Warning: This page contains spoilers for the January 17, 2025, 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 Historic Statements) for Friday, January 17, 2025 (Season 41, Game 95):
He wrote of his intent “to reserve & throw away my first fire, & I have thoughts even of reserving my second fire”
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Will Weiss, a technical program manager from Islip, New York
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Marko Saric, a math professor from Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Adam Hersh, a lawyer from Brooklyn, New York
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Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
Our fifth and final quarterfinal in this event is between Adam Hersh, Marko Saric, and Will Weiss; the three players’ respective runs taking place over the various parts of the qualification period (Marko in April, Adam in November, and Will in September.)
It should be noted that there will be widespread pre-emptions of any early airings of Monday’s game, as all of the major networks are covering the Presidential inauguration during the day on Monday, with the show’s first airing likely not taking place until 4:00 PM Eastern on Monday because of the coverage—and potentially even later.
Also, hopefully, this will be the last game featuring wild card qualification. The major issue with wild cards in 2025 is that it leads to counterintuitive gameplay and less-than-exciting finishes. While the tabloids over the last 36 hours have been littered with articles about players not playing to win in their writeups of the syndicated episodes, the exciting and shocking finale of Wednesday’s Celebrity Jeopardy quarterfinal has been one of the most viral clips on TikTok over the last 24 hours, with it garnering over a quarter of a million views on that platform. In order to be sustainable in the future, the show needs to able to market itself to all generations and bring in new fans, and boring Final Jeopardy rounds—4 of the 5 bets in Final the last two days have been $0—run completely against the ability to market the show well. (And, unfortunately, it’s something that people with the ability to shout down and suppress dissenting viewpoints on other platforms have missed—whether that be accidentally or wilfully. And, if you don’t like that the show has to go off and do these things in order to keep it in the public attention based on where the world is now—unfortunately, that’s just the way the world is today.)
There’s a very straightforward solution to this problem as well. There are formats available to the show that would both bring more players back in the same time frame while also providing for exciting finishes and players needing to win: a “tier” or “ladder” system, for example, similar to what the FA Cup would use in England. Teams enter the FA Cup at different rounds based on what tier of the English league system they play in. To give an example: you would bring back 15 non-winning players for Second Chance, with the five winners advancing to the next tier, playing against 10 1-game champions. (Or, more specifically, the 10 lowest champions on the “ladder”). Those winners would move up to the next tier where they would play against the next 10 players on the ladder, with that continuing until the Tournament of Champions field is set, with some players only needing 1 more win for ToC qualification, while a Second Chance player might need to put together a run of 3 (or maybe even 4) victories in order to get to the ToC.
(Content continues below)
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Correct response: Who is Alexander Hamilton?
More information about Final Jeopardy:
(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2025 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)
In 1804, with his impending duel with Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton made a statement which can be found at the National Archives website. In that statement, Hamilton said, “As well because it is possible that I may have injured Col Burr, however convinced myself that my opinions and declarations have been well founded, as from my general principles and temper in relation to similar affairs—I have resolved, if our interview is conducted in the usual manner, and it pleases God to give me the opportunity, to reserve and throw away my first fire, and I have thoughts even of reserving my second fire—and thus giving a double opportunity to Col Burr to pause and to reflect.” During the duel itself, it is believed that Hamilton did throw away his first fire—but Burr chose not to, hitting Hamilton with his first fire, the sitting Vice President fatally wounding the former Secretary of the Treasury.
This is also one reason why I think the show needs to do away with wild cards—it is pretty much impossible for the show to completely equalize Final Jeopardy difficulty, which makes for a situation where some players receive much easier 61st clues than others do.
We have many new offerings at The Jeopardy! Fan Online Store! Here are our current featured items, including our new Masters Season 3 Player List T-shirt:
Game Recap & Tonight’s Game Stats:
Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Friday, January 17, 2025 Jeopardy! by the numbers, along with a recap:
Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: Paulitics; The Power Of 10; “B” Pictures; Batter Up!; We Had It Good Back Then; Darling, You Spoke French)
Marko found the Daily Double early on in this one, doubling his score of $1,200. After 15 clues, Adam led with $5,000 to Marko’s $3,800 and Will’s $1,400.
Statistics at the first break (15 clues):
Adam 6 correct 0 incorrect
Marko 6 correct 0 incorrect
Will 2 correct 0 incorrect
Today’s interviews:
Will appreciated being able to do a shoutout during his first win.
Marko received a message from Vanna White after his first episode.
