The Importance Of Wagering Strategy

Andy here once again! Yesterday, we saw Richard end up locking out a pretty good player in Joel. Will he be able to keep things up today against new challengers Rene Cardenas and Susan Bowyer?




Today's J! round categories: OED TOP SOURCES; "AA", "BB" OR "CC"; SCENTSATIONAL!; ALFRED; LORD; TENNESSEAN (I was hoping for a TENNIS category and I bet Jeanie was as well!)

I personally am okay with it, but Richard definitely tried to hop around within the categories at the start of the game today. I'm sure it will annoy many others, though. Not sure if it was a Daily Double hunting tactic or just something to unnerve the opposition, but I bet it'll generate discussion!

I figured we'd see a Lord's Resistance Army question eventually, this one showed up in LORD $1000: "Child soldiers are much of the Lord's Resistance Army revolting against the Musevini government in this African nation" Sadly, it was a Triple Stumper; does anyone remember Stop Kony?

After a large number of Triple Stumpers, Richard found the game's first Daily Double on the 15th clue of the round, under OED TOP SOURCES $800: Richard had $1400, Rene $2600 and Susan $0. Making it a True Daily Double, he saw the following: "William Shakespeare is second; this historical novelist with the same initials is third". He completely blanked on the answer, meaning Rene at $2600 was the only player with money at the first break!

I know that some of the commenters here have noted their dislike of Richard, but I think he's an excellent player and I'm a fan of his mannerisms, personally...

The number of Triple Stumpers early on definitely hampered the round's pace, so 3 clues were left on the board in a low-scoring J! round. Your scores at halftime saw Rene at $3,800, Susan $2,000 and Richard selecting first in DJ! with $800.

DJ! round categories: ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON; HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING AT 11; THE WORLD SCIENCE FESTIVAL; A REAL COMEDIAN; ANAGRAMS; CROSS WORLD CLUES "P"

A much more competitive first 11 clues was punctuated by the round's first Daily Double under THE WORLD SCIENCE FESTIVAL $2000. Richard, with $3,600 (against Susan's $6,000 and Rene's $7,000), wasn't about to risk another True Daily Double, so he bet only $2,400. His clue: Biologist Edward O. Wilson told a rapt WSF audience about the chemical "vocabulary" of these colony insects. Richard's correct response tied him with Susan.

Rene switched out of 11, but went back to it and was rewarded with the game's final Daily Double at the bottom of the row. Holding $10,200 to Susan's $7,200 and Richard's $6,000, he bet only $600 and saw the following: "Mussolini signed the Lateran Treaty on behalf of Victor Emmanuel III; Cardinal Gasparri signed on behalf of this pope" It appears as if Rene forgot the category (maybe if he'd stuck with 11 he'd have remembered!), but his incorrect response only dropped him to $9,600. I personally only got this one because I knew that there was a Pius IX (they've named a street in Montreal Pie-IX Boulevard after him) in the 19th century and thus figured they reached number 11 by the time the Lateran Treaty rolled around.

I must say, while I didn't get a lot of the long ones (I did get the third!), it is rather cool that DISCOUNTED/DEDUCTIONS, PICOSECOND/ENDOSCOPIC, and IMPERSONAL/MAILPERSON are all anagram pairs!

Scores going into Final Jeopardy!:

Rene $13,200
Susan $10,400
Richard $8,000

FJ! category: PRESIDENTIAL RESTING PLACES

FJ! clue: Only 3 sites have the remains of 2 Presidents: 1 at Quincy, Massachusetts, 1 at Arlington, & 1 in this state capital

Richard $8000 -2400 = 5600
Susan $10400 -10300 = 100
Rene $13200 -8000 = 5200

I've got no problem whatsoever with any of these wagers; Susan was in Stratton's Dilemma; thus, she chose to go big. Rene had to do what he had to do, and Richard's small wager won him the game! Well played, Mr. Block, and I look forward to seeing your third game tomorrow!

Interestingly enough, had Rene remebered the "11" category, the scores going into Final Jeopardy! would have been 14,400 - 10,400 - 8,400. It would have been very interesting to see what all 3 contestants would have done there!

My Coryat today was $25,600 (33 right, 2 wrong), plus the Final. I made an educated guess, using the same "lots of Presidents come from here" logic that Alex suggested.

Murder On The Jeopardy! Express

Joel's now a 6-time champ, and his two challengers today: Daphne Moulton and Richard Block.




J! round categories: ANNUAL EVENTS, PSYCHOLOGY, READINGS FROM 1984, ORG. ABBREV. COMIC BOOKS, "OW"! "OOF"! "ACK"!

Joel went straight into COMIC BOOKS and ran the category for a quick $3,000, but Daphne found the first Daily Double shortly thereafter under ORG. ABBREV. $600. Holding $400 to Richard's $200 and Joel's $3,000, she only bet $400 (though she could have bet $1000), and saw the following: "Fighting for air" (medically): ALA. Her incorrect response reset her score to $0.

Joel took a little bit too long to answer the bottom clue in "OW" "OOF" "ACK": An iron ring for securing the wrist or ankle -- and Richard took the rebound to bring the scores much closer at the first break: Joel $2,800 Richard $2,400 Daphne $600.

I found that the contestants got the easy questions out of the way first (playing along at home I got the first nineteen), but the slow pace of the round was evidenced by the fact that they left 4 clues on the board! After the J! round, your scores had Richard leading with $4,800, Joel $2,800 and Daphne $800.

DJ! round categories: KNIGHT WEAR, 13-LETTER WORDS, RUBBER, CABLE DRAMAS, VIRTUOSI, AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

Daphne seemed to go straight into CABLE DRAMAS, which to this Canadian here, means 5 clues about shows I've never seen an episode of! I prefer questions about network shows, personally!

