2nd Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament – Quarter-Final Preview

Matt Amodio (+1000)
New York, New York

1618 correct, 191 incorrect
65/78 on rebound attempts (on 176 rebound opportunities)
46.73% in first on buzzer (1563/3345)
94/109 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $358,400)
40/58 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $21,936

Adjusted Performance Mean: 16,992
Performance Variance: 20,090

As one of the “Masters” coming back down to JIT, Matt is one of the favorites—and that potentially puts a target on his back in this one. If he can keep the Daily Doubles out of his opponents’ hands, though, he should be able to advance.

Hannah Wilson (+2700)
Chicago, Illinois

259 correct, 24 incorrect
14/18 on rebound attempts (on 43 rebound opportunities)
41.93% in first on buzzer (239/570)
13/16 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $36,300)
8/10 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $19,280

Adjusted Performance Mean: 13,671
Performance Variance: 14,789

One thing that Hannah has in common with one of the Masters field: love for knitting (much like Victoria Groce). In fact, Hannah has opened a yarn store. Hannah’s past experience against a player of Matt’s calibre, though—when Ben Chan returned—ended very well for Ben.

Doug Molitor (+4700)
Altadena, California

174 correct, 41 incorrect
12/14 on rebound attempts (on 33 rebound opportunities)
40.68% in first on buzzer (179/440)
8/14 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $3,000)
5/7 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $12,950
(The above stats have been adjusted for the doubling of dollar values when necessary.)

Adjusted Performance Mean: 10,607
Performance Variance: 16,436

Doug got an invitation here due to both his performance on the Trebek version in addition to his appearance on the Fleming version. In Doug’s case, he appeared on The All-New Jeopardy!, the revival version hosted by Art Fleming in the late 1970s—which also gave away a lot more money to its contestants than the original version did. While the prediction model isn’t big on Doug’s chances, it does give him a puncher’s chance against the more recent winners.

Skyler Hornback (+2500)
Sonora, Kentucky

30 correct, 2 incorrect
2/2 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
47.37% in first on buzzer (27/57)
2/2 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $12,000)
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $26,200

Adjusted Performance Mean: 10,926
Performance Variance: 22,077

Skyler set a Kids Week record back in 2013 when he won $66,600. Obviously, the prediction model only has one game’s worth to go on—absolutely anything could happen here with Skyler’s performance.

Margaret Shelton (+4900)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

121 correct, 18 incorrect
14/14 on rebound attempts (on 36 rebound opportunities)
34.44% in first on buzzer (114/331)
4/5 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $12,100)
4/6 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $14,500

Adjusted Performance Mean: 11,004
Performance Variance: 14,074

Margaret “Regular Virginia” Shelton made a heartbreaking exit from the 2022 Tournament of Champions in the quarterfinals. I think she has a relatively good chance at redemption, even though the prediction model does have her third.

Jaskaran Singh (+1900)
Plano, Texas

115 correct, 19 incorrect
4/5 on rebound attempts (on 17 rebound opportunities)
40.35% in first on buzzer (115/285)
7/9 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $21,400)
5/5 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $19,320

Adjusted Performance Mean: 14,212
Performance Variance: 17,598

Jaskaran’s strong play on Daily Doubles and Final Jeopardy means he rates well with the prediction model. If that continues, you could absolutely see him make a run.

Emily Sands (+3000)
Chanhassen, Minnesota

225 correct, 38 incorrect
10/15 on rebound attempts (on 39 rebound opportunities)
38.87% in first on buzzer (220/566)
14/18 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $40,600)
6/10 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $15,140

Adjusted Performance Mean: 12,701
Performance Variance: 14,554

Emily returns to the Alex Trebek Stage after being the only woman to make the semifinals of the 31^st Tournament of Champions. She’s got a reasonable chance of making it to the semifinals again against Rachael and Jonathan.

Rachael Schwartz (+2900)
Berkeley, California

254 correct, 29 incorrect
24/26 on rebound attempts (on 65 rebound opportunities)
30.94% in first on buzzer (228/737)
10/16 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $9,200)
8/13 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $15,415
(The above stats have been adjusted for the doubling of dollar values when necessary.)

Adjusted Performance Mean: 13,187
Performance Variance: 13,177

Back in 1994, Rachael bested one of the most stacked Tournament of Champions fields in history when she became the first woman to win the ToC. She hasn’t played since Battle of the Decades in 2014, but she did make it to the quarterfinals of that event.

Jonathan Fisher (+4000)
Coral Gables, Florida

331 correct, 41 incorrect
12/14 on rebound attempts (on 46 rebound opportunities)
44.31% in first on buzzer (327/738)
12/18 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $12,400)
8/13 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $20,138

Adjusted Performance Mean: 11,837
Performance Variance: 14,154

Jonathan may have exited the 30^th tournament of Champions early, but he did lead Andrew He going into Final Jeopardy in that quarterfinal. I suspect this will be a very closely-contested match between all three players.

