Today’s Final Jeopardy – Monday, January 2, 2023

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Current Champion

Matthew Riggle, career statistics:
47 correct, 6 incorrect
1/1 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
41.23% in first on buzzer (47/114)
3/3 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $7,600)
1/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $21,300

To win:
3 games: 68.027%
4: 46.277%
5: 31.481%
6: 21.415%
7: 14.568%
Avg. streak: 4.128 games.
(Next game: September 14)
(Click Here for Methodology)

Upcoming Encore Presentations

August 12: S42 E98 (January 21, 2026)
August 13: S42 E99 (January 22, 2026)
August 14: S42 E100 (January 23, 2026)
August 15-16: S41 E141 (March 24, 2025)
August 17: S42 E101 (January 26, 2026)
August 18: S42 E105 (January 30, 2026)
August 19: S42 E102 (January 27, 2026)
August 20: S42 E103 (January 28, 2026)
August 21: S42 E104 (January 29, 2026)
August 22-23: S41 E142 (March 25, 2025)
August 24: S42 E106 (February 2, 2026)
August 25: S42 E107 (February 3, 2026)
August 26: S42 E108 (February 4, 2026)
August 27: S42 E109 (February 5, 2026)
August 28: S42 E110 (February 6, 2026)
August 29-30: S41 E143 (March 26, 2025)
(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 $1,098,403
7. Mattea Roach $897,983
8. Jamie Ding $885,605
9. David Madden $785,733
10. Victoria Groce $773,801
11. Cris Pannullo $754,286
12. Roger Craig $706,200
13. Larissa Kelly $671,930
14. Matt Jackson $623,612
15. Jason Zuffranieri $549,496
16. Andrew He $534,365
17. Scott Riccardi $533,000
18. Jerome Vered $499,102
19. Julia Collins $495,767
20. Austin Rogers $493,000
21. Ben Ingram $449,201
22. Paolo Pasco $448,717
23. Adriana Harmeyer $446,600
24. Buzzy Cohen $441,603
25. Juveria Zaheer $441,000

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Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category Historic Crimes) for Monday, January 2, 2023 (Season 39, Game 81):

Saying it was stolen by Napoleon, self-styled Italian patriot Vincenzo Peruggia took it in 1911

(correct response beneath the contestants)

Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:

Chris Blair, a development operations manager from Newbury Park, California

Denise Carlon, an attorney from Seaside Heights, New Jersey

Ray Lalonde, a scenic artist from Toronto, Ontario, Canada (12-day total: $354,300)

Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:

Welcome to 2023! Ken Jennings still hosts—he still has quite a few weeks left hosting this season—and Ray Lalonde is still champion! There’s been a bit of a break for Ray since his first twelve games; it will be interesting to see how much the layoff hurts (or even potentially helps) his game. That being said, I’m sure this week’s challengers will both have been thrilled not to see Cris Pannullo and worried when Ray was introduced to them as a 12-day champion at the beginning of the taping day. Today’s challengers are Denise Carlon and Chris Blair, who hope to be in the perfect position to take advantage of any potential rustiness that Ray might have.

Back to the “Welcome to 2023!” bit. I’d like to make a couple of Jeopardy!-related predictions for the year:

1. I predict that at least one 3-time champion will make this fall’s Tournament of Champions field, in order to fill the field to a reasonable number;
2. At some point in 2023, Reddit will collectively lose their mind about an upcoming contestant, anoint that contestant as the next super-champion without that contestant even having played a game, and then be wrong about that contestant reaching super-champion status.

PSA: The best way to keep COVID-19 at bay (and keep Jeopardy! producing new episodes) is for everybody to get their vaccinations as soon as they can, including any boosters as recommended. When wearing a mask, please ensure that your mask covers both your nose and your mouth.

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Correct response: What is the Mona Lisa?

More information about Final Jeopardy:

(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2023 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)

Interestingly, the Mona Lisa wasn’t all that famous of a painting—it was well-regarded by French art critics, but certainly not the massive phenomenon it is today—before its 1911 heist. But Peruggia changed all of that overnight. The media firestorm that kicked off when it was realized that the Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece had been stolen instantly catapulted its status. While the thieves had gotten away with stealing the painting, the media circus ruined Peruggia’s hopes of selling it. Peruggia’s 1914 attempt to sell it in Italy led to his arrest and the painting’s return to Paris.

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Game Recap:

Jeopardy! Round:

(Categories: Giving You Some Metals; The Doctor Will See You Now; Let There Be Frogs; Grand Ole Opry Members; 3 Letters, Starts With “A”; History Comes Alive With Erik Larson)

The first 15 clues saw Denise jump out to a lead, but both her and Chris went to the $200 level, leading to Ray regaining control each time. The Daily Double stayed hidden for a long while, and when Denise found it, she only bet $2,000. She did hold a big lead after 30 clues, but would it be big enough for Double Jeopardy?

