Warning: This page contains spoilers for the January 3-4, 2026, game of Jeopardy! — please do not scroll down if you wish to avoid being spoiled. Please note that today’s game is an encore presentation of the game that originally aired on April 22, 2025.
Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category Images of 2024) for January 3-4, 2026 (Season 41, Game 162):
Item in common to a January 1889 self-portrait & several of those attending the 2024 Republican National Convention
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Kyle Dunn, an actor & director from New York, New York
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Sara Grady, an instructional coach from Nashville, Tennessee
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Liam Starnes, an undergraduate student from Barrington, Illinois (2-day total: $52,802)
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Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
Our first weekend recap of 2026 features Liam Starnes going for victory number against Sara Grady and Kyle Dunn.
Next week sees the start of Champions Wildcard; my preview for that event will be posted tomorrow.
(Content continues below)
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My friends over at Geeks Who Drink have a daily trivia game—Thrice! Existing to make daily clever trivia content accessible to a wide audience, it's a daily challenge that tries to get you to the answer via three separate clues. It has a shareable score functionality to challenge your friends and new questions every day will give you a new daily social ritual. You can find it at thricegame.com.
Are you going on the show and looking for information about how to bet in Final Jeopardy? Check out my Betting Strategy 101 page. If you want to learn how to bet in two-day finals, check out Betting Strategy 102. In case the show uses a tournament with wild cards in the future, there is also a strategy page for betting in tournament quarterfinals.
Are you looking for information on how to stream Jeopardy! in 2026? Find out information here on how to stream from most places in North America!
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Correct response: What is a bandaged ear?
More information about Final Jeopardy:
(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2026 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)
During his own period of mental instability around Christmas 1888, Vincent Van Gogh chose to remove his own left ear. Following his discharge from hospital in January 1889, he painted his famous “Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear”. At the 2024 Republican National Convention, many delegates also chose to bandage in ear as a reference to the assassination attempt on Donald Trump earlier that year.
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Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the January 3-4, 2026 Jeopardy! by the numbers, along with a recap:
Game Recap:
Liam Starnes picked up 31 correct responses in this one and cruised to a runaway despite missing the game’s last Daily Double.
Kyle—whose interview talked about owing money to his therapist—threw away an extra $1,000 by betting everything from second place in Final Jeopardy and third-placed Sara was the only player correct on Clue 61. I’m sure his therapist was thrilled with that one!
Next week will see Liam go for win #4 against Eric Cordova and Abigail Arnold, who viewers would have seen this past week in postseason play.
Scores going into Final:
Liam $24,400
Kyle $9,200
Sara $3,000
Tonight’s results:
Sara $3,000 + $1,500 = $4,500 (What is an ear bandage?)
Kyle $9,200 – $9,200 = $0 (What is)
Liam $24,400 – $5,000 = $19,400 (What is elephant) (3-day total: $72,202)
Game Stats:
Liam $24,400 Coryat, 31 correct, 3 incorrect, 50.88% in first on buzzer (29/57), 3/3 on rebound attempts (on 8 rebound opportunities)
Sara $3,000 Coryat, 10 correct, 5 incorrect, 22.81% in first on buzzer (13/57), 1/2 on rebound attempts (on 6 rebound opportunities)
Kyle $8,400 Coryat, 12 correct, 5 incorrect, 22.81% in first on buzzer (13/57), 2/3 on rebound attempts (on 6 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $35,800
Lach Trash: $7,400 (on 6 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $10,800
Lead Changes: 0
Times Tied: 0
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