Warning: This page contains spoilers for the December 30, 2022, game of Jeopardy! — please do not scroll down if you wish to avoid being spoiled. Please note that the game airs as early as noon Eastern in some U.S. television markets.
Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category U.S. Bodies of Water) for Friday, December 30, 2022 (Season 39, Game 80):
Continuing a downward trend, in July 2022 it was at 27% capacity, its lowest level since 1937 when it was first being filled
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Isaac Rabbani, a graduate student from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Kristin Jacobsen, a retired Naval officer from Burke, Virginia
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Ray Lalonde, a scenic artist from Toronto, Ontario, Canada (11-day total: $311,500)
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Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
Yesterday on Jeopardy, Ray Lalonde became the 16th player to win at least eleven games, after he survived a big scare—for the first time in his run, he wasn’t leading going into Final! Challengers Isaac Rabbani and Kristin Jacobsen may see Ray as beatable today and take advantage! Interestingly, if Ray makes it through today’s game, it will be his first opportunity to go back to Toronto; Monday’s game taped about three weeks after today’s game did.
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Are you going on the show and looking for information about how to bet in Final Jeopardy? Check out my new Betting Strategy 101 page!
(Content continues below)
Correct response: What is Lake Mead?
More information about Final Jeopardy:
(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2022 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)
Lake Mead, found in Nevada and Arizona, is the reservoir formed when the Hoover Dam was built on the Colorado River in the 1930s. When full, it is the largest reservoir in the United States. However, drought conditions from 2020 through 2022 have caused a severe drop in water levels in the area. A full pool is 1,229 feet of depth; July saw levels nearly 200 feet below that. While levels have risen very slightly since July, there are still grave concerns about the implications on both food and hydroelectric power production in the area if water levels get much lower.
We have many new offerings at The Jeopardy! Fan Online Store! Proceeds from the sale of the “Doctor Oz’s Fast-Acting Snake Oil Elixir” T-shirt are being donated to The Trevor Project:
Game Recap:
Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: The Ageless Diana Ross; U.S. Territories; The Friend Zone; Tree Anatomy; Talk Derby To Me; 4-Letter “X” Rated Words)
While it was Ray who had the best first round—he picked up 15 correct responses—it was Kristin who found the first Daily Double to bring her score closer to Ray’s and Isaac’s.
Statistics at the first break (15 clues):
Ray 8 correct 0 incorrect
Isaac 4 correct 0 incorrect
Kristin 3 correct 1 incorrect
Statistics after the Jeopardy round:
Ray 15 correct 1 incorrect
Isaac 8 correct 0 incorrect
Kristin 7 correct 1 incorrect
Double Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: There’S A Census Excitement In The Air; Alliteration; Shakespeare’S Contemporaries; I Got A “B” In History; The First Feature They Directed; A Memorable New Year’S Eve)
Double Jeopardy! saw fireworks, as Ray and Isaac saw big jumps in their scores due to Daily Doubles. Isaac held the lead for much of the round, but a late charge by Ray saw him eke into the lead going into Final. Scores going into clue #61 were Ray at $22,800, Isaac at $20,100, and Kristin at $10,600.
Statistics after Double Jeopardy:
Ray 24 correct 1 incorrect
Isaac 17 correct 2 incorrect
Kristin 15 correct 1 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 12 (0 today).
Final Jeopardy! was a triple get today—everyone bet big, so Ray’s now a 12-day champion! He’ll see us into 2023 on Monday!
Tonight’s Game Stats:
Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Friday, December 30, 2022 Jeopardy! by the numbers:
Scores going into Final:
Ray $22,800
Isaac $20,100
Kristin $10,600
Tonight’s results:
Kristin $10,600 + $10,600 = $21,200 (What is Lake Meade)
Isaac $20,100 + $19,900 = $40,000 (What is Lake Mead)
Ray $22,800 + $20,000 = $42,800 (What is Lake Mead?) (12-day total: $354,300)
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Ray $8,000
Isaac $5,200
Kristin $3,800
Opening break taken after: 15 clues
Daily Double locations:
1) U.S. TERRITORIES $800 (clue #14)
Kristin 1200 +1000 (Ray 5200 Isaac 3400)
2) I GOT A “B” IN HISTORY $1200 (clue #4)
Ray 10000 +4000 (Kristin 3800 Isaac 7600)
3) ALLITERATION $1600 (clue #7, $26000 left on board)
Isaac 9200 +6500 (Ray 15200 Kristin 3800)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: 194
Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:
J! Round:
Ray 3 4 4 4 5 3 3 3
Kristin 5 4*
Isaac 5 5 4 5
DJ! Round:
Ray 3* 3 4
Kristin 2
Isaac 4 5 4*
Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:
Ray 3.55
Isaac 4.57
Kristin 3.67
Unplayed clues:
J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 12 (0.15 per episode average), 0 Daily Doubles
Game Stats:
Ray $20,000 Coryat, 24 correct, 1 incorrect, 40.35% in first on buzzer (23/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
Isaac $15,200 Coryat, 17 correct, 2 incorrect, 31.58% in first on buzzer (18/57), 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
Kristin $10,400 Coryat, 15 correct, 1 incorrect, 21.05% in first on buzzer (12/57), 3/3 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $45,600
Lach Trash: $5,200 (on 4 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $3,200
Ray Lalonde, career statistics:
305 correct, 33 incorrect
24/27 on rebound attempts (on 44 rebound opportunities)
41.23% in first on buzzer (282/684)
16/17 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $45,100)
10/12 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $20,250
Kristin Jacobsen, career statistics:
16 correct, 1 incorrect
3/3 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
21.05% in first on buzzer (12/57)
1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $1,000)
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $10,400
Isaac Rabbani, career statistics:
18 correct, 2 incorrect
0/0 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
31.58% in first on buzzer (18/57)
1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $6,500)
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $15,200
Ray Lalonde, to win:
13 games: 80.512%
14: 64.822%
15: 52.189%
16: 42.019%
17: 33.830%
Avg. streak: 16.131 games.