I did pick up the following Triple Stumper in what was a quieter round for me: (RUBBER $800): During WWII the Soviet Union & the U.S. experimented with latex from this lawn weed to produce rubber. $1200 produced more Lach Trash as well: Rubber-soled shoes were first mass-marketed with this now-familiar name by U.S. Rubber around 1916. I'll get Jeanie to put that one in the poll next week!

The first Daily Double of the round came at RUBBER $1600. Joel saw it holding $5,600. Richard had $8,200 and Daphne $2,800. He bet only $1,600 and the clue was as follows: In 1853 this American wrote about his vulcanization discovery in "Gum Elastic and Its Varieties". His correct response brought him to $7,200.

Joel's mispronunciation of the correct response on 13-LETTER WORDS $2000 was harsh, but fair: Meaning "immeasurably small", it comes from a word meaning "immeasurably large". Once again, Richard picked up the rebound...

They left the final Daily Double on the board, which was just fine for Richard, as he had a runaway!

Scores going into FJ!:
Richard $13,800
Daphne $6,000
Joel $3,200

FJ! category: CLASSIC MYSTERY NOVELS

FJ! clue: A letter in this mystery says, "We are going...to Luxor and Assuan by steamer, and perhaps on to Khartoum"

Joel: 3200 - 3200 = 0
Daphne: 6000 - 4000 = 2000
Richard: 13800 - 1799 = 12001

My answer matched those of all 3 contestants.

My own Coryat today: $23,600 - with 33 right.

I too now am looking forward to Jeanie's interview with Richard; we'll see him defend his title tomorrow!

One of these things is not like the other

     Not one. Not two. But three happy pieces of news to kick off the week, and a big bummer thrown in for good measure.
     First, I checked out Jeopardy! on GSN today because I'd noticed they changed the schedule: Jeopardy! now airs at 11 a.m. and 1 a.m. on weekdays. I hadn't been watching these reruns because it feels like I've seen them so many times (season 22). The happy surprise? The first day of Season 25! I didn't fully appreciate this welcome change until I saw this tweet from Drew Scheeler. Upon further investigation, I see what fun awaits us: Liz Murphy? Justin Bernbach? Stefan Goodreau? I'm gonna start playing again. In fact I played the first one (originally 9-8-08) today. My Coryat was 24800, but would've been 29800 without negs! This episode turned out to be even more valuable than it seemed at first, as you'll find out below.
     Next, I noticed yesterday while searching for something else that the National History Bee will be on the History Channel Friday at 7 p.m. and 11:01 p.m. Central (?), and Saturday at noon. This is the middle school division, which I saw firsthand in Omaha this spring.
     Third, you may have seen a comment last week from a guy who wants to know more about the people of Jeopardy! and less about the episodes. Well I had an idea: Each week I will find as many new contestants as I can, and ask them each a handful of questions. Their responses will appear at the end of my posts (every time I've tracked someone down, of course). I already have one taker: tomorrow's Richard Block. This is gonna be fun!
     Now, inevitably, the bad news - Believe it or not, my local station played the wrong Jeopardy! episode today. A red flag went up when Joel Pool was introduced as a six-time winner, not a five-time one (as Ursula helpfully pointed out this weekend). I looked at the archive and saw that the dollar amount was wrong, too. I guess I know something you don't (tomorrow's result), but you know a lot I don't (everything except today's result, and one category)! We eagerly await tomorrow.

Pre-weekend Wipeout

     First things first: I want to point out to you the new weekly poll! underneath the daily post.
     Mr. Trebek mentioned at the top of the show that Joel Pool became a champion on Monday, and he wondered whether he'd still be champion this Monday. Shall we find out?

Jim Virtel, graduate student of philosophy from Lemont, IL

     The contestants:

Joel Pool, real estate developer from Oakland, CA

Jennifer Arceneaux, grant writer from Los Angeles, CA

     I love Jennifer's shirt, by the way. You can't really see it in this picture but it has a fitted waist. And Jim bears a striking resemblance to "Boy Meets World"'s Rider Strong. (Here's an interesting article I found on Jim, by the way. I left a comment there!)
     I was very happy to see the too-seldom utilized spelling category (Spelling with the Stars). But I crashed there, and in fact it was all downhill. On a bicycle with no brakes, and no helmet.
     I had clammed on all four clues leading to the Daily Double, which Jim found in Capital & Country: Same First Letter. He and Jennifer had each gotten one right, and Joel had gotten two right. All had 400. Jim wagered 1000 on this clue: "City and country where NATO is headquartered." Jim did not have a response, and neither did I.
     This was a triple-stumper in Spelling with the Stars: "The Doors & Patti Smith have both recorded the Van Morrison song shouting this gal's name." Unfortunately I had given that correct response to this previous clue in the same category: "The Kinks met this title gal at a club down in old Soho."
     At the first break, Joel had 3200 and Jim had 1400. Each had gotten four right since Jim's Daily Double. Jennifer had 800 with one right since the Daily Double.
     The object of this first clue after the break is not so new, is it? (Category New Words and Phrases, which I managed to sweep):

