# What's the most lopsided Final Jeopardy round? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726 "2015-03-10T21:58:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/1 "2015-03-10T21:58:19Z")
I know we have a lot of Jeopardy folks here. I was watching a rerun and after Double Jeopardy it broke down like this: Contestant #1: $17,400 Contestant #2: 200 Contestant #3: -800 Has there ever been a more lopsided game? Has there been a case where only one contestant made it to Final Jeopardy? Has there been a case where nobody made it? ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/2 "2015-03-10T22:05:36Z")
> **[J! Archive](https://j-archive.com/)** > > The fan-created archive of Jeopardy! games and players--472,135 clues and counting! Look at every game and report your findings ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/3 "2015-03-10T22:15:40Z")
That’s a lot of help, it really is. Thank you so much for your contribution to the sum of human knowledge. As a side question: how many times has Final Jeopardy! been a close-out, with only one player in the positive? ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/4 "2015-03-10T22:54:45Z")
It has happened at least once, on[March 16, 2011](http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=3599). Edited to add [YouTube clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCRrOy-YpEw). ---
**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:** [March 10, 2015, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/5 "2015-03-10T22:58:27Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > It has happened at least once, on[March 16, 2011](http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=3599). Searching for “Single player final Jeopardy” on that website, I also get hits for: [2/23/05](http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=163) [2/27/86](http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=4281&highlight=TEST) ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/6 "2015-03-10T22:59:57Z")
I found another instance (of only one player reaching FJ), on [February 23, 2005](http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=163). Edit: Ninja’d! ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/7 "2015-03-10T23:03:30Z")
Today’s Final Jeopardy was a blowout; the person in first place not only more than twice the score of either competitor, but more than than their combined scores. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/8 "2015-03-10T23:08:27Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Today’s Final Jeopardy was a blowout; the person in first place not only more than twice the score of either competitor, but more than than their combined scores. If he has more than twice the score of either competitor, wouldn’t he have to have more than their combined scores…? ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/9 "2015-03-10T23:11:14Z")
What were the scores going into Final Jeopardy when Cliff played? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/10 "2015-03-10T23:13:12Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > If he has more than twice the score of either competitor, wouldn’t he have to have more than their combined scores…? Dont bother me with arithmetic. I’m busy hacking Hillary’s emails. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/11 "2015-03-10T23:44:04Z")
Wasn’t Ken Jennings pulling in $75k in some of his episodes? Surely many of those had another contestant ending in the negatives. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2015, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/12 "2015-03-11T02:18:16Z")
Andy Ritcher, $68,000. Wolf Blitzer, minus $4,600. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/13 "2015-03-11T02:46:29Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > What were the scores going into Final Jeopardy when Cliff played? $22 000, $3300, $750. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeaSYqTe3m8) ---
**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:** [March 11, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/14 "2015-03-11T02:50:16Z")
My favorite episode was the one where all three contestants blew Final Jeopardy and wound up tied at (IIRC) $1. So on the next show, there were three co-champions. This wasn’t all that long ago. I’m pretty sure I was already living in Toronto, so that would place it around … 2010? ---
**Author:** ![Nuveena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a587f6/32.png) [@Nuveena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nuveena)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/15 "2015-03-12T22:14:53Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > My favorite episode was the one where all three contestants blew Final Jeopardy and wound up tied at (IIRC) $1. So on the next show, there were three co-champions. > > This wasn’t all that long ago. I’m pretty sure I was already living in Toronto, so that would place it around … 2010? FYI - It hasn’t played out on an episode yet, but Jeopardy has gotten rid of ties. If there’s a tie for first place, there will be a sudden death question to determine the champion. I assume if there’s a tie for second, the person who had more money going into Final Jeopardy gets second, and the other player gets third. I don’t have a written cite, but the J Board fan site has been talking about it for awhile and the contestant coordinators confirmed it when I taped an episode in January. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/16 "2015-03-12T22:37:24Z")
> [@Nuveena](#): > > FYI - It hasn’t played out on an episode yet, but Jeopardy has gotten rid of ties. If there’s a tie for first place, there will be a sudden death question to determine the champion. I assume if there’s a tie for second, the person who had more money going into Final Jeopardy gets second, and the other player gets third. > > I don’t have a written cite, but the J Board fan site has been talking about it for awhile and the contestant coordinators confirmed it when I taped an episode in January. I’m assuming that you’re only talking about Tournament weeks. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2015, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/17 "2015-03-12T23:58:17Z")
How often is only _one_ contestant left in the black after Double Jeopardy, the way it was this evening? :dubious: Has it ever happened that\* no one \*was left in the black after Double Jeopardy? What would they _do_ in such a case? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/18 "2015-03-13T10:00:33Z")
Once in the Art Fleming days, I think? IIRC, no one won, and they spent the rest of the show chatting with the contestants. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2015, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/19 "2015-03-13T12:42:03Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > How often is only _one_ contestant left in the black after Double Jeopardy, the way it was this evening? :dubious: So far in this thread, we’ve identified three such occasions (in posts #4 & #5), if I’m understanding you correctly, and I guess we can now add a fourth one. Those are just from 1984 onward, the Alex Trebek years. Art Fleming years are not included. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2015, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726/20 "2015-03-13T12:47:28Z")
Also, it looks like there’s at least one single-player final Jeopardy not in the archive, but I’ve gleaned from [this bio](http://www.j-archive.com/showplayer.php?player_id=425) that episode #155 on 4-12-1985 was another one. So we’re up to five now in the Trebek years. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-lopsided-final-jeopardy-round/714726.md?page=2)