Adam has a husband who enjoyed meeting all the other players and spouses.
Will had a good segment to pull close, but Adam still led after 30. Only $1,200 separated first from third, though.
Statistics after the Jeopardy round:
Adam 10 correct 2 incorrect
Marko 11 correct 1 incorrect
Will 7 correct 0 incorrect
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Adam $5,800
Marko $4,800
Will $4,600
Double Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: Swampy America; Rhyme Time; Total Drama!; Physical Science; Mish Mash; I Was Taking A Bath)
Marko found both Daily Doubles and picked up $7,200 on them. He also picked up 13 correct (Adam picked up 12) as both of them were well ahead of Will going into Final Jeopardy.
Statistics after Double Jeopardy:
Marko 24 correct 3 incorrect
Adam 22 correct 3 incorrect
Will 9 correct 1 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 26 (0 today).
Scores going into Final:
Marko $24,400
Adam $18,600
Will $5,400
In an absolute shocking development (I haven’t seen something like this since Scott Renzoni in the 2004 Tournament of Champions), not only was this Final Jeopardy a Triple Stumper, but Adam bet all of his $18,600. (Will also went all in, but Will definitely had to.) This advances both Jen and Paul as the last two wild cards as Marko is the last automatic semifinalist (as Marko bet $0.)
Tonight’s results:
Will $5,400 – $5,400 = $0 (Who is ? (Happy B’Day, Dani!))
Adam $18,600 – $18,600 = $0 (Who is Baldwin?)
Marko $24,400 – $0 = $24,400 (Who is Nixon? (Love u Mom & Dad & Sis)) (Semi-Finalist)
Wild Card standings:
Monday: Will Yancey, $13,800
Tuesday: Evan Dorey, $20,600
Wednesday: Drew Goins, $23,400
Thursday: Joey DeSena, $24,000
Friday: Marko Saric, $24,400
1. Mehal Shah, $19,600
2. Jay Fisher, $15,400
3. Jen Feldman, $8,200
4. Paul Clauson, $8,000
5. Stevie Ruiz, $5,199
6. Adam Hersh, $0 ($18,600)
7. Eamonn Campbell, $0 ($9,600)
8. Davey Morrison, $0 ($8,800)
9. Will Weiss, $0 ($5,400)
10. Aiden Orzech, -$2,400
Other Miscellaneous Game Statistics:
Daily Double locations:
1) WE HAD IT GOOD BACK THEN $1000 (clue #7)
Marko 1200 +1200 (Adam 2400 Will 800)
2) PHYSICAL SCIENCE $1600 (clue #2)
Marko 6000 +4500 (Adam 5800 Will 4600)
3) TOTAL DRAMA! $1200 (clue #15, $13600 left on board)
Marko 18100 +2700 (Adam 13400 Will 4600)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: 190
Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:
J! Round:
Adam 3 4 3 3
Marko 4 5*
Will 5
DJ! Round:
Adam 4 5 3 4 5
Marko 4* 4 5 4 3 2 3 4 3*
Will 3
Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:
Marko 3.73
Will 4.00
Adam 3.78
Unplayed clues:
J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 26 (0.27 per episode average), 0 Daily Doubles
Game Stats:
Marko $19,800 Coryat, 24 correct, 3 incorrect, 40.35% in first on buzzer (23/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
Will $5,400 Coryat, 9 correct, 1 incorrect, 15.79% in first on buzzer (9/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
Adam $18,600 Coryat, 22 correct, 3 incorrect, 38.60% in first on buzzer (22/57), 2/3 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $43,800
Lach Trash: $3,600 (on 5 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $6,600
Lead Changes: 9
Times Tied: 2
Player Statistics:
Adam Hersh, career statistics:
59 correct, 10 incorrect
6/7 on rebound attempts (on 11 rebound opportunities)
32.75% in first on buzzer (56/171)
2/3 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $3,000)
2/3 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $14,000
Marko Saric, career statistics:
90 correct, 17 incorrect
8/8 on rebound attempts (on 16 rebound opportunities)
38.60% in first on buzzer (88/228)
5/7 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $7,100)
1/4 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $16,600
Will Weiss, career statistics:
64 correct, 8 incorrect
5/5 on rebound attempts (on 21 rebound opportunities)
26.32% in first on buzzer (60/228)
1/3 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: -$1,400)
0/4 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $13,100
Andy’s Thoughts:
- A score of $18,600, with second place guaranteed, has a 99.873% chance of advancing.
- Your reminder that players are sequestered, so Adam would not have known that he had a 100% chance of advancing.
