Warning: This page contains spoilers for the December 30, 2024, 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 Geographic Names) for Monday, December 30, 2024 (Season 41, Game 81):
In 1492 Columbus visited this island that he named for the country whose flag he flew
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Tekla Sauter, a nonprofit strategist from Chicago, Illinois
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Will Yancey, a lecturer of history from Banquete, Texas
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Alex Michev, an attorney from Richmond, Virginia
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Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
Today begins the postseason Road to the 32nd Tournament of Champions with our first week of Second Chance competition. Our first set of returnees are Tekla Sauter, Will Yancey, and Alex Michev; Tekla was the third player in the Drew Basile–Adriana Harmeyer game, Will picked up over $10,000 in the opening round back in September, and Alex had $16,000 in Coryat in the game where strong player David Erb lost. The prediction model slightly favors Tekla; “strength of schedule” has been a surprisingly strong predictive factor the past few years in determining who might be strong players in a return to the show.
As was suggested this weekend over in the preview thread, I will reiterate the following guideline that I have been using to moderate my comment section: Any comments left in a game comment section must be specifically to do with the episode in question. General complaints regarding the show will be summarily removed.
(Content continues below)
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Correct response: What is Hispaniola?
More information about Final Jeopardy:
(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2024 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)
In 1492, most experts believed that Christopher Columbus’s estimates regarding the circumference of the earth were wildly incorrect. However, after Bartolomeu Dias returned to Portugal having successfully rounded the southern tip of Africa, the Spanish decided to fund a Columbus voyage while sailing westward. Presumably, this was because they concluded that had determined that a westward voyage might be a good way for them to lose the crackpot in their midst—Columbus had been given generous terms by the Spanish that led many historians to believe the Spanish crown was not confident in Columbus’s return. Columbus was given three ships and permitted to leave in 1492 once Ferdinand and Isabella’s kingdom had defeated the Moors (the Moops?) at Granada.
Having found what is now one of the Bahamian islands in October, Columbus later found what is now the island of Hispaniola—which was named as such after the Spanish crown.
As someone who generally does well on geography questions, I found this to be a straightforward Final Jeopardy clue.
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Game Recap & Tonight’s Game Stats:
Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Monday, December 30, 2024 Jeopardy! by the numbers, along with a recap:
Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: A Eurocentric Category; Rhyme Time; Transportation; Color My World; Book “Of”; Merman)
Though there were some incorrect responses early, all three players were in a good position after 15 clues. At the interviews, the scores were Will $2,800 Tekla $1,800 Alex $1,600.
Statistics at the first break (15 clues):
Will 5 correct 1 incorrect
Tekla 3 correct 1 incorrect
Alex 5 correct 1 incorrect
Today’s interviews:
Tekla had a watch party at her local pizza place with her book club and family.
Will had a cousin who became a minor celebrity on Reddit after Will’s appearance.
Alex is happy to get a good night’s sleep because he has a six-month old at home.
Alex picked up seven correct in the second half of the found to hold the lead after thirty clues.
Statistics after the Jeopardy round:
Alex 12 correct 2 incorrect
Will 8 correct 2 incorrect
Tekla 4 correct 1 incorrect
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Alex $4,800
Will $3,200
Tekla $2,800
Double Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: Issuing A Cetacean; Art & Artists; Same First & Last Letter; The 13th Century; Thinkers & Their Thoughts; Mood Indi-Go-Go)
Alex started well in this round, but Will charged into the lead after picking up Daily Doubles on back-to-back clues. A close battle between Alex and Will broke in Will’s favor late as he led going into Final Jeopardy.
Statistics after Double Jeopardy:
Will 20 correct 4 incorrect
Alex 20 correct 2 incorrect
Tekla 8 correct 2 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 26 (0 today).
Scores going into Final:
Will $14,800
Alex $12,800
Tekla $5,600
Everyone got Final correct; Will is now a finalist!
Tonight’s results:
Tekla $5,600 + $5,598 = $11,198 (What is Hispaniola?)
Alex $12,800 + $1,500 = $14,300 (What is Hispaniola?)