     I got this triple-stumper in the general-sounding History: "Clause 39 of this influenced Britain's Habeas Corpus Act of 1679." And I got this one in Southpaws: "Perhaps he used his left hand when, as legend says, he cut the Gordian Knot in 333 B.C."
     At the end of the round, Joel had 9000 (7 right since the break), Jim had 600 (2 right and 2 wrong), and Jennifer had 1600 (3 right).
     Jim found the first Daily Double of Double Jeopardy in Business Schools. He had 3000 (4 right since the round began). Joel had 10200 (1 right), and Jennifer still had 1600. Jim wagered it all (I like his style) on this softball: "The Kenan-Flagler Business School occupies a 191,000-sq.-ft. building on the Chapel Hill campus of this university." He got it right.
     I got this one in There's Something on the Air thanks to my interview with Stefan Goodreau late last year. (Hey, this is the perfect opportunity to point out the list of champ interviews on the left side of the page!) "Sucker Punch and Fence Flapper are qualifiers on this ABC stunt show."
     Jim found the next Daily Double in Fun with Elements. He had 12000 (5 right with 1 neg since his last Daily Double). Joel had 11800 (also 5 right but 2 negs), and Jennifer had 6000 (3 right). Jim wagered 2000 on this clue: "Bauxite is where you'll find this element, the most abundant metal in the earth's crust." Jim got it right! Mr. Trebek then gave the less-than-a-minute warning with one full category, Virgil, remaining. We did see all the clues today! Jim ended the round with 14800 (3 right and one neg in that last category). Joel still had 11800, and Jennifer had 5200 (one neg).
     The Final Jeopardy category was Military Matters. This was the clue: "In 1934 the lease for this place was increased to $4,085 per year; since 1959 the checks haven't been cashed." I think I got this right, if you'll accept this. A disappointed-looking Jennifer got this one right! She wagered 1800. Joel didn't have a response and lost 3100. I guess he was just trying to have more than Jim's 14800. Poor Jim said "Fort Knox" and lost 8801, which would've given him the win if he and Joel had gotten it right. So we will see Joel on Monday. Now he leaps ahead quite a few people on the list of ToC candidates:
Jason Keller/9 wins/$215900
Dave Leach/6 wins/$100054
Joel Pool/4 5! wins/$95300
David Gard/4 wins/$85700
Dan McShane/4 wins/$64001
Patrick Morrison/3 wins/$82701
Francis Lansangan/3 wins/$80401
Joey Falco/3 wins/$55999
Beau Henson/3 wins/$53203
Dan Adkison/3 wins/$38400
Jacob Silverman/3 wins/37998
Jessamine Price/3 wins/$28803
     I'm ashamed of my Coryat today, but this should give you an idea: It would've been 11200 higher if I'd clammed on my negs. I'm only going that far in case this episode reruns someday, and I can compare how I did. I had two negs in the Jeopardy round and oh, a whole bunch in Double Jeopardy, where they hurt the most.

An Early Summer Night's Dream

     This is it: Ursula's big day!

Julie Zukowski, a public librarian from Crystal Lake, IL

Ursula Rodgers, a homemaker and visual artist  from Denver, CO

Joel Pool, a real estate developer from Oakland, CA

     Joel is a three-time champion coming into today, and by the way, with that win yesterday he moved ahead of Beau Henson on the list of potential Tournament of Champions contestants:
Jason Keller/9 wins/$215900
Dave Leach/6 wins/$100054
David Gard/4 wins/$85700
Dan McShane/4 wins/$64001
Patrick Morrison/3 wins/$82701
Francis Lansangan/3 wins/$80401
Joel Pool/3 wins/$69600
Joey Falco/3 wins/$55999
Beau Henson/3 wins/$53203
Dan Adkison/3 wins/$38400
Jacob Silverman/3 wins/37998
Jessamine Price/3 wins/$28803
     The Jeopardy round featured a Shakespeare theme. Ursula tripped on the first hurdle, this clue in This Band of Brothers: "Last name of brothers Barry, Robin & Maurice of Bee Gees fame." I noticed Ursula said "Gibbs" and knew it was incorrect, but I didn't hear anyone tell her it was wrong, even after a few listens! Julie, who resembles contestant coordinator Maggie, rang in though and got it right. Ursula was back on the plus side with a correct response on this next clue in the same category: "Brothers Johnny & Colin Greenwood formed this band with Thom Yorke while students at Oxford." I got this triple-stumper, the next clue in the same category: "Mike Kroeger & this half-brother of his are in the post-grunge group Nickelback."
     Ursula was in the lead going into the first break, with 2800! She'd had 1 neg and 5 correct responses. Julie was on her heels with 2600 (6 correct), and Joel trailed with 1200 (1 neg and 3 right).
     I said "necrosis" and am counting it on this clue in Winter of Our Discount Tent: "Winds rushed in & Billy lost some frostbitten toes due to the 'dry' type of this localized death of tissue." I also got this next clue at the last second, a triple-stumper in the same category: "It said 'flame resistant,' but a bit of this, AKA paraffin oil, got on the tent & a spark lit it up like a Roman candle." I swept the category, then.
     Mr. Trebek gave the less-than-a-minute warning then, with 7 clues left. There were 2 clues left at the end of the round. Ursula still led, with 6400 (4 right since the break)! Joel had 3400 (5 right), and Julie, who looks too young to be married 18 years!, had 2400 (1 neg and 1 right).
     I was very surprised this was a triple-stumper (and with 2 negs!) in 50 Years Ago--1962: "Month in 1962 when the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the U.S. & the Soviet Union to the brink of war." I also got this triple-stumper in Newspaper Towns: "Baltimore, Maryland."
     I swept Animal Verbs before Joel found the first Daily Double of the game, in Roman the Roads. He had 9000 (2 negs and 7 right since the round began). Ursula had 9200 (1 neg and 5 right), and Julie had 5200 (2 negs and 5 right). Joel wagered 3000 on this clue: "These stones bearing a dedication to the emperor were set every 1,000 paces along Roman roads." I would've needed another few seconds, but Joel got it in time. Mr. Trebek gave the one-minute warning then, with 6 clues left.
     Ursula had gotten 2 right since the last Daily Double when she found the next one, in Opera Characters. She had 10400. Joel, who'd gotten 1 right, had 14000, and Julie had 5200. Ursula wagered 2000 on this clue: "In a Franz Lehar opera, Hanna Glawari, who recently lost her banker-husband, is this title character." I took a lucky guess on this one. Ursula, unfortunately, did not have a response. This was the last clue of the round. She didn't wager so much that the game was a runaway for Joel.
     The Final Jeopardy category was Biographies, a category I'd think was in Ursula's wheelhouse since she is an avid reader. This was the clue: "'The Man Who Invented the Twentieth Century' is a biography of this scientist born in the Balkans." I had no hope on this one. Julie got it right! She added 5100. Ursula had only a question mark written. :-( She lost 3800. I'd have wagered just the same way. Joel got it right and added 3000. Ursula would've won, then, if she'd gotten it right and Joel had gotten it wrong. (See this for Ursula's blog entry on practicing her wagers!) Well done today, Ursula.
     My Coryat, like yesterday, was 25K.

