Warning: This page contains spoilers for the February 17, 2026, 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 Writers) for Tuesday, February 17, 2026 (Season 42, Game 117):
The winner of 3 Pulitzer Prizes in 2 different categories, he called his home in Connecticut “the house the bridge built”
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Drew Goins, a journalist from Washington, D.C.
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Karen Farrell, a professional lecturer of international affairs from Chesapeake, Virginia
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Long Nguyen, a retired engineer from Las Vegas, Nevada
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Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
Our third semifinal for this year’s Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament is between Long Nguyen, Karen Farrell, and Drew Goins. After an impressive quarterfinal performance, Long does come in as the favorite to make the final, but both Karen and Drew put up reasonably good performances in the quarterfinal and can absolutely take victory if things break the right way for them.
(Content continues below)
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Correct response: Who is Thornton Wilder?
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.)
Thornton Wilder’s three Pulitzer Prizes came for the novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey and for the plays Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth; the royalties from The Bridge of San Luis Rey in the 1920s paid for the house on Deepwood Drive in Hamden, Connecticut, built for Wilder’s parents in 1929. The author lived there with his sister later in life.
If you remember who wrote The Bridge of San Luis Rey, this should be a relatively straightforward Final. If you get taken on the wrong bridge, though (remembering that Pierre Boulle, author of The Bridge over the River Kwai, was French), you might be in trouble.
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Game Recap:
Long Nguyen found both Daily Doubles on back-to-back picks early in the Double Jeopardy round; he could have had a big lead, but an incorrect response on the second one kept things close throughout the second board; Drew Goins, at one point, was tied for the lead, but a crucial forgotten phrasing kept him in second entering Final Jeopardy.
Thankfully, Drew’s phrasing misstep was rendered moot by Final Jeopardy, as Long was the only player correct. That correct response puts him into the first-to-two-wins final against Andrew He and Roger Craig beginning tomorrow.
Scores going into Final:
Long $15,800
Drew $12,200
Karen $10,000
Tonight’s results:
Karen $10,000 – $0 = $10,000 (Who is ?)
Drew $12,200 – $12,197 = $3 (Who is Agee? :))
Long $15,800 + $5,001 = $20,801 (Who is Wilder?) (Finalist)
Chances of winning tournament:
Andrew He: 36.495%
Roger Craig: 35.218%
Long Nguyen: 28.287%
Chances of 2 games: 33.736%
Chances of 3 games: 44.520%
Chances of 4 games: 21.744%
Game Stats:
Long $15,200 Coryat, 20 correct, 4 incorrect, 35.09% in first on buzzer (20/57), 2/2 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
Karen $9,600 Coryat, 12 correct, 0 incorrect, 14.04% in first on buzzer (8/57), 3/3 on rebound attempts (on 6 rebound opportunities)
Drew $12,200 Coryat, 18 correct, 3 incorrect, 36.84% in first on buzzer (21/57), 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $37,000
Andy’s Thoughts:
- I haven’t specifically asked Long about this wager; the best I can surmise from looking at the numbers was “match Drew’s highest wager if Drew bets to stay ahead of me if I cover”.
- Today’s J!6 clues can be found at the monthly archive.
Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:
(Scores: Long $15,800 Drew $12,200 Karen $10,000)
Long: Standard cover bet is $8,601. If you want to consider not covering, though—Drew’s best low range caps out at $2,199, as that defends against a $0 bet from Karen in third. A bet between $2 and $1,399 would defend against that, but Drew also has reason to go all in if he decides to cover Karen as well. (Actual bet: $5,001)
Karen: Your best chance of victory is if you play for a Triple Stumper and hope for a cover bet from Long and a big bet from Drew. Bet between $0 and $2,800. (Actual bet: $0)
Drew: You can’t both cover Karen and win a Triple Stumper. If you think Karen will make a low bet, a bet between $601 and $2,199 defends best against that. If you do want to cover, any bet that’s at least $7,801 works—but an all-in bet does force a cover wager out of Long. (Actual bet: $12,197)
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