California dreamin’ is becomin’ a reality

Current Champion

Nikolas Polsinelli, career statistics:
44 correct, 6 incorrect
2/2 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
35.96% in first on buzzer (41/114)
4/5 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $10,600)
1/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $17,500

To win:
3 games: 64.111%
4: 41.102%
5: 26.351%
6: 16.894%
7: 10.831%
Avg. streak: 3.786 games.
(Click Here for Methodology)

Upcoming Encore Presentations

September 26-27: S42 E174 (May 7, 2026)
October 3-4: S42 E175 (May 8, 2026)
October 10-11: S42 E176 (May 11, 2026)
(Source: Bell Fibe TV program guide)

All Time Winnings

All Time Jeopardy! Winnings, Regular Play Only:

1. Ken Jennings $2,520,700
2. James Holzhauer $2,462,216
3. Matt Amodio $1,518,601
4. Amy Schneider $1,382,800
5. Jamie Ding $882,605
6. Cris Pannullo $748,286
7. Mattea Roach $560,983
8. Jason Zuffranieri $532,496
9. Scott Riccardi $455,000
10. David Madden $430,400
11. Julia Collins $428,100
12. Matt Jackson $411,612
13. Austin Rogers $411,000
14. Ray Lalonde $386,400
15. Harrison Whitaker $373,999
16. Adriana Harmeyer $349,600
17. Caleb Groen $346,968
18. Adam Remsen $306,415
19. Ryan Long $299,400
20. Arthur Chu $297,200

All Time Jeopardy! Winnings, Including Tournaments (and Consolation Prizes):

1. Brad Rutter $4,968,436
2. Ken Jennings $4,372,700
3. James Holzhauer $3,614,216
4. Matt Amodio $1,964,601
5. Amy Schneider $1,864,800
6. Yogesh Raut $1,598,403
7. Victoria Groce $1,023,801
8. Mattea Roach $897,983
9. Jamie Ding $885,605
10. David Madden $785,733
11. Cris Pannullo $754,286
12. Roger Craig $706,200
13. Andrew He $684,365
14. Larissa Kelly $671,930
15. Matt Jackson $623,612
16. Jason Zuffranieri $549,496
17. Paolo Pasco $548,717
18. Scott Riccardi $533,000
19. Jerome Vered $499,102
20. Julia Collins $495,767
21. Austin Rogers $493,000
22. Juveria Zaheer $491,000
23. Ben Ingram $449,201
24. Adriana Harmeyer $446,600
25. Buzzy Cohen $441,603

ICYMI, I got to attend Jeopardy! tapings in California last week.

But more on that later. And I mean much later – not in this post! (And thanks, Andy, for covering the entire last week for me.)
What I can tell you about now is my second magical night at O’Brien’s pub quiz.
Mark May, who hosted the quiz when I was there the first time, was so welcoming, and props to him for already having a team for me to join. Mark, by the way, is in the Jeopardy! contestant pool. And I learned last week he is originally from Oklahoma and his family’s been there 105 years!
As I was talking to Mark, Stefan Goodreau leaned waaaaayyyy over and waved, so that his head would be right over Mark’s shoulder in the background! (Think photobomb but my eyes were the camera.) I was off to a good start!
No way was I gonna miss asking Stefan to play the Jeopardy! theme like he did in his original run on the show. And he did it for me, on the spot! Maybe next time I’ll ask him to teach me how to do it, especially the hand-clapping part. Stefan, by the way, said Merry Christmas to me as he was leaving, which I thought was so sweet.
I was on a team with Warren Usui, Andrew Jones (who took the Jeopardy! test when Mark did) and a girl named Jasleen. Warren was good enough to help me meet more Jeopardy! types, including Vamsi Adusumilli and Alan Bailey. (Warren said to me, “I was on Jeopardy! in 2003; I don’t know if you knew that.”) Warren was also on The Experts Show, which Alan produces, as was Mark! I got to tell Alan in person how badly I want to be on The Experts Show.
I have to say I was surprised our team came in 7th of 8. At the half, I think we were in second place. Warren seemed to know everything, and I’m proud to say I contributed too (and if I did last time it was very little!) Mark told me about the time there were 15 teams at the quiz. This had appeared in a local magazine…

…and the same week, Mark Labbett, The Beast from The Chase, attended.
I finally got to meet Ryan Chaffee! I also saw Cliff Galiher and Jerome Vered. Michael Rooney was there but I did not speak to him 🙁
Like last time, my name was announced, but this time because I won a raffle prize.

Here is the winning team.

I told Warren (and Andy) I wanted to be on the winning team for the selfish reason that I wanted my picture tweeted!
I was invited after the pub quiz to join like 8 or 10 people at a coffee shop across the street. Apparently this happens every week after the quiz. As I understand it, the week’s hosts, this time Rebecca Ward and Jonathan Dinerstein, talk about the questions and sort of brainstorm for future quizzes. My whole team went, and so did Mark, Jerome and Cliff. Jasleen got me a hot chocolate! Afterward Mark and Warren, gentlemen that they are, saw me to my car.
Who was not there that I thought would be? Hans von Walter. Bill MacDonald. Marty Butterick. And Cat Still. But I was still on cloud nine when I left, and haven’t quite come down yet.