Triple Stumper, Daily Double, Rinse, Repeat

Andy with the recap of today's show, where Joel Pool goes for Win #3 against Jody Clark and Barb Hougas.

J! round categories: OPENING NIGHT ON BROADWAY, MORE THAN ONE MEANING, TV LOCATIONS, FRANKLY, MADEIRA, I DON'T GIVE A...

Our contestants got off to a slow start in I DON'T GIVE A..., with some Triple Stumpers, but everybody seemed to recover well in time for the first break after 15 clues: Your scores saw Joel leading at $2,600 with Jody at $2,000 and Barb at $1,600.

The game was still pretty close when Jody found the game's first Daily Double under OPENING NIGHT ON BROADWAY $600. Holding $3,600 (his two opponents had $2,600), Jody bet the size of his lead and saw the following: "The Wiz" opened on January 5, 1975; this other Oz-set musical on October 30, 2003. His correct response put him to $4,600 and on a roll that he wouldn't relinquish over the next seven clues.

The scores after 30: Jody had $7,000, Barb $3,000, and Joel $2,800.

DJ! round categories: WHAT THE X-RAY SHOWS, A TOUCH OF ROBERT FROST IN THE AIR, ENDS IN "TH", THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, COMPANY NAMES, LYRICS OF THE TOP 40 SONG

Joel went straight into COMPANY NAMES, and was rewarded when the round's first Daily Double was in that category, under the $1600 clue (albeit after a Triple Stumper at $1200). Jody had $7,400, Joel $3,600 and Barb $3,000. Only betting $1800, he saw the following clue: August Horch named his car company this after translating Horch, which means "Hark!" or "hear", into Latin. After some thought I got it as well; Joel got it to bring his score to $5,400.

WHAT THE X-RAY SHOWS for $2000 brought Barb right back into the game in the middle of Double Jeopardy!:

With the screws and pins in place, you can see it was a bad fracture of this leg bone. Joel and Jody's negs on this question, and Barb's subsequent rebound led to Alex's comment of "It's fun when the competitors narrow it down for you" and a $7,200 deficit shrinking to $3,200.

It appears as if there may have been some sort of technical difficulty surrounding the ENDS IN "TH" $800 clue (maybe Ursula can provide more insight here) as they went from $400 to $1200 and the end-of-round signal came before they went back to it.

After another Triple Stumper at $1,600, the game's final Daily Double came on what was ostensibly the 29th clue (but likely final, considering the above paragraph, and for that reason I'm not a fan of the J! board indignance about the wager to come here). Jody had $15,000, Joel had $10,600 and Barb $8,200. Jody bet $4,000, a wager I am perfectly okay with, considering the circumstances. The clue: It's the Robert Frost poem that says "good fences make good neighbors". His incorrect response and end-of-round signal put the scores going into Final as follows:

Jody $11,000

Joel $10,600

Barb $8,200

FJ Category: ANIMALS

FJ clue: A 2005 study reported that this animal named for an island has, pound for pound, the most powerful bite of any mammal

Barb 8200 - 3000 = 5200 (an excellent wager!)

Joel 10600 + 10600 = 21200 (fortuitous)

Jody 11000 - 10100 = 900

Sadly, I couldn't get any farther than Barb or Jody did. Looks like Jody made a math error on his bet that very nearly cost him dearly, but his incorrect response saved him. Remember to check your math, folks! My own Coryat today was $32,200 with 39 right (including the two Triple Stumpers before the DJ! round Daily Doubles)

Best of retroactive luck once again to Ursula on tomorrow's show!

À la recherche de l'argent perdu

Andy in for today and tomorrow, and today we get to see Joel Pool defend his title. His challengers: Marnie Cox and Mike Lally!

J! round categories: THE INDIANAPOLIS 500, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, WRITER'S DICTIONARY, IN PERE-LACHAISE CEMETERY, GIVE ME A PRIZE, "IFY" ANSWER CORRECTLY

It was a pretty even game by all three players in the Jeopardy! round; Mike seemed to be most in his element in THE INDIANAPOLIS 500, he went there early and often. I did pick up the Triple Stumper, though, at the bottom of the category: Now tragically deceased, this British racer won in 2011, the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500.

At the opening break, your scores had Mike leading at 2800, Joel at 1800, and Marnie at 1000.

After the break, Mike seemed to lose his buzzer mojo, with Joel and Marnie taking over the game. Marnie found the Daily Double at IN PERE-LACHAISE CEMETERY $1000, on the round's final clue. With scores at Joel 5400 Marnie 3600 Mike 2400, she was spooked by the clue value and bet just $600. The clue: This novelist's magnum opus is literally translated "In Search of Lost Time". Her correct answer put the scores at halftime at Joel 5400 Marnie 4200 Mike 2400.