- Today’s box score will be linked to when posted by the show.
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I knew this only from having seen the musical Hamilton. I don’t recall ever studying this in American History.
Clueless. I went with Edison thinking maybe ‘fire’ had something to do with a lightbulb.
It took me a couple seconds to come up with it, but I did get to it.
One great irony of the musical, where Hamilton sang an entire song in the first act about “Not throwing away my shot”, and Burr sang an entire song about being “willing to wait for it” is that, in the final duel, neither of those things happens.
Andy, I must say, I love your suggestion for the tiered postseason. Hopefully someone with some sway on the powers that be happens to see it.
Viral TicTok comments might soon disappear if the Supreme Court has its say.
ICYMI: the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act this morning, finding that it doesn’t violate the First Amendment (while not actually deciding whether 1A applies to it). Absent some intervention, the divest-or-shut-down provisions will take effect on Sunday as planned.
I assumed that Thomas’ “if the Supreme Court has its say” was implying “absent some intervention”. For one thing, ByteDance COULD sell it to an American company before Sunday.
I JUST heard on the local news that it is a ban of “new downloads and updates”, so everyone who already has it will be able to continue to use it for quite a while.
It’s interesting to see a triple stumper. Has the Hamilton musical lost its position as a cultural touchstone?
My mind went to Hamilton [the man] right away and I still haven’t seen the musical, but have known this situation for a very long time. I had a History minor in college, but I was mostly taking stuff I’d never studied before [just out of interest, to fill time while getting both Math and Physics majors after attending the first two years at a college when I could not get but one year of each of those], so if I didn’t learn it in high school, I must have just read it in a History book or Smithsonian Magazine or something. [And I would nearly bet money that I did not learn it at MY high school.]
As for whether the Hamilton musical lost its position as a cultural touchstone, I’m guessing so to some degree, but mostly that people who’d get on Jeopardy! do not take historical information from “entertainment” due to assumption of “poetic license”.
For some reason, my first thoughts were about Nero
LOL 🔥
At first, I also thought of Nero!
Hmm…Burr or Hamilton? Hamilton or Burr? Hmm…
I deduced that today’s Final Jeopardy whem it mentioned “fires” meant volleys of gunfire.
That took me to the “Boston Massacre.” Hamilton’s duel with Burr didn’t even come close to crossing my mind, since all I know about it, is that it occured.
In regards to Adam going “all in” on FInal Jeopardy, is there a leader board of sorts available to the players on stage to help them with their FInal Jeopardy bests to see what they need to be a Wild Card finalist?
I recommend going back and reading the second bullet point in the postgame thoughts. That answers your question.
Why did you say “Adam has a husband who “… why not just plain English — Adam’s husband enjoyed” ?
You must not read this site much. Andy phrases things that way a lot. It’s mostly from reducing what was actually said to a brief version (and not adding “So-and-so said” to the front of each and every statement). It has always sounded a bit odd to me when it comes out that way, but maybe it is a Canadian thing, maybe it is a personal quirk, but in this case I think “Adam’s husband enjoyed” would sound more like the interview was ABOUT the husband but it is ABOUT Adam and that is just what Adam chose to mention.
Yes, players from future quarter final tournament games are sequestered so they don’t know ahead of time what scores to “shoot for.”
But, that is not what I asked about, I said the players ON STAGE/ Though in retrospect, if they are sequestered before their games to keep them from having that knowledge, why would it be available in their game?
Wow, surprising to say the least. This is such a well-known historical incident (especially in light of the Broadway musical) that I thought, at least, 2 out of 3 would get it, if not a triple get. I guess if you know, you know and if you don’t know, you are not likely to come up with it.
The way the wagering went did show that even a wild card format can be interesting (if not exciting). I thought we would have another example of the top two risking zero or very little. Adam certainly proved me wrong and really took a big swing for the fences (got to give him credit for that).
I guess Adam was expecting a much more well known Historic Statement (rather than having to parse out the implications [such that a first fire and maybe a second sounds more like a duel than a battle] in a little-known statement).
Wow, that was stunning! I didn’t get FJ right.
By the way Andy, you mentioning Scott Renzoni made me do a Google search to see what you were talking about with him in 2004 and I wanted to let you know that I also found out that Scott passed away on January 8th or 9th. 🙁
Re: Rhyme Time, $800: Would they have accepted “skint gent” instead of “broke bloke?” I do realize “gent” probably isn’t as much of a Britishism as “bloke.”