Raymond Goslow (+4000)
Marietta, Georgia

91 correct, 14 incorrect
5/7 on rebound attempts (on 19 rebound opportunities)
39.04% in first on buzzer (89/228)
4/5 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $12,600)
3/4 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $16,900

Adjusted Performance Mean: 11,850
Performance Variance: 15,897

Raymond was having a great College tournament in 2022—until Jaskaran found all six Daily Doubles in the two-game final. The draw has done him no favors in this event, though.

Troy Meyer (+820)
Cleveland, Ohio

372 correct, 33 incorrect
22/25 on rebound attempts (on 46 rebound opportunities)
40.05% in first on buzzer (342/854)
21/23 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $108,200)
9/15 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $21,493

Adjusted Performance Mean: 19,058
Performance Variance: 17,982

Troy is the favorite in this event, with an Adjusted Performance Mean much stronger than the rest of the field. Of course, there’s a lot of variance at this level—I think a lot of fans are hoping that Troy can overcome that variance this time out and qualify for Masters. If there’s one weakness in Troy’s game, though, it might be Final Jeopardy, where he’s only 9-for-15.

Jackie Kelly (+3500)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

121 correct, 11 incorrect
13/13 on rebound attempts (on 38 rebound opportunities)
31.34% in first on buzzer (105/335)
6/8 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $20,200)
3/6 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $17,967

Adjusted Performance Mean: 12,929
Performance Variance: 14,407

Jackie put up the best Coryat in her Tournament of Champions quarterfinal against Jaskaran Singh and Eric Ahasic, so there is the potential for an upset here.

Maya Wright (+8700)
Atlanta, Georgia

150 correct, 16 incorrect
11/13 on rebound attempts (on 32 rebound opportunities)
30.75% in first on buzzer (139/452)
6/6 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $10,800)
5/8 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $12,600

Adjusted Performance Mean: 9,612
Performance Variance: 12,474

Maya reached a pair of finals in her previous two appearances but was never able to take a title. Unfortunately, being drawn against Roger Craig and John Focht has done her zero favors in this event.

Roger Craig (+1400)
Arlington, Virginia

436 correct, 77 incorrect
18/22 on rebound attempts (on 51 rebound opportunities)
46.04% in first on buzzer (447/971)
25/28 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $117,000)
8/16 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $17,926

Adjusted Performance Mean: 14,574
Performance Variance: 22,436

Roger held the one-day record for nearly a decade, living (and dying) by the Daily Double. If he can find them, he’s got a very good chance of making a deep run. Finding them against John, though, might be a tall order.

John Focht (+2000)
El Paso, Texas

156 correct, 14 incorrect
7/9 on rebound attempts (on 19 rebound opportunities)
36.09% in first on buzzer (144/399)
9/10 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $31,300)
4/7 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $18,200

Adjusted Performance Mean: 14,291
Performance Variance: 16,465

Since his initial run on the show, John has started J!ometry, a Jeopardy!-related analytics site—which makes it all the more interesting that he’s been paired against the previous generation’s analytics king in Roger Craig.

Avi Gupta (+9300)
Portland, Oregon

130 correct, 14 incorrect
8/8 on rebound attempts (on 17 rebound opportunities)
36.73% in first on buzzer (126/343)
4/4 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $16,400)
5/6 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $13,900

Adjusted Performance Mean: 9,936
Performance Variance: 12,172

Avi won a Teen Tournament, made the semifinals of High School Reunion, and has found himself paired against Amy Schneider and Luigi de Guzman, a draw which has not done him any favors whatsoever.

Amy Schneider (+1200)
Oakland, California

1816 correct, 140 incorrect
90/110 on rebound attempts (on 268 rebound opportunities)
42.26% in first on buzzer (1682/3980)
80/95 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $257,800)
46/69 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $20,557

Adjusted Performance Mean: 16,472
Performance Variance: 17,426

Amy is the other player coming down from Masters in this year’s field, and I suspect that Luigi will give her quite a challenge in the quarterfinals. If she makes it through, I could definitely see her making the final again.

Luigi de Guzman (+1800)
Arlington, Virginia

205 correct, 30 incorrect
11/14 on rebound attempts (on 34 rebound opportunities)
44.03% in first on buzzer (199/452)
12/14 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $41,600)
6/8 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $19,375

Adjusted Performance Mean: 14,701
Performance Variance: 17,375

I think Luigi’s regular play performance has left him underrated as a player by many fans. I would say that he is a very scary draw for Amy in the quarterfinals. Luigi is a very strong player, and it would not surprise me if he made a run in this event.