DJ! round categories: THE COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS, FROM THE SANSKRIT, YOUR DAY IN "C"OURT, NATIVE AMERICANS BY TRIBE, BEFORE & AFTER GOES TO THE MOVIES, EYE Q

Once again, the round belonged to Joel and Marnie; Marnie breezed through $400 and $800 of BEFORE & AFTER GOES TO THE MOVIES before finding the Daily Double under $1200. Joel led at 9000, Marnie had 8200 and Mike 1600. Alex commented that Marnie "risked very little money" the first time around, but that wasn't enough to convince Marnie to risk more than $2000. The clue: Mia Farrow taking a pregnancy pause in a horror pic segues into Tina Fey's ticking biological clock in a 2008 comedy. After her correct response, Alex echoed the world's thoughts in saying "See, you're good with these! Should have risked more..."

After spending most of the round at $1600 or $3200, Mike picked up an $800 rebound on Joel's miss in NATIVE AMERICANS BY TRIBE (Geronimo) and found the game's final Daily Double under the $1200 clue. He only had $2400 to bet with; Joel had $16,600 and Marnie $15,800. He only bet $1,000, and saw the following: Osceola. His incorrect response wasn't quite there, so he fell to $1,400 as the end-of round signal brought the game to Final Jeopardy:

Scores going into FJ:

Joel $16,600

Marnie $15,800

Mike $1,400

FJ category: 1957

FJ clue: On Sept. 5, Dwight Eisenhower told this state's Gov. that "the federal Constitution will be upheld by me by every legal means"

Mike 1400 + 799 = 2199

Marnie 15800 - 13000 = 2800

Joel 16600 + 15100 = 31700 (2-day champion with $48,400)

I liked all three wagers today; My own Coryat was $24,400 (37 right, 3 wrong), and I'll be back tomorrow to recap Joel's 3rd game!

Pool party

      Today's episode was sort of like coming home to your family from your happy life elsewhere: Something of a relief and a comfort. We are back to regular episodes after the Teen Tournament and Power Players Week.
     I saw Jacob Silverman's third win while I was at the unofficial J! reunion! Here he is, with his opponents:

Cindy Hager of Banner WY

Jacob of Brooklyn NY (He looks so much like Ken Olin today!)

Joel Pool of Oakland CA

     I was most curious today whether Jacob would win and move Beau Henson down on the list of champs who may make the next Tournament of Champions. I've decided to keep track (when it applies) of that list. See the end of this entry for that.
     I swept Sounds Like 2-Letters. Cindy would've swept but Joel picked up this last clue in the category, also the last one before the first break: "Shaq knows it precedes 'hot' in the name of a pain-relieving cream." He had 800 then (2 right and 1 neg), and Jacob had 3200 (6 right and 1 neg). Cindy had 3400 (6 correct).
     Jacob found the Daily Double of the round in 3-Named Authors. He had 4600 (2 right since the break), Joel had 1200, and Cindy had 3600 (each with 1 right since the break). Jacob wagered 2500 on this clue: "Her final resting place is a Missouri cemetery where she shares a headstone with husband Almanzo." I knew this one cold, but Jacob guessed Nebraskan Willa Cather.
     I also knew this triple-stumper cold, in S'Moors: "This Portuguese town where visions were seen in 1917 was named for a count's wife, a Moor who became a Christian."
     I also got this triple-stumper in Girl Scout Cookies: "New for 2012, Savannah Smiles are this fruit flavor, reviving the 'coolers' of a few years back."
     At the end of the round, Joel had 600 (2 right and 2 negs since Jacob's Daily Double), Jacob had 3700 and Cindy had 4200 (each with 2 right since Jacob's Daily Double).
     I was pleased to get this triple-stumper in "Big" Movie Quotes: "1985: 'Be sure and tell 'em Large Marge sent ya.'" I'm so curious as to how many people got this one that I'm going to make a weekly poll of my own from now on, starting Friday!
     Cindy found the next Daily Double in American Nicknames. She had 6600 (2 right and 1 neg since the end of the J round), Joel had 3800 (7 right and 1 neg), and Jacob had 5300 (3 right and 1 neg). Cindy wagered 1600 on this clue: "The Department of State & an area of Washington, D.C. are nicknamed this." I didn't get this one, and Cindy didn't either.
     Joel found the next Daily Double in Weather History. This snuck up on me; there was only one clue on the board after this one. Joel had 5400 (like Jacob, 3 right and 1 neg since Cindy's Daily Double), Jacob had 9700, and Cindy had 7800 (3 right since her Daily Double). Joel wagered 3000. (Should he have wagered more?) This was the clue: "In 1944 bombers at high altitude were speedily propelled forward -- what's now called this 2-word phenomenon." Joel got it right! Jacob got the last clue right, giving him 11700 going into the final while Joel had 8400 and Cindy had 7800.
     The Final Jeopardy category was Drama. This was the clue: "This play that came to Broadway in 2005 is set in the autumn of 1964 at St. Nicholas Church school in the Bronx." This one was an instaget for me. Cindy  did not have it right and lost 3901. (I think I'd have wagered 1200.) Joel got it and added 8300. (I might've wagered 1800.) Jacob missed it and lost 5200. He would've won by 200 then, if he'd gotten it right. We'll see Joel tomorrow. My Coryat today was 24400.
     At the last second I checked to see if Ursula has posted anything new on her blog about her J! experience, and she has. (Don't miss her on the show Thursday!)
     So here's the ToC list (I gathered this info from the archive.):
Jason Keller/9 wins/$215900
Dave Leach/6 wins/$100054
David Gard/4 wins/$85700
Dan McShane/4 wins/$64001
Patrick Morrison/3 wins/$82701
Francis Lansangan/3 wins/$80401
Joey Falco/3 wins/$55999
Beau Henson/3 wins/$53203
Dan Adkison/3 wins/$38400
Jacob Silverman/3 wins/37998
Jessamine Price/3 wins/$28803

Coop de Grace

     I loved this game. It was just fun. Okay, getting *10* triple-stumpers in the first two rounds may have had something to do with it. It cracked me up, in fact! And that wasn't even all of them!



