Today’s Final Jeopardy – Friday, January 22, 2021

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

Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category Statues) for Friday, January 22, 2021 (Season 37, Game 85):

Statues honoring this man who was killed in 1779 can be found in Waimea, Kauai & in Whitby, England

(correct response beneath the contestants)

As I said in my recent editorial, if you’re going to express an opinion about one host or another, I ask that you make thoughtful, reasoned arguments. A lot of your opinions on one host over another are going to be a matter of personal taste. Please also remember that a permanent host will not be named until the start of Season 38.

Today’s contestants:

Jack Weller, a law student from Stanford, California

Maggie Houska, a prospect researcher from Chanhassen, Minnesota

Brian Chang, an attorney from Chicago, Illinois (3-day total: $50,502)

Andy’s Pregame Thoughts: Brian had had three very similar scores in his first three games — the standard deviation in the prediction model is surprisingly low. Two of his games have been runaways. With his scores so far, the chances are that Brian would need two more wins for Tournament of Champions qualification. Will Maggie and Jack be able to dethrone him?

PSA: The best way to keep COVID-19 at bay (and keep Jeopardy! producing new episodes) is for everybody to abide by physical distancing guidelines and when you are not able to do so, properly wear a mask. Ensure that your mask covers both your nose and your mouth.

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Correct response: Who is Captain James Cook?

More information about Final Jeopardy: (The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2020 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)

English explorer Captain James Cook was killed in Hawaii in 1779 while attempting to kidnap Hawaiian monarch Kalaniʻōpuʻu; previously, he had gained acclaim in England for his mapping of many islands in the Pacific. Cook had served an apprenticeship in the Whitby area in the 1740s.

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Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Tonight’s results are below!

Scores going into Final:
Brian $18,800
Jack $18,800
Maggie $10,000

Tonight’s results:
Maggie $10,000 – $10,000 = $0 (Who is Crispus Attucks?)
Jack $18,800 + $18,800 = $37,600 (Who is Captain Cook?)
Brian $18,800 + $18,800 = $37,600 (Who is Cook?) (4-day total: $88,102)

Tiebreaker category: HISTORY

Tiebreaker clue: In October 1961 Stalin’s body was removed from display in this other man’s tomb

Tiebreaker correct response: Who is (Vladimir) Lenin?

Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Brian $6,000
Jack $4,800
Maggie $2,800

Opening break taken after: 15 clues

Daily Double locations:
1) DISASTROUS TEAMS? $1000 (clue #27)
Brian 4800 +1000 (Maggie 2400 Jack 4800)
2) LIT-POURRI $1200 (clue #18)
Jack 7600 +4000 (Brian 13600 Maggie 8000)
3) DUNGEONS & DRAGONS $1200 (clue #21, $12800 left on board)
Jack 13200 +4000 (Brian 13600 Maggie 8000)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: 104

Unplayed clues:
J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 150 (1.76 per episode average), 2 Daily Doubles

Game Stats:
Jack $13,200 Coryat, 15 correct, 1 incorrect, 17.54% in first on buzzer (10/57), 4/4 on rebound attempts (on 6 rebound opportunities)
Brian $18,800 Coryat, 25 correct, 3 incorrect, 47.37% in first on buzzer (27/57), 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
Maggie $10,000 Coryat, 13 correct, 3 incorrect, 28.07% in first on buzzer (16/57), 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $42,000
Lach Trash: $7,000 (on 7 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $5,000

Brian Chang, career statistics:
97 correct, 11 incorrect
2/2 on rebound attempts (on 15 rebound opportunities)
41.96% in first on buzzer (94/224)
6/7 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $4,700)
2/4 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $17,850

Maggie Houska, career statistics:
13 correct, 4 incorrect
0/0 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
28.07% in first on buzzer (16/57)
0/0 on Daily Doubles
0/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $10,000

Jack Weller, career statistics:
16 correct, 1 incorrect
4/4 on rebound attempts (on 6 rebound opportunities)
17.54% in first on buzzer (10/57)
2/2 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $8,000)
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $13,200

Brian Chang, to win:
5 games: 52.262%
6: 27.314%
7: 14.275%
8: 7.460%
9: 3.899%
Avg. streak: 5.095 games.

Andy’s Thoughts:

• This is the third regular-play tiebreaker since the rules were changed in regular play providing for a tiebreaker after a tied Final Jeopardy! in November 2014.
• If you are in third place and the top two players are tied, the absolute worst thing to do is wager everything in Final Jeopardy!; at best, you’re reducing your chances of victory; at worst, you’re going viral.

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