We’re now into the first-ever Champions Wildcard competition. In this competition, players have been placed into groups of 27 players. They’ll play 9 quarterfinals, 3 semifinals, and a 2-game total-point final, with the winner of each group qualifying for the next Tournament of Champions.
Monday, October 2, 2023:
| Burt Thakur Palm Springs, California  29 correct, 8 incorrect 0/2 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities) 26.55% in first on buzzer (30/113) 3/3 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $7,000) 1/2 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $9,400Burt went viral in his original appearance due to his interview topic about how Alex Trebek taught him English, a virality compounded by Trebek’s death less than a week afterward. However, this return is not without controversy: questions arose this week regarding whether Burt, who is gearing up for another run in a Republican Congressional primary, should have been allowed to participate in this event, as FCC guidelines do still exist surrounding political candidates and the airwaves. A statement provided by Jeopardy! to The Jeopardy! Fan stated, “Burt Thakur’s participation is within the parameters of the official rules of the show.” I have reached out to local political reporters in the district where Burt is running for assistance in interpreting Texas electoral regulations and how they relate to the FCC guidelines. I will provide updates if that is received. |
| Emily Seaman Hoy Houston, Texas  35 correct, 4 incorrect 3/5 on rebound attempts (on 11 rebound opportunities) 28.07% in first on buzzer (32/114) 1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $2,000) 0/2 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $11,800Emily was a 1-day champion from the Dr. Oz era of hosting—she was one of the contestants in the “Antidisestablishmentarianism” game, where reports were that Oz had significant difficulty pronouncing that word and required multiple takes. |
| Dane Reighard Los Angeles, California  67 correct, 9 incorrect 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 10 rebound opportunities) 39.77% in first on buzzer (68/171) 3/4 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $17,800) 2/3 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $15,867Dane was a 2-day champion, but was the victim of scheduling; his third game was Andrew He’s debut. In one of the most hotly contested games of all time, Dane had a non-winning score of $51,999 in his losing appearance. |
Overall Thoughts: Dane has to be considered the favorite here by any metric; considering the statistics going in, it would be an upset if Dane wasn’t at least a semifinalist in this event.
Tuesday, October 3, 2023:
| Lawrence Long East Bend, North Carolina  77 correct, 13 incorrect 6/7 on rebound attempts (on 17 rebound opportunities) 32.00% in first on buzzer (72/225) 4/7 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $3,600) 4/4 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $13,000Lawrence, one of the favorite players of show fashion connoisseur Lilly, returns to this competition as a 3-day champion, who also got a lot of social media attention in his initial appearance for being introduced as a stay-at-home uncle. |
| Katrina Hill Alexandria, Virginia  36 correct, 2 incorrect 2/2 on rebound attempts (on 8 rebound opportunities) 28.95% in first on buzzer (33/114) 1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $2,000) 2/2 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $16,000Having lost in the Season 38 finale to Luigi de Guzman, Katrina is the most recent contestant eligible for this event. |
| Greg Marrero Huntington Beach, California  47 correct, 7 incorrect 3/3 on rebound attempts (on 13 rebound opportunities) 26.83% in first on buzzer (44/164) 3/4 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $4,200) 3/3 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $11,800Greg was a 2-day champion from the week following Alex Trebek’s death in November 2020. One thing to remember: Greg has a history of not making the cover bet from the lead. |
Overall Thoughts: I would say Lawrence is the favorite here based on having more initial victories; however, this is a game where anything could happen. It should be noted that Katrina did lose to a very strong player, so her statistics may be misleading at this point.