     The contestants:

Anderson Cooper

Thomas L. Friedman (NOT Kinky)

Kelly O'Donnell

     Anderson was introduced by Johnny as "busy" at the top of the show, and Mr. Trebek mentioned it during Anderson's interview. This led me to think about Ryan Seacrest's ubiquity, which then led me to think: Why couldn't Anderson host Jeopardy! when Mr. Trebek retires? He's the best option I've seen or come up with.
     Cooper's been on Jeopardy! a couple of times before. But his appearance today came as a shock to my dad, who sat down in the den and started reading while I was watching today's episode the second time (to take notes). He soon looked up from his paper and said, "Anderson Cooper?!"
     Three of those triple-stumpers came before the first break. I hope you'll allow me to indulge in listing them all. (And I'd like to know which ones you got, too!)

•  In Domestic Affairs (ooh la la): "Lady Emma Hamilton was this British naval hero's mistress and inherited money from him after he died at Trafalgar." I've been to Trafalgar Square in London, and I will never forget this!

     Anderson got 3/4 in the category, which I swept, before this triple-stumper in the same category. He cracked, "Why I'm so good at this category I don't know."

• "In 1745 Louis XV took her as his official mistress; she gave her name to a fabric and a big hairstyle." (Anderson said he was trying to make Madame "Beehive" fit the clue.)
• In 21st Century Lingo: "It's the 'tiny' term for a person who writes short posts about one's personal life on Tumblr or Twitter." (Thomas, who signed his name "Tom," guessed "tweeter.")

     This was the last clue before the first break, in Inside the Beltway: "In the late 1950s Nils Bohlin of this Swedish company pioneered the use of safety belts in automobiles." I said what Kelly did ("Saab"), and Anderson got it right, widening the gap: Anderson had 3000 and each of his opponents had -400. That led to this reaction:

     By the way, did you notice that Anderson was using his pointer finger to ring in?
     I wasn't a fan of Kelly's interview. First, is it just me or did she mess up the quote about having a friend in Washington (a dog)? Otherwise her interview seemed rehearsed, as when she said she hoped she would not be in the doghouse with her charity (Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation) at the end of the show.
     The first clue after that break was a triple-stumper, still in Inside the Beltway: "These objects also known as planetoids are mainly found in a 'belt' of them between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter."
     Anderson dove for the clues of higher value when warned that time was running out. There were nine clues left on the board in the Jeopardy round, and a whole category, Here's to the Irish, was hidden. Maybe they thought Kelly O'Donnell would go for that one. She was in the hole 400 at the end of the round, while Anderson had 4200 and Thomas had 2800.
     On to a Double Jeopardy triple-stumper:

• In TV Guide Movie Synopses: "2010: 'Docudrama about the triple crown-winning race horse.'" I got this one in the nick of time. Kelly had said "Seabiscuit," and I suspect many people did.

     The next clue was the Daily Double, in the same category. Anderson benefited from Kelly's gaffe by picking this one up. He had 4600, Kelly was in the red 1200, and Tom still had 2800. Anderson wagered 1000 on this clue: "1953: 'Life on a Honolulu army post just before the Pearl Harbor attack." Anderson stared at it before admitting, "I don't know what it means." I too could've had an eternity, and I wouldn't have come up with it.
     More triple-stumpers:

• "A.C.": "Awarded a Nobel prize, this existentialist said he would have given it to fellow Frenchman Andre Malraux."
• In Cold, Hilly, and Empty: "On Feb. 3, 1947 a village in this territory bordering Alaska recorded -81.4 F., an all-time low for Canada."
• Another in "A.C.": "Here's a mystery: She wrote romantic novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott."
• In Prepare the Prefix, which I swept: "-focus, -didact, -bahn."
• In I Approved This Message: "Eugene H. Peterson approved 'The Message,' a contemporary version of this, with all 66 books combined into one."

     Mr. Trebek gave the one-minute warning with 4 clues left. I got one more triple-stumper:

• In I Am Grover Cleveland: "In 1863, I paid George Benninsky $150 to do this instead of me; it was perfectly legal, and George didn't get killed."

     There was one more clue after the Daily Double when Anderson found it in I Am Grover Cleveland. He had 14800, Kelly had 2000, and Tom had 8400. Anderson wagered just 800! He could've put the game out of reach without risking much more, and Mr. Trebek said something like that. Here's the clue: "I sent troops in to quell the 1894 Pullman Railroad Strike because it was interrupting the delivery of this." Your first guess is probably right! Anderson got it too, and this wound up being the last clue in the round.
     Now we just have the Final left. The category was Inventors. This was the clue: "The Natl. Inventors H.O.F. said his work 'brought the South prosperity,' but he was out of business within 5 years." It was yet another triple-stumper I got! Anderson had the right idea - he says he was starting to write about who invented the cotton gin. Kelly had written "Carver," and Tom didn't have a name written. Kelly lost 1500, Tom lost 7400, and Anderson lost 1201. Chris Wallace, then, is the celebrity with the most money at the end of his game.
     Next week on J!, three exciting things: We'll find out if Jacob Silverman will be a four-time champ (thus knocking Beau Henson down on the list of Tournament of Champions hopefuls). We'll get to cheer on a reader of this blog, Ursula, on Thursday and maybe/hopefully Friday and beyond! (Here's an entry from her own blog about her experience.) And finally, I'll be happy to be keeping track of my Coryat again.

