Warning: This page contains spoilers for the July 20, 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 Annual Events) for Monday, July 20, 2026 (Season 42, Game 226):
It celebrated its 40th edition in 2026; the first one featured Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Jimmy Carl Black
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Sam Ryan, a regulatory consultant from Kansas City, Missouri
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Tatiana Chichilla, a genetic counselor originally from Mill Hall, Pennsylvania
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Caleb Groen, a law & policy student originally from Thousand Oaks, California (12-day total: $346,968)
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Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
Over the history of Jeopardy! since the “Sky’s The Limit” rule was introduced in 2003, there have been two types of contestants, based on how they react when they find out at the start of a taping session that the current champion has won 12 games (and nearly $350,000), as our current champion Caleb Groen has. One type of contestant resigns themselves to defeat and just feels happy to have made it to the show—and that player will inevitably face defeat. The other type of contestant relishes the idea of playing “giant killer”, knows they can win, and that’s when you get a more exciting game. I remember back in 2004, Nancy Zerg telling herself that she was capable of beating Ken Jennings—in contrast to many others who had resigned themselves to defeat immediately upon hearing about or seeing Ken in the studio. And it was Zerg who became an important name in the show’s history.
As we enter the final week of Season 42, the biggest question on everyone’s mind is “Will Caleb Groen be the champion at the end of the season?” A lot of that will be answered by what type of player enters the Green Room this week, only to find a 12-day champion occupying the champions’ lectern. Today’s challengers are Tatiana Chichilla, originally from Pennsylvania, and Sam Ryan of Kansas City.
(Content continues below)
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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.
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Correct response: What is South by Southwest? (SXSW)
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.)
The famous Austin, Texas, festival known as South by Southwest was first held in March 1987; it began as a music festival but has expanded to encompass other areas of media and technology; acts or other things that came to prominence as a result of an appearance at SXSW include Hanson, John Mayer, and Twitter.
That being said, I am struggling to find an “in” here other than simply knowing that Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Jimmy Carl Black were both Texas musicians, and even that feels like an esoteric piece of knowledge for both contestant and viewer alike. Kudos to anybody who gets today’s Final Jeopardy clue correct.
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Game Recap:
Sam Ryan found two of the three Daily Doubles today, and Caleb found 0—that, and three incorrect responses from Caleb, was enough for Sam to have a runaway game entering Final Jeopardy.
As predicted, Final Jeopardy was a Triple Stumper, and that makes Sam a giant killer; he’ll be back tomorrow to defend his title.
Scores going into Final:
Sam $24,000
Caleb $11,400
Tatiana $6,900
Tonight’s results:
Tatiana $6,900 – $6,900 = $0 (What)
Caleb $11,400 – $3,000 = $8,400 (What is Congrats Sam!!)
Sam $24,000 – $1,000 = $23,000 (What is Wrestlemania?) (1-day total: $23,000)
Game Stats:
Sam $17,600 Coryat, 20 correct, 0 incorrect, 26.32% in first on buzzer (15/57), 3/3 on rebound attempts (on 8 rebound opportunities)
Caleb $11,400 Coryat, 17 correct, 3 incorrect, 31.58% in first on buzzer (18/57), 1/2 on rebound attempts (on 6 rebound opportunities)
Tatiana $6,600 Coryat, 15 correct, 6 incorrect, 33.33% in first on buzzer (19/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $35,600
Sam Ryan, to win:
2 games: 71.277%
3: 50.804%
4: 36.212%
5: 25.811%
6: 18.397%
Avg. streak: 3.482 games.
Andy’s Thoughts:
- Why is it always that someone posts a really specific question about something on the Jeopardy! subreddit shortly before that exact situation becomes a major spoiler for a game in the near future?
- Today’s J!6 clues can be found at the monthly archive.
Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:
(Scores: Sam $24,000 Caleb $11,400 Tatiana $6,900)
Caleb: Standard cover bet for second over Tatiana is $2,401. (Actual bet: $3,000)
Tatiana: You have to be correct to take second place; might as well go all in. (Actual bet: $6,900)
Sam: Bet no more than $1,199 and enjoy your victory! (Actual bet: $1,000)
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