Ray Lalonde (+3600)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

372 correct, 43 incorrect
26/29 on rebound attempts (on 53 rebound opportunities)
41.05% in first on buzzer (351/855)
16/20 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $36,800)
13/15 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $19,547

Adjusted Performance Mean: 12,501
Performance Variance: 12,662

Ray is the first of two Canadian hopefuls in this event, having picked up 13 wins before being bounced in the quarterfinals of the ToC by Ike Barinholtz. I’m expecting that he’ll make this an even and competitive quarterfinal.

Robin Carroll (+2200)
Atlanta, Georgia

383 correct, 67 incorrect
29/37 on rebound attempts (on 72 rebound opportunities)
40.64% in first on buzzer (369/908)
23/28 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $44,400)
9/16 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $16,900
(The above stats have been adjusted for the doubling of dollar values when necessary.)

Adjusted Performance Mean: 13,521
Performance Variance: 15,312

Robin picked up five wins via runaway before winning the 2000 Tournament of Champions and 2001 International Championship. She’s had a long and storied career, and I expect that she’ll still be competitive in this event.

Ryan Long (+6600)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

419 correct, 70 incorrect
13/21 on rebound attempts (on 58 rebound opportunities)
41.86% in first on buzzer (427/1020)
14/23 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $21,000)
9/18 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $16,200

Adjusted Performance Mean: 9,706
Performance Variance: 13,936

The last of Season 38’s superchampions, Ryan picked up 16 victories. He doesn’t have a lot of games against higher-level opposition, though, which has hurt his numbers in the prediction model a little bit.

Ben Chan (+1100)
Green Bay, Wisconsin

431 correct, 40 incorrect
17/23 on rebound attempts (on 62 rebound opportunities)
38.81% in first on buzzer (397/1023)
24/32 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $42,005)
14/18 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $18,578

Adjusted Performance Mean: 16,367
Performance Variance: 17,393

All of Ben’s first nine victories were via runaway; the Unified Prediction Model thinks that Ben is the fourth-best player in the field. A lot of people are hoping that Ben lives up to—or does better than—that ranking.

Claire Sattler (+13000)
New York, New York

112 correct, 19 incorrect
8/9 on rebound attempts (on 25 rebound opportunities)
32.25% in first on buzzer (109/338)
5/7 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $6,000)
4/6 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $14,033

Adjusted Performance Mean: 8,813
Performance Variance: 11,469

Claire won the 2018 Teen Tournament, but has been given an incredibly difficult draw in this event against two fearsome opponents in Ben and Shane. Her long odds are, quite frankly, a direct result of this nightmare of a draw.

Shane Whitlock (+2300)
Benton, Arkansas

222 correct, 19 incorrect
10/12 on rebound attempts (on 38 rebound opportunities)
35.44% in first on buzzer (202/570)
15/17 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $36,800)
6/10 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $18,200
(The above stats have been adjusted for the doubling of dollar values when necessary.)

Adjusted Performance Mean: 14,488
Performance Variance: 12,802

Shane, the 1996 College Champion, nearly made the finals of the incredibly strong 1996 Tournament of Champions and made the quarterfinals of the 2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions. He is still a very strong quizzer and can absolutely give Ben a run for his money—and could easily pull off an upset in this match.

Seth Wilson (+4500)
Oak Park, Illinois

346 correct, 38 incorrect
18/20 on rebound attempts (on 59 rebound opportunities)
39.30% in first on buzzer (327/832)
15/23 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $13,800)
9/14 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $17,000

Adjusted Performance Mean: 11,439
Performance Variance: 12,842

Seth picked up a dozen wins in the fall of 2016 before bowing out in the quarters of the 2017 Tournament of Champions. He had some good moments in that ToC, though—I think he’ll be a tough out.

Jackson Jones (+6800)
Louisville, Kentucky

141 correct, 26 incorrect
6/8 on rebound attempts (on 19 rebound opportunities)
41.69% in first on buzzer (143/343)
7/10 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $6,200)
4/6 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $16,767

Adjusted Performance Mean: 10,329
Performance Variance: 12,203

While he didn’t win either of his past tournament appearances, Jackson was a very strong player in both of them, only losing back in 2019 on a semifinal tiebreaker to Avi Gupta. He has a reasonable chance of advancing in this event as well.

Juveria Zaheer (+1900)
Whitby, Ontario, Canada

225 correct, 35 incorrect
10/11 on rebound attempts (on 29 rebound opportunities)
44.05% in first on buzzer (226/513)
12/14 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $81,600)
4/9 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $18,622

Canada’s hopes in this event may rest upon the Newfoundland native now living just outside of Toronto. The prediction model does like Juveria’s chances, though—she is both a very strong player and a very inspirational one.