Wednesday, October 4, 2023:
| Evan Roberts Louisville, Kentucky  33 correct, 3 incorrect 2/2 on rebound attempts (on 12 rebound opportunities) 26.32% in first on buzzer (30/114) 2/2 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $7,000) 1/2 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $12,700Evan was a “giant killer” in his only victory, taking down Tournament of Champions player Jackie Kelly before finishing second in his title defense. |
| Kendra Blanchette Elk Grove, California  63 correct, 7 incorrect 9/10 on rebound attempts (on 19 rebound opportunities) 31.58% in first on buzzer (54/171) 2/3 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $3,000) 1/3 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $16,000Kendra won two games in December 2020 before being defeated by a poor Final Jeopardy wager. One thing that will interest me about these returning-contestant competitions: I wonder if players who made less-than-ideal strategic decisions decided to shore up that part of their game in preparing for a return appearance. |
| John Bussard Ringoes, New Jersey  58 correct, 2 incorrect 5/5 on rebound attempts (on 8 rebound opportunities) 42.98% in first on buzzer (49/114) 3/4 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $3,400) 1/2 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $24,300John lost to ToCer Andy Wood after winning just one game. As you can tell by his average Coryat, John is a very strong player. |
Overall Thoughts: Just on stats alone, John has to be considered the favorite in this one.
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Thursday, October 5, 2023:
| Brendan Sargent Worcester, Massachusetts  50 correct, 12 incorrect 3/3 on rebound attempts (on 6 rebound opportunities) 48.65% in first on buzzer (54/111) 0/3 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: -$11,000) 0/2 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $18,200The betting clues definitely didn’t go Brendan’s way in his initial appearance. He was very strong on the buzzer and had a strong Coryat. If the Daily Doubles turn around for him, he could make some noise in this competition. |
| Amanda Ganske Austin, Texas  79 correct, 12 incorrect 7/7 on rebound attempts (on 9 rebound opportunities) 34.65% in first on buzzer (79/228) 0/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: -$1,000) 3/4 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $13,650Amanda won three games in late Season 37; Mayim Bialik was one of Amanda’s hosts! |
| Joe Feldmann Bethesda, Maryland  60 correct, 9 incorrect 4/5 on rebound attempts (on 12 rebound opportunities) 34.91% in first on buzzer (59/169) 1/2 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $1,000) 2/3 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $12,933Joe was a 2-day champion in June 2022 before losing a close game that saw all three players bet fearfully over a Final Jeopardy category. |
Overall Thoughts: If the Daily Doubles break anywhere close to Brendan’s way, he’ll take this one. If not, though, it’s anybody’s game.
Friday, October 6, 2023:
| Daniel Nguyen San Jose, California  60 correct, 8 incorrect 4/4 on rebound attempts (on 15 rebound opportunities) 32.94% in first on buzzer (56/170) 3/5 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $5,200) 1/3 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $15,800In May 2022, Daniel won twice and was a strong enough player to hold a lead against superchampion Ryan Long going into Final Jeopardy. |
| Matt Glassman Los Angeles, California  39 correct, 7 incorrect 2/3 on rebound attempts (on 12 rebound opportunities) 36.04% in first on buzzer (40/111) 0/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: -$2,500) 1/2 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $12,700Matt won once in March 2022 before losing on a World War I Final. |
| Jamie Logan Augusta, Maine  70 correct, 9 incorrect 5/5 on rebound attempts (on 8 rebound opportunities) 38.69% in first on buzzer (65/168) 5/6 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $8,200) 1/3 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $17,133Jamie won twice in May 2021, winning over $50,000 before losing on a Shakespeare Final. |
Overall Thoughts: I’m expecting a very closely contested game here; all three players can win, though I think the most likely outcome is a close battle between Daniel and Jamie.
Monday, October 9, 2023:
| Phil Hoffman Mountain Lakes, New Jersey  47 correct, 12 incorrect 5/6 on rebound attempts (on 15 rebound opportunities) 27.22% in first on buzzer (46/169) 2/4 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $500) 2/3 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $11,133Phil took a pair of come-from-behind victories in February 2021 before being defeated by his own over-wager in Final Jeopardy. I definitely have similar thoughts to my ones on Kendra above—did Phil brush up on betting strategy? |
| Camron Conners Rancho Santa Margarita, California  32 correct, 9 incorrect 3/4 on rebound attempts (on 7 rebound opportunities) 28.83% in first on buzzer (32/111) 2/3 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $6,200) 0/2 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $11,400Camron won once before finishing in a distant third in his second game. You may have heard who beat Camron, though: Mattea Roach. |
| Lucy Ricketts Atlanta, Georgia  94 correct, 13 incorrect 8/10 on rebound attempts (on 19 rebound opportunities) 38.39% in first on buzzer (86/224) 6/7 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $19,000) 1/4 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $20,300 Lucy, who ended up as third alternate attending the 2022 Tournament of Champions, gets to play again on the Alex Trebek Stage as a 3-time champion. |
Overall Thoughts: I would say that based on numbers alone, Lucy is very likely the strongest of the three players in this game, and certainly has a good chance of making the final.
