Jeopardy right now

[kafka0117]

Some guy, a professional sports gambler, has won $770,000+ in just 11 wins. I'm no math wizard, but that's $70,000 per win. Pretty good average. He now holds the record for the 4 highest one-day win totals, with the highest yesterday at $131,000. If you're a fan of this show, it's pretty interesting.

I also wonder at what point in the taping Alex knows his health situation. It's taped about 3 months in advance.

 

[magic8ball]

DORK!!

With fat stacks!!

 

[rmattox]

Some guy, a professional sports gambler, has won $770,000+ in just 11 wins. I'm no math wizard, but that's $70,000 per win. Pretty good average. He now holds the record for the 4 highest one-day win totals, with the highest yesterday at $131,000. If you're a fan of this show, it's pretty interesting.

I also wonder at what point in the taping Alex knows his health situation. It's taped about 3 months in advance.

The guy comes off as a really odd bird, but he is the sharpest I've ever seen on the show. Heard a message from Alex yesterday. He said he was still feeling okay, continuing his therapy (?) and preparing for next season.
At least he seem optimistic.
Knowing what I know about pancreatic cancer and the probabilities, if I had it, I'd have other ways to spend my days than going to work.

 

[ky8335]

By moving through the board horizontally and targeting the highest dollar clues first he's really put his opponent on their heels.

Jeopardy is just trivial facts, the skill is in figuring out what the category/question is asking and he's making it as difficult as possible for his opponents.

 

[LeOtis Merriweather]

He takes chances on daily doubles that others don't. By building a big lead early, he pretty much demoralizes his opponents. I think he will finally lose when he either takes a chance and goes back to zero, or quits caring.

 

[UK_Dallas]

Struggle city through the first commercial break so far today.

 

[bigbluefattycat]

12 day streak another 80k tonight over 800k total.

 

[UK_Dallas]

Spoiler: Rumors

Hearing rumors that his run only lasts 5 weeks but he smashes all the money records. It could be 5 weeks of filming. They film 2 days per week but probably 5 or more episodes per day.

 

[august-west]

By moving through the board horizontally and targeting the highest dollar clues first he's really put his opponent on their heels.

Jeopardy is just trivial facts, the skill is in figuring out what the category/question is asking and he's making it as difficult as possible for his opponents.

He does this in the first round, IMO, to throw his opponents off their game but in the Double Jeopardy round he is definitely hunting for the the 2 Daily Doubles after he has built up enough money to "gamble" with.

 

[mustnotsleepnow]

He takes chances on daily doubles that others don't. By building a big lead early, he pretty much demoralizes his opponents. I think he will finally lose when he either takes a chance and goes back to zero, or quits caring.

Crazy thing is, he's already went to zero before. He went all in on a daily and lost like $20k or something. Can't remember. Two minutes later, he's back in first with a huge lead again.

The guy is incredible to watch.

 

[Lightbringer123]

Adds another $90K and total to $942,000. Insane pace on the earnings. He makes it so interesting to watch...

 

[kafka0117]

Hard to imagine somebody like him losing, but, inevitably, it has to happen. Jennings rarely risked the max allowable to still guarantee a win. This guy does.

 

[magic8ball]

Sounds like I need to tune in!

 

[CatOfDaVille]

You can tell Trebek is completely annoyed by this guy.

 

[GonzoCat90]

You can tell Trebek is completely annoyed by this guy.

Yeah, Trebek has been outspoken in the past about some of the game theory that folks use to exploit the scoring/board, and James does it to the extreme.

But a million dollars for about 4 total hours of work is a fine tradeoff for the host to be annoyed with you.

 

[-Mav-]

Yeah, Trebek has been outspoken in the past about some of the game theory that folks use to exploit the scoring/board, and James does it to the extreme.

I'm a huge fan of Trebek, he's been the perfect host for Jeopardy!, and I absolutely hate his current plight. However, as long as contestants abide by the rules then it's none of his business how they maximize their chances of winning. If the powers-that-be at Jeopardy! don't like it then change the rules.

 

[GonzoCat90]

^ Agree. He just feels like it's against the spirit of the game, and that the writers work hard building categories and clues that go sequentially.

And while I'm sure that's true, it's insane to ask everyday folks (or professional gamblers) to not capitalize on winning as much money as possible so that those well-paid writers can get the satisfaction of watching their category go in order.

 

[buckethead1978]

My theory is that they will just delay his buzzer by a half a second or so in order to get rid of him.

 

[-Mav-]

And while I'm sure that's true, it's insane to ask everyday folks (or professional gamblers) to not capitalize on winning as much money as possible so that those well-paid writers can get the satisfaction of watching their category go in order.

Exactly.

 

[mhroe1984]

He's absolutely crushing everyone. But at some you'd think one of those huge daily doubles will bite him in the ***.

 

[funKYcat75]

Haven't watched yet, but is he just way faster on the buzzer than everyone else?

Maybe the producers have some ringer that they're going to match him up with at some point soon.

 

[Laparkafan]

Heard on radio he read some book on how to win at jeopardy and he practiced with a simulated buzzer at home to figure out the timing when to ring in...