Statistics at the first break (15 clues):

Denise 5 correct 1 incorrect
Ray 6 correct 1 incorrect
Chris 3 correct 0 incorrect

Statistics after the Jeopardy round:

Denise 13 correct 1 incorrect
Ray 11 correct 2 incorrect
Chris 4 correct 0 incorrect

Double Jeopardy! Round:

(Categories: From The New Testament To The Map; Writers’ Middle Names; State Governors; The Chase; Sacrificial Roles; Friends ‘Til The Ends)

The bad news for Denise: Ray found both Daily Doubles. The good news for Denise: Ray missed both Daily Doubles. However, the 24 clues in between saw Ray dominate, picking up 8 clues in a row at one point. Ray got clue 28, 29, and bet small on the Clue 30 Daily Double to keep the lead going into Final. Scores going into Final were Ray at $16,100, Denise at $16,000, and Chris at $8,200.

Statistics after Double Jeopardy:

Ray 25 correct 4 incorrect
Denise 20 correct 2 incorrect
Chris 10 correct 0 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 12 (0 today).

The fact that Ray kept the lead was crucial—both Ray and Denise got Final, and Ray bet big to become a 13-day champion!

Tonight’s Game Stats:

Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Monday, January 2, 2023 Jeopardy! by the numbers:

Scores going into Final:

Ray $16,100
Denise $16,000
Chris $8,200

Tonight’s results:

Chris $8,200 – $0 = $8,200 (What is The shroud of turin)
Denise $16,000 + $16,000 = $32,000 (What is the Mona Lisa?)
Ray $16,100 + $16,000 = $32,100 (What is the Mona Lisa?) (13-day total: $386,400)

Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:

Denise $8,800
Ray $3,800
Chris $3,000

Opening break taken after: 15 clues

Daily Double locations:

1) GIVING YOU SOME METALS $400 (clue #25)
Denise 5800 +2000 (Ray 3400 Chris 2200)
2) FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT TO THE MAP $1200 (clue #5)
Ray 5000 -4000 (Denise 10800 Chris 3000)
3) FRIENDS ‘TIL THE ENDS $2000 (clue #30, $0 left on board)
Ray 17400 -1300 (Denise 16000 Chris 8200)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: -53

Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:

J! Round:
Ray 5 5 4 5 4 5 4 3 3 2 5
Denise 4 3 1 1 5 2 3 1 2 2 2*
Chris 3 1 4

DJ! Round:
Ray 5 4 3* 5 4 3 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 4 5*
Denise 1 2 1 3 5 1 2
Chris 2 1 2 1 2 4 3

Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:

Ray 3.89
Denise 2.28
Chris 2.30

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 $21,400 Coryat, 25 correct, 4 incorrect, 47.37% in first on buzzer (27/57), 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
Denise $14,400 Coryat, 20 correct, 2 incorrect, 35.09% in first on buzzer (20/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
Chris $8,200 Coryat, 10 correct, 0 incorrect, 14.04% in first on buzzer (8/57), 2/2 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $44,000
Lach Trash: $3,000 (on 3 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $7,000

Ray Lalonde, career statistics:

331 correct, 37 incorrect
24/27 on rebound attempts (on 46 rebound opportunities)
41.70% in first on buzzer (309/741)
16/19 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $39,800)
11/13 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $20,338

Denise Carlon, career statistics:

21 correct, 2 incorrect
1/1 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
35.09% in first on buzzer (20/57)
1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $2,000)
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $14,400

Chris Blair, career statistics:

10 correct, 1 incorrect
2/2 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
14.04% in first on buzzer (8/57)
0/0 on Daily Doubles
0/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $8,200

Ray Lalonde, to win:

14 games: 78.706%
15: 61.946%
16: 48.755%
17: 38.373%
18: 30.201%
Avg. streak: 16.696 games.

Today’s interviews:

Chris survived a brain tumor.
Denise picked her wedding venue based on charcuterie in a canoe.
Ray spent time at a museum in the Paris sewer.

Andy’s Thoughts:

• I hate to say it, but Denise needed to play more aggressively than she did in order to take Ray down; going to the top row and conservative Daily Double betting leaves you open to be overtaken at the end, just as she was.
• Ray is now tied with Jonathan Fisher for 28th all-time in terms of the number of correct responses given on the show (331).

• Today’s box score: January 2, 2023 Box Score.

Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:

(Scores: Ray $16,100 Denise $16,000 Chris $8,200)

Ray: Standard cover bet over Denise is $15,901. (Actual bet: $16,000)

Denise: Bet at least $401 to cover Chris. I subscribe to the maxim “bet as little as possible”, but $7,799 is probably a safe upper bound. (Actual bet: $16,000)

Chris: Just in case Denise bets small, you should bet between $7,401 and $7,999. (Actual bet: $0)

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