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Tuesday, October 10, 2023:
| Morgan Briles Norman, Oklahoma  57 correct, 4 incorrect 2/4 on rebound attempts (on 11 rebound opportunities) 30.36% in first on buzzer (51/168) 3/3 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $5,000) 3/3 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $13,067Morgan was a 2-day champion before she lost in the same game as Jilana Cotter. Jilana just advanced through Second Chance; I’d say that this might be good for Morgan’s chances. |
| Joe Velasco La Mirada, California  35 correct, 6 incorrect 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities) 32.73% in first on buzzer (36/110) 2/3 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $3,500) 1/2 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $11,700Joe won one game in the very first week back in 2020 after COVID halted production. I’m sure Joe will be pleased to be getting a more “normal” experience. |
| Robert Kaine Los Angeles, California  46 correct, 7 incorrect 5/5 on rebound attempts (on 9 rebound opportunities) 36.04% in first on buzzer (40/111) 2/6 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: -$7,000) 1/2 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $16,900Robert’s another early Season 37 player who, as you can see, had an unfortunate time with the Daily Doubles in his initial appearance. |
Overall Thoughts: If Robert has a better time with the Daily Doubles, I could see him winning this. If not, though, I do believe that Morgan is a strong player who lost due to equally strong opposition and could absolutely take a win in this competition.
Wednesday, October 11, 2023:
| Sam Stapleton Los Gatos, California  60 correct, 4 incorrect 2/2 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities) 30.41% in first on buzzer (52/171) 6/7 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $15,000) 1/3 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $17,400Sam was a 2-game champion who lost to Aaron Craig on a movie Final. |
| Robert Won Washington, D.C.  48 correct, 4 incorrect 4/4 on rebound attempts (on 7 rebound opportunities) 36.84% in first on buzzer (42/114) 3/4 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $11,500) 1/2 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $20,000Robert is a very strong player, with 1 victory under his belt, and an unfortunate loss from a strong position in game #2. |
| Karla Fossett Saco, Maine  33 correct, 5 incorrect 2/3 on rebound attempts (on 7 rebound opportunities) 26.32% in first on buzzer (30/114) 2/3 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: -$1,000) 0/2 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $14,000Karla was a 1-day champion from late July 2022. |
Overall Thoughts: I think Robert has the best overall stats in this one and certainly has the potential to make a strong run in this competition.
Thursday, October 12, 2023:
| Steve Clarke Chesapeake, Virginia  73 correct, 15 incorrect 6/8 on rebound attempts (on 12 rebound opportunities) 42.11% in first on buzzer (72/171) 5/5 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $12,500) 1/3 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $15,200Steve was a 2-day champion before losing to Emily Fiasco; I did note that Steve’s wagering skills were strong in his initial run. |
| Valerie Castelo San Leandro, California  32 correct, 2 incorrect 4/4 on rebound attempts (on 9 rebound opportunities) 25.23% in first on buzzer (27/107) 1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $3,000) 2/2 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $12,900Valerie had a very strong first appearance on the show, but her second game saw her get defeated by the late Brayden Smith. |
| Josh Saak Boise, Idaho  95 correct, 14 incorrect 3/4 on rebound attempts (on 16 rebound opportunities) 41.41% in first on buzzer (94/227) 6/7 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $19,600) 3/4 in Final Jeopardy Average Coryat: $18,350Josh was the single player in this entire event that people wanted to see return; Josh was a 3-day champion before being just $400 behind Matt Amodio going into Final in game #4. (Imagine how Jeopardy! history looks now if Josh had won that game.) |
Overall Thoughts: Josh has to be the clear favorite in this one; any player who can come close to beating Matt Amodio is probably incredibly strong at this game.
