Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category Plants & Trees) for Wednesday, December 18, 2019 (Season 36, Episode 73):
One of Britain’s few native evergreen trees, it’s prized for bringing color to winter, & its foliage is often hung in homes
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s contestants:
Dave Algase, an information professional & writer from Saline, Michigan
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Christine Hurt, a law professor from Orem, Utah
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Rodolfo Yuichiro Bedoy, an I.T project manager from New York, New York (1-day total: $18,799)
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(Content continues below)
Correct response: What is holly?
More information about Final Jeopardy:
Ilex aquifolium, best known as the English holly tree, is well-known for having its bright red berries (not safe for human consumption) and dark green prickly leaves. It was originally seen as a fertility symbol and a charm against witches, goblins, and the devil. Its wood also has properties of excellent firewood (burning long and hot). In fact, many sources cite the red and green of holly being the reason for red and green being such important colors during the Christmas season, with the tree’s branches being used to decorate homes or make wreaths.
Since Alex Trebek’s diagnosis of stage 4 pancreatic cancer, many community members have been raising money. The Jeopardy! Fan Online Store is as well! All proceeds from any “Keep The Faith And We’ll Win” shirt sold will be donated to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. To date, over $440 has been raised.)
Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Tonight’s results are below!
Scores going into Final:
Christine $14,178
Rodolfo $11,200
Dave $5,200
Tonight’s results:
Dave $5,200 + $3,018 = $8,218 (1-day total: $8,218) (What is mist holly?)
Rodolfo $11,200 – $11,199 = $1 (What is mistletoe?)
Christine $14,178 – $8,223 = $5,955 (What is fir?)
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Christine $7,520
Dave $2,000
Rodolfo $1,600
Opening break taken after: 14 clues
Daily Double locations:
1) GOOD WHEEL TOWARD MEN $600 (27th pick)
Christine 6600 +920 (Dave 3000 Rodolfo 1600)
2) WORLD HISTORY $1200 (3rd pick)
Christine 9120 -1118 (Dave 2000 Rodolfo 1600)
3) IT’S ASTRONOMICAL $1600 (23rd pick)
Christine 9202 -624 (Rodolfo 11200 Dave 6400)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: -5
Unplayed clues:
J! round: None!
DJ! round: WORLD HISTORY $400; IT’S ASTRONOMICAL $2000
Total $ Left On Board: $2,400
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 113 (1.55 per episode average), 1 Daily Double
Game Stats:
Dave $5,200 Coryat, 12 correct, 3 incorrect, 25.45% in first on buzzer, 0/1 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
Christine $15,600 Coryat, 19 correct, 3 incorrect, 27.27% in first on buzzer, 4/4 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
Rodolfo $11,200 Coryat, 17 correct, 3 incorrect, 36.36% in first on buzzer, 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $32,000
Lach Trash: $10,800 (on 8 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $8,800
Rodolfo Yuichiro Bedoy, final stats:
38 correct, 6 incorrect
1/1 on rebound attempts (on 8 rebound opportunities)
36.04% in first on buzzer (40/111)
1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $3,000)
1/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $11,400
Dave Algase, stats to date:
13 correct, 3 incorrect
0/1 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
25.45% in first on buzzer (14/55)
0/0 on Daily Doubles
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $5,200
Dave Algase, to win:
2 games: 22.782%
3: 5.190%
4: 1.182%
5: 0.269%
6: 0.061%
Avg. streak: 1.295 games.
Andy’s Thoughts:
- Rodolfo’s Final Jeopardy! bet is reasonably sound for a player who might not think their leading opponent will make the standard covering wager. While his read was incorrect in this instance, it’s not unreasonable to think that a player who bet so conservatively on Daily Doubles might also do so in Final Jeopardy. That being said, a player who is going to bet outside of multiples of $100 is probably going to be above-average in the math department.
- Dave is only the second player this season to win a regular-play game after entering Final Jeopardy! in third place; Alex Damisch on December 2 was the other. Prior to Alex, it was Dave Scatena on March 22.
- As someone who likes to get an “I didn’t know that, but that sure is interesting” reaction out of clues, I found today’s Final Jeopardy! to be on the more boring side. I feel like the writers missed the mark on that front today and tried too hard to get a holiday tie-in.
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Dave has a 22.782% chance to win a 2nd game – is this some kind of record low? Just curious.
I got it instantly. Knew the British carol about the holly and the ivy, and had a holly tree climbing over a pump house in the backyard of my childhood home.
I love when fans have personal stories about knowing the final clue, especially fond childhood memories.
The fact that 2 of the 3 finalists got this wrong indicates this was not quite the dead giveaway you might have expected. As Andy says the question is easy when you know the answer!
Guess my answer, the English yew, was not correct but it is an evergreen, has red berries, and has been used for Christmas trees,esp in Germany where it was reportedly the first Christmas tree.
No Jeopardy on here in Raleigh due to Impeachment hearings.I am not sure if WTVD will air it overnight
If they don’t air it, you can see the clues and answers on Jeopardy Archive.
The same thing happened on WBZ-TV in Boston as well as most of the other CBS stations due to the hearings.
Does anyone want to tell me what time will WBZ air tonight’s episode?
Your best option is to contact WBZ (in spite of their program director’s past open disdain towards Jeopardy! fans).
Didn’t it air during the early morning hours on WBZ?
I have no idea; I don’t live in the Boston area in order to check.
Did the judges dock Rodolfo after the round for his answer of “sherbert” instead of “sherbet”? Maybe I missed it. That’s like saying “nuculer” instead of “nuclear”! 🙂
Jamie: You are incorrect. It is not the same. It is an alternative pronunciation that was accepted in this instance because there were no further stipulations limiting the response.
https://thejeopardyfan.com/2019/12/throwbackthursday-sherbert-revisited.html
As an octogenarian, the answer was instantaneous. I am saddened when the richness of the world’s authors and traditions seem eclipsed by the pace of frenetic data, lessening of shared knowledge, joy, friendships of the spirit and awareness of nature.
Missed it because of preempting! All I ask for is one hour each evening of TV. Sadly our CBS affiliate thinks “Wheel” and “Jeopardy!” are unimportant
TV stations jeopardize having their broadcast license revoked if they fail to broadcast items that are generally seen to be in the public interest; the impeachment of the President definitely falls under that.
Same boat here in SW Florida.
It was preempted here in Michigan also. All day preemptions were for the extremely boring exchanges re impeachment, but here also by Trump’s arrival in Battle Creek for a big rally. He arrived late and talked for two hours. Very costly for the city, lots of protesters outside in low temperatures (teens).