Your Daily Rundown

      I did something a little weird today - I was out and got home four minutes into the show. I'm at my parents', and they don't have DVR, so I decided to start watching the show then and watch the beginning on the VHS tape later. (This is also why the contestants are not looking straight ahead in their pictures, as usual.) Did it affect my results...?
     First, you may remember I was going to try something new one of these days...Well, I decided today not to do it! Since I can't blog and watch the show in the same room here, and since I now have a memory card for my phone and a card reader, I was going to put videos of notable clues on the blog rather than write them all down. I changed my mind just as I was poised to record the first one, thinking maybe it wouldn't be appreciated by the peops at Jeopardy! After all, it seems that whole episodes of Jeopardy! cannot be readily and publicly accessed on the Internet. I also thought that recording and sending each clue is as big of a pain in the butt as writing them down. My dad has talked about getting wifi ever since he was dazzled by it at our fantasy baseball draft. (My blogging partner Andy knows something about this, as he participated from Canada while the rest of us were in the Midwest!) I'm hoping that day will cone!
     Anyway, today's contestants:

Chuck Todd

Lewis Black

Clarence Page

      Short answer to the question in the first paragraph: Probably, but not much. I clammed/negged on four clues in the Jeopardy round, and they all came after the break (duffel, garment, Dr. No, and Turow). BUT I don't think I'd have gotten those last three anyway. It may have helped, though, if I'd noticed the spelling of Super Packs.
     Chuck found the first Daily Double in The Daily Rundown, a category I swept. (There was a day of the week associated with each clue.) He only had 800 while his two opponents each had 0. Chuck wagered 1000 on this clue: "Thursday, November 26, 1863 was proclaimed as 'a day of' this 'and praise.'" Chuck answered "remembrance," and took a second look at this clue when Mr. Trebek pointed out the date. Chuck looked thoroughly embarrassed, but he got the 1000 back on the very next clue in the same category: "Jason Voorhees is the hockey-masked psycho in this film franchise; don't go in the basement!"
     Also before the first break, Clarence said "blackfeet" but I said "blackfoot" in response to this clue in Fade to "Black": "The Siksika are part of this Native American Confederacy." It seems they are both acceptable.
     At the first break, Chuck had 1800, Clarence had 800, and Lewis was in the hole 800.
     Like yesterday, one of today's interviews was a highlight: Clarence's. He said when talking about his charity, American Institute for Stuttering, that he himself used to stutter. Mr. Trebek said if he hadn't said that, no one would know. And it's true.
     Like yesterday, there were 14 clues left in the Jeopardy round when Mr. Trebek gave the one-minute warning. Nine clues remained at the end. Chuck had 2400, Clarence had 3000, and Lewis had 400.
     Chuck found both Daily Doubles in the Double Jeopardy round, too. The first one was in Stop the Presses. He had 4400, Clarence had 5000, and Lewis had 1600. Chuck wagered "half of it" (random?!) on this clue: "A phone-hacking scandal forced this British tabloid to close in 2011." I would not have gotten this, but Chuck seemed to know it right away.
     This next clue, I pre-called when I saw the category (still Stop the Presses): "The web preserves the final edition of this 'news'paper; it says 'our time chronicling the life of Denver and Colorado...is over.'"
     In this round, there were "only" five clues left at the one-minute warning, and we actually saw four of them! One of them was the Daily Double. As noted, Chuck found it, after fielding a softball about the U.S Constitution. He had 15400, Clarence had 7000, and Lewis had 6400. There were 3 clues on the board besides this one. I probably wouldn't have risked the lock, although of course anything could've happened with those three clues. Then again, he had more than twice as much as his opponents for a reason. What would you have wagered? He wagered 3000 on this clue, still in Constitution: "He was emperor when Japan's 'the emperor...shall not have powers related to the government' was written." I got it right, somehow! So did Chuck. He ended the round still with 18400. Clarence had 9000, and Lewis had 8000.
     The Final Jeopardy category was Sporting Events. This was the clue: "First held in May 1875, it is the oldest continuously held major sporting event in the United States." This was a triple-stumper, and I got it right! I'm starting to think, though, that a guy who had seen this episode taped said something about it at the unofficial J! reunion. Coincidentally, he was going to this sporting event the following weekend. He gets around: He went back to his home in Canada between the reunion and the sporting event, and he tells me he's gonna be in Nebraska next month!
     Chuck and Lewis both responded with "the U.S. Open," and Clarence said "baseball." ? Lewis lost all 8000, Clarence lost 2000, and Chuck lost 300. So yesterday's winner, Chris Wallace, still has the highest total of the week.
     These are the triple-stumpers I got today:

• In The Daily Rundown: "In the 90s, she took wing with the album "Tuesday Night Music Club" and the hit "All I Wanna Do."
• In Page Turners: "Ann Charles sets creepy novels in this morbid-sounding South Dakota city."
• In The New York Times Movies: "Manohla Dargis titled the review of this 2011 drama 'Finding the Humanity in the F.B.I.'s feared enforcer."
• In Constitution: "Article 47 of this European nation's constitution says 'the confederation shall respect the autonomy of the cantons."