 

[-Mav-]

Haven't watched yet, but is he just way faster on the buzzer than everyone else?

He starts with the higher values first, jumps between categories, and isn't afraid to bet huge when he finds the daily doubles. It's basically the equivalent of blitzkrieg Jeopardy! -- he usually steamrolls his opponents before they know what hits them. Pretty danged fascinating to watch.

 

[Get Buckets]

There is timing/rythm involved w buzzing in on answers. Plus they are filming episodes one after another so he goes against cold opponents. I think they changed the buzzer operator during or right after Ken Jennings.

Kind of like the guy who figured out the timing on Press Your Luck.

 

[GonzoCat90]

The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if they don't do this occasionally for ratings. A weird guy like him draws people in, the money totals are fascinating, the style of play is unique--what's to stop Jeopardy from letting him see the board ahead of time?

All it takes is a small edge when a guy is that good. These long streaks are ratings gold for the show.

 

[BigBlueDave_rivals76951]

After I saw this thread on Friday, I dvr'd Monday.

This is just as entertaining as a good Netflix recommend.

 

[-Mav-]

Plus they are filming episodes one after another so he goes against cold opponents.

This a a very key point. They get blindsided because no one has ever played quite like this before.

 

[Lightbringer123]

This a a very key point. They get blindsided because no one has ever played quite like this before.

Have to agree with this, after the 1st half of the 1st round then the other players seemed stunned and by that time the game is already over. The other players during this run seem to just roll over and die about mid way through the 1st round.

Also I think Trebek is just pissed this guy is making more per episode than he makes lol...

 

[-Mav-]

How’d you like to be the schlub who passes the online test, survives the in-person tryout, and then gets an invitation to live out a bucket-list dream of appearing on Jeopardy!...only to get bludgeoned $97,261 to $0 by James? [laughing]

 

[GonzoCat90]

How’d you like to be the schlub who passes the online test, survives the in-person tryout, and then gets an invitation to live out a bucket-list dream of appearing on Jeopardy!...only to get bludgeoned $97,261 to $0 by James? [laughing]

I've been laughing nearly the entire episode for two weeks. I can't even focus on trying to answer the questions myself because I'm watching the other contestants mash their buzzers in frustration and smile dimwittedly as their dream evaporates on national television.

The filming schedule for the show makes it really interesting too. I wonder at what point we start seeing people who have planned/practiced to beat him?

If someone can manage to get control of the board and just find the daily doubles, they can punt on those and give themselves a chance. That's the entire key to his totals, and from a professional gambler it makes sense. Nowhere else is going to give you that kind of payout on that kind of odds for something you're actually in control of.

Take away his 20-40k bumps in daily doubles and make him play you in final jeopardy. I don't think someone can play his way and beat him. He either has to bet big and miss twice, or someone is going to have to be first to the daily doubles.

 

[rick64]

Dude is extremely smart, plus goes for the high dollar clues first to pad his lead quickly and controls the board. Then very aggressive when he hits the daily double, and gets most of them right.

 

[Ryan Lemonds Hair]

Celebrity Jeopardy is better. I mean where else can contestants change their name to Turd Ferguson? :joy:

 

[CatOfDaVille]

The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if they don't do this occasionally for ratings. A weird guy like him draws people in, the money totals are fascinating, the style of play is unique--what's to stop Jeopardy from letting him see the board ahead of time?

All it takes is a small edge when a guy is that good. These long streaks are ratings gold for the show.

This. I've DVRed Jeopardy for the first time ever simply to watch this dude. The producers of the show know it too.

Somebody like this pops up every couple of years. Jennings, the Asian guy from a couple of years ago that played weird and irritated everyone, and now this guy.

 

[BlueVelvetFog]

Still not as bad as the *** socket who underbids contestant row by a dollar.

 

[Rebelfreedomeagle]

Still not as bad as the *** socket who underbids contestant row by a dollar.

I would like to go to a taping because my grandma loved the show and we often watched it together during visits. I swear that, if I can get on and someone does that to me, that I will kill them in a manner so savage that Drew vomits. Grandma would approve.

 

[mhroe1984]

Dude became a millionaire tonight.

 

[kafka0117]

^In what, 13 or 14 shows? He now owns the 6 highest per game totals in Jeopardy history. I think I'm generally a smart guy, but watching that show makes me realize how little I know. European capitals, opera, world geography, Shakespeare, Academy Awards, the theatre, England monarchy? How can someone know so much about everything?

 

[Get Buckets]

^In what, 13 or 14 shows? He now owns the 6 highest per game totals in Jeopardy history. I think I'm generally a smart guy, but watching that show makes me realize how little I know. European capitals, opera, world geography, Shakespeare, Academy Awards, the theatre, England monarchy? How can someone know so much about everything?

I’m sure he has analytics on the most likely categories/answers and focuses his time studying those.

 

[bluthruandthru]

How can someone know so much about everything?

Abstinance

 

[-Mav-]

Can someone please post how much James won today since GDCSMFing WPSD-TV cut in just before final Jeopardy to talk about a GDCSMFing thunderstorm in the armpit of the United States, otherwise known as southern Illinois.

As always, TIA.