Will $14,800 + $10,801 = $25,601 (What is Hispañola Hi Coco) (Finalist)
Other Miscellaneous Game Statistics:
Daily Double locations:
1) A EUROCENTRIC CATEGORY $1000 (clue #3)
Will 200 +1000 (Alex 0 Tekla -600)
2) SAME FIRST & LAST LETTER $2000 (clue #5)
Will 4800 +2400 (Alex 7200 Tekla 2800)
3) THE 13th CENTURY $1200 (clue #6, $28800 left on board)
Will 7200 +1200 (Alex 7200 Tekla 2800)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: 167
Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:
J! Round:
Alex 3 4
Will 5*
Tekla
DJ! Round:
Alex 2 3 4
Will 5* 3*
Tekla 1
Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:
Will 4.33
Alex 3.20
Tekla 1.00
Unplayed clues:
J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 26 (0.32 per episode average), 0 Daily Doubles
Game Stats:
Will $14,400 Coryat, 20 correct, 4 incorrect, 33.33% in first on buzzer (19/57), 1/2 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
Alex $12,800 Coryat, 20 correct, 2 incorrect, 36.84% in first on buzzer (21/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
Tekla $5,600 Coryat, 8 correct, 2 incorrect, 17.54% in first on buzzer (10/57), 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $32,800
Lach Trash: $13,000 (on 12 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $8,200
Lead Changes: 7
Times Tied: 7
Player Statistics:
Alex Michev, career statistics:
39 correct, 5 incorrect
2/2 on rebound attempts (on 9 rebound opportunities)
35.09% in first on buzzer (40/114)
0/0 on Daily Doubles
1/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $14,400
Will Yancey, career statistics:
42 correct, 9 incorrect
4/5 on rebound attempts (on 8 rebound opportunities)
34.21% in first on buzzer (39/114)
4/5 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $4,200)
1/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $14,400
Tekla Sauter, career statistics:
23 correct, 2 incorrect
1/1 on rebound attempts (on 10 rebound opportunities)
18.42% in first on buzzer (21/114)
1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $3,000)
2/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $7,600
Andy’s Thoughts:
- Today’s box score will be linked to when posted by the show.
Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:
(Scores: Will $14,800 Alex $12,800 Tekla $5,600)
Alex: Bet no more than $1,599 to keep Tekla locked out. (Actual bet: $1,500)
Will: Cover bet over Alex is $10,801. (Actual bet: $10,801)
Tekla: Bet no more than $1,600 to stay ahead of Will if Will is incorrect in Final (and bets to cover.) (Actual bet: $5,598)
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Was the only guess I had. I’ve been to the Dominican Republic part of the island but not Haiti.
This FJ seems a little too easy for tournament play, but then you never know.
I wrote Española which, when I looked it up, indicated that it should be accepted, as Hispaniola is the anglicized version of the name??
guessing that is how Columbus would have spelled it.
When I first read today’s answer clue, wasn’t totally sure if I understood it, but said (What is) Hispaniola (?). Rereading it here I see that I did read it correctly. It is a straightforward Final Jeopardy if you remeber Columbus, an, Italian sailed under King, and, Queen of Spain’s flag.
“Oh nooooo. I’m so sorry, it’s the Moops. The correct answer is the Moops.” “I’m sorry, the card says ‘Moops.'” Sorry, Bubble Boy, the cards says, “Moops.”
Loved the Seinfeld reference, Andy.
Reading the clue, I was sure this one would be a Triple Get and it was. Glad to see that on what seems to be too easy for tournament play.
An interesting side-note to that Seinfeld episode is that the “Moops” misprint was actually inspired by a real-life incident involving “Jeopardy! The Board Game.” The real-life incident happened to one of the Seinfeld writers while playing “Jeopardy! The Board Game” in 1972 and they incorporated it into the episode. The intersection of “Seinfeld,” “Jeopardy!” and real life.
Agreed and agreed and agreed. I got it right and I’m not really good with most geography clues. However, I did not spell it correctly and not being sure of the pronunciation, wondered if it would be wrong without the last “i”. Luckily that’s how Will spelled it, so now I know I was fine.
I kind of feel like Hispaniola SOUNDS LIKE an area encompassing several islands and/or countries [like maybe even most of the Caribbean], so perhaps the writers felt that way, too, thus making a clue specifying a single island more difficult than this turned out to be.
Yes, Lisa, you are correct about Hispaniola encompassing more than one country. The Island of Hispaniola consists of the two countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Lots of baseball fans are aware of this because so many baseball players come from the DR.
I’m sure I’d known that in the past, from PBS documentaries if not from high school [though possibly not in rural Tennessee], and was reminded earlier by MarkO’s comment, but I was really referring to it seeming like a name that would be applied to a larger area of the Caribbean dominated by Spain for a while, not a single island.
Etna is an active volcano in Europe. Last eruption 2024. Vesuvius is as well last eruption 1944
The clue said “mainland”. Etna is not on the mainland.
Mount Etna is on the island of Sicily, where my grandfather was born. So, as Andy stated, “not on the mainland.”