‘Jeopardy!’ Game All Comes Down to Math

[The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Monday, April 21, episode of Jeopardy!]

Jeopardy! got here all the way down to a good recreation after one contestant calculated precisely how a lot they would wish to win. They gained by solely $100 after the ultimate spherical.

Liam Starnes, from Barrington, Illinois, confronted off in opposition to Bob Callen, from Lexington, Kentucky, and Maja Vlajnic, from Fredericksburg, Virginia, on Monday, April 21. Starnes returned for his second recreation after followers praised him for his first efficiency.

Host Ken Jennings began off the sport by saying that he discovered Starnes was born throughout his preliminary Jeopardy! run 20 years in the past. “Wow. That was a blow,” he mentioned. “And now that I feel like an extremely old man, let’s welcome our new challengers.” Jennings launched Callen and Vlajnic earlier than beginning the sport.

The primary query was a Triple Stumper. “‘The Beef State’, it’s home to more cattle than people, with its 6 million cows outnumbering humans 3 to 1,” the clue learn. The reply was Nebraska.

Earlier than the primary industrial break, Starnes, an undergraduate pupil, was in third place, after being the one one to reply a query fallacious. Vlajnic, a senior information and coverage specialist, led after appropriately answering six questions.

Callen, a librarian, advised Jennings that he will get mistaken for creator Stephen King, particularly within the Eighties when he had a e-book jacket image that seemed like him. “I kind of see it,” Jennings mentioned. Callen mentioned that he signed somebody’s e-book in a bookstore one time after they thought he was the creator.

Starnes revealed he had a Jeopardy!-themed celebration when he was a child. Vlajnic took up knitting throughout Covid-19 and is now a part of a giant knitting group on-line.

Starnes discovered the primary Each day Double of the sport. With $3,200 in his financial institution, he solely wagered $5. The clue learn, “He and TV co-star Bryan Cranston had more than a chemical bond and he made Bryan godfather to his son Rydin.” “Who is Paul Rudd?” he answered incorrectly. The suitable reply was Aaron Paul. His complete dropped to $3,195, nonetheless conserving him in third place.

By the top of the spherical, Vlajnic was within the lead with $5,800. Callen had $4,800. Starnes trailed with $3,195.

In Double Jeopardy, Starnes discovered the primary DD of the spherical. This time, he made it a real Each day Double and wagered all of his cash ($3,395). The clue learn, “In 1970, Biafra, a breakaway land of the Igbo people, capitulated to this country’s central government, ending a civil war.” “What is Nigeria?” Starnes answered, which was appropriate. He was within the lead with $6,790.

Callen discovered the second DD. With $11,200 in his financial institution, he wagered $1,200. The clue learn, “In 1922, Virginia Woolf recorded being bored by this new novel her friend ‘Tom’ Eliot thought was ‘on a par with War and Peace.” “What is Ulysses?” he answered appropriately, giving him a complete of $12,400 and the lead.

Regardless of answering one query fallacious, Starnes moved to second place with $12,790. Callen was within the lead with $15,200. Vlajnic had $10,200.

The class for Ultimate Jeopardy was “The Western Hemisphere.” The clue learn, “This country has 2 capitals, is bounded by 5 other countries & has 37 official languages.” Vlajnic answered with “What is Bolivia?” after initially having Brazil. Bolivia was the right reply. She wagered $10,100, giving her a closing complete of $20,300. Starnes additionally answered with Bolivia. He wagered $7,611, giving him a closing complete of $20,401, solely $101 greater than Vlajnic. Callen had the lead, however he answered with Brazil, dropping him all the way down to $4,819, after wagering $10,381.

After being in final for many of the recreation, Starnes turned a two-day Jeopardy! champion with a complete of $52,802. He can be again on Tuesday, April 22, to face two new opponents.

“This was a really good game all round. Hope Liam makes the Tournament of Champions, he’s a very smart dude and as a younger person myself it’s nice to see people within my age range doing well on Jeopardy!” a Reddit person mentioned.

“Good game, and close, too! Congratulations to Bob, Liam, and Maja!” added a 3rd.