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I went 3-for-12 in predictions for the Second Chance tournaments, but I still feel like making predictions, so I’m still gonna make predictions!
Match 1: Dane – I don’t think this is too debatable. Dane very likely could’ve made ToC had he not had the horrible luck of facing Andrew He in game #3. If he keeps his aggressiveness (side note: his $13,800 TDD was the third-largest bet in the entirety of Season 38), he’s definitely making the semifinals at the very least. And hey, his betting strategy in Final – whatever that is – might serve him well if a clue is really easy or stupidly difficult!
Match 2: Lawrence – Once again, I think this is going to come down to aggressiveness. Lawrence is the most aggressive of the three, and you even noted in his third game that the game came down to Daily Double bets. I’d say I’d be surprised if the Daily Doubles screwed him over two games in a row, but after watching that exact thing happen to Barb last week, I’m not holding my breath.
Match 3: John – I’m gonna let his stats speak for themselves here. I’d probably even go as far as saying he’s the favorite to advance to the ToC. (And to be fair to John, he’d have easily locked up game 2 had it not been for Andy getting $13,000 on the DJ! Daily Doubles!)
Match 4: Brendan – While his Daily Double and Final Jeopardy stats are working against him, I do think his buzzer timing will be the saving grace that allows him to advance. I can see this match going either way, but I think Brendan is a very weak favorite.
Match 5: Jamie – Despite Daniel being strong enough to hold a lead against Ryan Long going into Final, I do think Jamie has the best chances overall, mainly due to buzzer timing and Daily Double success. Once again, while I wouldn’t be surprised if Daniel takes the match, I think Jamie is a weak favorite.
Match 6: Lucy – Given how strong of a player Lucy was in her initial run, I think it’s safe to call her a favorite here. I think another advantage to this tournament is that she’ll only have to play one game at a time, rather than multiple in a row, since she definitely seemed to tire as the week went on.
Match 7: Morgan – While Robert K. might have the best stats on paper, I think Morgan played very well against some tough competition in her initial run. Especially in her last game – against players as strong as Jilana and Nick Cascone, putting up a five-figure Coryat is no mean feat.
Match 8 – This is the only one where the margins are so close that I don’t actually have a good idea as to who’d come out on top. Robert W. is stronger on the buzzer and on Daily Doubles, and Sam is better at STAYing CLAM, only having made one unforced error in three games. This is one that I’d have to watch to determine the ultimate outcome.
Match 9: Josh – I mean, the guy was within $500 of MATT AMODIO HIMSELF going into Final. The only thing that might pose an obstacle to him is Steve’s being stronger on the buzzer. I’m not sure if he’ll win (especially if he has to face John) but I’d be shocked if he doesn’t at least make the finals.
Let’s see how right or wrong my predictions turn out to be when this airs!
Actually Josh Saak was $400 away from Matt Amodio going into final; Matt had $20,200 and Josh had $19,800.
With all due respect, MasterDoge isn’t wrong—$400 is within $500.
For Joe Feldmann’s losing game it doesn’t seem right to label it as “all three players bet fearfully over a Final Jeopardy category”. Joe and Pete clearly did so because they didn’t think they’d know an answer in that very specific category and they turned out to be correct that they didn’t know it, so their $0 WAS the best bet for them. But Marina (leading going into Final) would have won if she has also bet $0 as she also got it wrong, so that could perhaps be labeled a reckless bet rather than a fearful one (though I do agree with your assessment at the time that her bet was a poor choice).
Spades Predictions:
Game 1 – Dane Reighard
Game 2 – Lawrence Long
Game 3 – John Bussard
Game 4 – Brendan Sargent
Game 5 – Daniel Nguyen
Game 6 – Camron Conners
Game 7 – Morgan Briles
Game 8 – Robert Won
Game 9 – Josh Saak
Is there any way I can track my Celebrity Jeopardy stats on an app tonight?