holzhauer in the earlier rounds, else he’d be the champ now. A definite scare for the Dominator! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=9)