Today’s interviews:
Isaac threw a roast for himself for his 24th birthday party.
Kristin served in the Navy for 27 years.
Ray was at the Toronto auditions in 2017 when Alex Trebek stopped by. (I don’t think Ray was in any of the photos.)
Andy’s Thoughts:
- Ray moves to 23rd place in all-time winnings, including tournaments. Arthur Chu is 22nd at $397,200.
- Ray becomes the 34th confirmed player with at least 300 correct responses on the show.
- Today’s box score: December 30, 2022 Box Score.
Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:
(Scores: Ray $22,800 Isaac $20,100 Kristin $10,600)
Ray: Standard cover bet over Isaac is $17,401. (Actual bet: $20,000)
Kristin: You can’t bet to pass Isaac’s minimum while also winning the Triple Stumper over Ray, so you might as well go all in and hope for the best.(Actual bet: $10,600)
Isaac: Standard cover bet over Kristin is $1,101. It’s probably worth trying to keep your bet as small as possible, just in case Kristin decides to bet small herself. (Actual bet: $19,900)
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I’ve been to Lake Mead and Hoover Dam twice: 1959 and 1992. I also read a book on the history of Hoover Dam.
I knew this one right away – but took me a second to remember what is the name of the lake that Hoover Dam created. Afraid if I’d been under the pressure of really being on the show I may have had brain freeze and just said ‘Hoover Dam Lake’.
I would just like to comment on (and echo) Andy’s comment yesterday about what people have been saying about Ray’s swaying. It’s not just about Ray that I read stupid comments (mostly on Yahoo. I should learn never to read comments there because they always irritate me). I’ve read where people misgender Amy, among other anti-LGBTQ statements. It’s amazing these kind of people even watch the show. I’m surprised they even graduated from high school. The level of intolerance in this country is just beyond belief. OK. I’m done with my tirade.
Steve:
I’ve edited your comments slightly in order to dial back on the quoted speech; I’d rather not take chances on a computer lacking the context behind what’s being said and taking action against the site.
I share your sentiments completely. I find that in many corners of the Internet, the gap in attitude and the mores between the participants in the forums and today’s competitors is enormous now. Some of them cannot stand it and get some “satisfaction” from being “provocative” trolls.
This was an easy one for me.
This is a nice clue. Lake Powell is at a similar level of capacity and is a potential distractor, but the year pins it to the Hoover Dam.
EXACTLY! I expected the ‘Triple Get’ even though none of the contestants are from the American West.
This was an easy one for me. I became interested in Lake Mead 30 years ago in 1993 when I visited Las Vegas and drove my rental car to Lake Mead. I even swam in it. Very sad what is currently happening to the lake. Hopefully the situation improves.
I knew it had to be related to the Hoover Dam, but my geography skills failed me. I had visited Hoover Dam when I was little, along with the Great Salt Lake, Lake Mead, and Lake Powell all on the same trip. My memory from when I was 7 failed me, and assumed that the Great Salt Lake was associated with the Hoover Dam. I blame my 7 year old self for not paying better attention lol.
I don’t think you could expect a 7 year old to pay more attention. I’m betting it was your older self not paying enough attention to geography lessons because you felt like you already knew about those places “personally” 😉.
P.S. How salty lakes form [evaporation] is completely different from lakes formed by dams that produce hydroelectric power, so while still wrong, Lake Powell would have made more sense.
This is an easy one for me as i knew lake mead since it was related to the Hoover dam. Thinking of going there hopefully. Happy to see a triple solve today.
This is one of those games that really makes me wish that the co-champions system was still in effect. What a game today!
re;Isaac – I think he’s probably a shoo-in for a Second Chance Tournament slot, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!
re;Ray – I don’t know how Ray consistently looks like he’s in danger of losing and then manages to sneak away with a win, but it’s genuinely awesome to watch. Here’s hoping he gets to Mayim’s stint as host! (At least assuming Mayim starts hosting on January 16, like it was speculated.)
Three five-digit scores after double Jeopardy two days in a row – the year had been great and is ending on a high note.
Dang 🙁 I figured it was the reservoir lake for the Hoover Dam, but I could not pull the name out of my memory. A poor end to the month and calendar year, but I’ll try to regroup next week!
Current FJ streak: 1L
December record: 13-9
Another game in which we have what looks like a good candidate (Isaac) for a Second Chance Tournament. It seems like every week, we have at least 2 or 3 candidates for Second Chance. The quality of play and the players have been excellent recently. There are so many potential candidates, it looks like some worthy players may have to be left out or there will be a huge field for a Second Chance Tournament.
As for FJ, pretty easy since I recalled reading about this earlier in the year and had a memorable trip to Lake Mead/Hoover Dam 50 years ago. For me, that was more interesting than the casinos at the time.