     Tomorrow's contestants: ANDERSON COOPER (the biggest name of the week?), Thomas Friedman, and Kelly O'Donnell. I don't know O'Donnell.
     I watched three more recent weekend reruns today. My results:

• Originally 10-29-10: 22800
• Originally 11-24-10: Unfortunately, the Kentucky Derby coverage ran long and covered the first three categories of this one. I got 7/15 in the Jeopardy round, and 19/30 in the Double Jeopardy round.
• Originally 11-25-10: 31600

     When I played these the first time (original posts here and here), I was still using my Jeopardy Challenger and not the Coryat method (but I was considering it!), so I can't really compare.

Dr. Oz Comes to Washington

    


    
     Today's contestants:

Chris Wallace

Dr. Mehmet Oz

Katty Kay

     I laughed when I saw that Dr. Oz had just that written on his lectern, as opposed to his first name.

     I swept Fair and Balanced after taking a wild guess on this clue: "Since 2000 Starbucks has coffee certified 'fair' this, from small-scale farmers organized into cooperatives." Dr. Oz drew a laugh from the crowd when he responded with "latte." I got the next clue in the category (and in the nick of time) because this guy has read clues on Jeopardy! before: "Some thought his play 'A Delicate Balance' repeated themes from his earlier 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'"
      I got this triple-stumper in It's the "E"-conomy: "Salary & tips are considered this type of income that has its own 'tax credit.'"
      At the first break, Dr. Oz had 1000, Katty had 2600, and Chris had 200.
     I think my favorite part of this episode was a contestant interview (highly unusual): Dr. Oz's. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with myself now that I've been on Jeopardy!, and I have thought about the Peace Corps. I'd never heard of this "Health Corps" - Dr. Oz's charity. It sounds like quite a good fit for an RN like me. I'm gonna look it up, for sure.
      This one wasn't a triple-stumper in Washington, D.C., but I was pleased to get it just the same: "This neighborhood is named for the traffic circle where Mass., Connecticut & New Hampshire Aves. intersect." I didn't know it was a neighborhood but I didn't know of any other circle.

     Imagine the gasp in my parents' den when there were - hold onto your hat - 14 clues left at the one-minute warning in the Jeopardy round. Like yesterday, 10 clues were left unseen in the Jeopardy round. I was especially disappointed that we didn't see any in Stars & Causes. At the end of the round, Dr. Oz had 1000, Katty had 4000, and Chris had 3000.
      At the beginning of Double Jeopardy, Dr. Oz dove straight for You Call Yourself a Doctor?, which made the audience laugh again. Chris went for Political Cinema and Katty went to The British Are Coming when she had a chance. Chris got that clue right and went back to the Political Cinema, when Katty answered right and then found the Daily Double there. She had 5200, Chris had 3800, and Dr. Oz had 1000. Katty wagered 1000 (random?) on this clue: "This 1939 Jimmy Stewart classic premiered here at Constitution Hall." I thought that would be it, but they had a video clip:

     Katty said, "Mr. Smith Comes to Washington," and the audience buzzed. This response was not accepted. This film title is sort of a punchline in my congressional district, because that's our congressman's name.
      Chris found the next Daily Double in The British Are Coming, a category I swept. He had 7000 at the time, Dr. Oz had 2200, and Katty had 6200. Chris joked that he'd been waiting his whole life to wager it all, "but this is way too much money." He wagered 2000 (random again?) on this clue: "The British did not have bon temps in the Jan. 8, 1815 battle of this city." He got it right.
      I swept "Blow"hards. Then I was pretty excited about seeing this clue in The New York Times The Arts: "Arts beat reported on the craze for 'Zou Bisou Bisou,' a song featured in this TV show about advertising." I had just heard that catchy song for the first time on my way home this morning. They said nothing of the correct response on the radio, but I got it anyway.
      Mr. Trebek gave the less-than-a-minute warning with 9 clues left. (sigh) I got this next clue in The Arts, a triple-stumper: "A 2011 review said the acoustics this famous NYC hall turned a chorale's words into whooshes."
      I said "black plague" for this clue in Color Me Bad: "Dark name for medieval plague." Then I said "Star Wars" for this one in You Call Yourself a Doctor?: "The ideas of Lowell Wood, dubbed 'Dr. Evil,' helped inspire Ronald Reagan to propose this defense program." This was the last clue of the round. There were four left on the board. Dr. Oz was left with 3000, Katty had 7800, and Chris had 19400. So I got 14/20 in the Jeopardy round and 21/26 in the Double Jeopardy round
     One more thing about You Call Yourself a Doctor?: You might know Jeopardy! tweets a clue from a category that will appear on that day's show. This was today's clue. My question is, would "strike" be accepted? That's what I said at first, then deleted my tweet thinking they wanted "strikeout." That is what they gave as the correct response. Your opinion's welcome, as always.
     The Final Jeopardy category was American Literature. This was the clue: "In 2011, in the preface to the 75th anniv. edition, Pat Conroy called this novel 'the last great...victory of the Confederacy." I didn't get it right. I wonder if it would've helped if I'd known who Pat Conroy is. All three contestants got it right. Dr. Oz added 2900. Katty added just 200. Chris added 3400, giving him the highest total of the week so far.
     Now, yesterday I told you I was going to do something new today - I changed my mind. :-P However, I may do it tomorrow or Friday, so I'm still gonna keep it a secret.
    Also yesterday, I asked whether celebrity contestants knew the scores of those who played before them this week. Now I want to know whether matchups were random like they are in regular episodes?
      I got to play a recent weekend rerun today, and I'll play a few more over the next few days. My Coryat for this episode was 18600. The first time I played, I used my Jeopardy Challenger rather than the Coryat method. So I really can't compare. It's too bad because I was 25/28 in the Jeopardy round.
     Tomorrow's contestants will be Clarence Page, Lewis Black, and Chuck Todd. (I don't know the last two. I know of Page because his column appears in either the World Herald or the Journal Star. Maybe both.)