recaps

Season 39

Today’s Final Jeopardy – Friday, December 30, 2022

Warning: This page contains spoilers for the December 30, 2022, game ofJeopardy!— 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.

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Current Champion

Matthew Riggle, career statistics:
47 correct, 6 incorrect
1/1 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
41.23% in first on buzzer (47/114)
3/3 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $7,600)
1/2 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $21,300

To win:
3 games: 68.027%
4: 46.277%
5: 31.481%
6: 21.415%
7: 14.568%
Avg. streak: 4.128 games.
(Next game: September 14)
(Click Here for Methodology)

Upcoming Encore Presentations

August 12: S42 E98 (January 21, 2026)
August 13: S42 E99 (January 22, 2026)
August 14: S42 E100 (January 23, 2026)
August 15-16: S41 E141 (March 24, 2025)
August 17: S42 E101 (January 26, 2026)
August 18: S42 E105 (January 30, 2026)
August 19: S42 E102 (January 27, 2026)
August 20: S42 E103 (January 28, 2026)
August 21: S42 E104 (January 29, 2026)
August 22-23: S41 E142 (March 25, 2025)
August 24: S42 E106 (February 2, 2026)
August 25: S42 E107 (February 3, 2026)
August 26: S42 E108 (February 4, 2026)
August 27: S42 E109 (February 5, 2026)
August 28: S42 E110 (February 6, 2026)
August 29-30: S41 E143 (March 26, 2025)
(Source: Bell Fibe TV program guide)

All Time Winnings

All Time Jeopardy! Winnings, Regular Play Only:

1. Ken Jennings $2,520,700
2. James Holzhauer $2,462,216
3. Matt Amodio $1,518,601
4. Amy Schneider $1,382,800
5. Jamie Ding $882,605
6. Cris Pannullo $748,286
7. Mattea Roach $560,983
8. Jason Zuffranieri $532,496
9. Scott Riccardi $455,000
10. David Madden $430,400
11. Julia Collins $428,100
12. Matt Jackson $411,612
13. Austin Rogers $411,000
14. Ray Lalonde $386,400
15. Harrison Whitaker $373,999
16. Adriana Harmeyer $349,600
17. Caleb Groen $346,968
18. Adam Remsen $306,415
19. Ryan Long $299,400
20. Arthur Chu $297,200

All Time Jeopardy! Winnings, Including Tournaments (and Consolation Prizes):

1. Brad Rutter $4,968,436
2. Ken Jennings $4,372,700
3. James Holzhauer $3,614,216
4. Matt Amodio $1,964,601
5. Amy Schneider $1,864,800
6. Yogesh Raut $1,098,403
7. Mattea Roach $897,983
8. Jamie Ding $885,605
9. David Madden $785,733
10. Victoria Groce $773,801
11. Cris Pannullo $754,286
12. Roger Craig $706,200
13. Larissa Kelly $671,930
14. Matt Jackson $623,612
15. Jason Zuffranieri $549,496
16. Andrew He $534,365
17. Scott Riccardi $533,000
18. Jerome Vered $499,102
19. Julia Collins $495,767
20. Austin Rogers $493,000
21. Ben Ingram $449,201
22. Paolo Pasco $448,717
23. Adriana Harmeyer $446,600
24. Buzzy Cohen $441,603
25. Juveria Zaheer $441,000

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Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category U.S. Bodies of Water) for Friday, December 30, 2022 (Season 39, Game 80):

Continuing a downward trend, in July 2022 it was at 27% capacity, its lowest level since 1937 when it was first being filled

(correct response beneath the contestants)

Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:

Isaac Rabbani, a graduate student from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Isaac Rabbani on Jeopardy!

Kristin Jacobsen, a retired Naval officer from Burke, Virginia

Kristin Jacobsen on Jeopardy!

Ray Lalonde, a scenic artist from Toronto, Ontario, Canada (11-day total: $311,500)

Ray Lalonde on Jeopardy!

Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:

Yesterday on Jeopardy, Ray Lalonde became the 16th player to win at least eleven games, after he survived a big scare—for the first time in his run, he wasn’t leading going into Final! Challengers Isaac Rabbani and Kristin Jacobsen may see Ray as beatable today and take advantage! Interestingly, if Ray makes it through today’s game, it will be his first opportunity to go back to Toronto; Monday’s game taped about three weeks after today’s game did.

PSA: The best way to keep COVID-19 at bay (and keep Jeopardy! producing new episodes) is for everybody to get their vaccinations as soon as they can, including any boosters as recommended. When wearing a mask, please ensure that your mask covers both your nose and your mouth.

(Content continues below)

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Correct response: What is Lake Mead?

More information about Final Jeopardy:

(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2022 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)

Lake Mead, found in Nevada and Arizona, is the reservoir formed when the Hoover Dam was built on the Colorado River in the 1930s. When full, it is the largest reservoir in the United States. However, drought conditions from 2020 through 2022 have caused a severe drop in water levels in the area. A full pool is 1,229 feet of depth; July saw levels nearly 200 feet below that. While levels have risen very slightly since July, there are still grave concerns about the implications on both food and hydroelectric power production in the area if water levels get much lower.

We have many new offerings at The Jeopardy! Fan Online Store! Proceeds from the sale of the “Doctor Oz’s Fast-Acting Snake Oil Elixir” T-shirt are being donated to The Trevor Project:

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Game Recap:

Jeopardy! Round:

(Categories: The Ageless Diana Ross; U.S. Territories; The Friend Zone; Tree Anatomy; Talk Derby To Me; 4-Letter “X” Rated Words)

While it was Ray who had the best first round—he picked up 15 correct responses—it was Kristin who found the first Daily Double to bring her score closer to Ray’s and Isaac’s.

Statistics at the first break (15 clues):

Ray 8 correct 0 incorrect
Isaac 4 correct 0 incorrect
Kristin 3 correct 1 incorrect

Statistics after the Jeopardy round:

Ray 15 correct 1 incorrect
Isaac 8 correct 0 incorrect
Kristin 7 correct 1 incorrect

Double Jeopardy! Round:

(Categories: There’S A Census Excitement In The Air; Alliteration; Shakespeare’S Contemporaries; I Got A “B” In History; The First Feature They Directed; A Memorable New Year’S Eve)

Double Jeopardy! saw fireworks, as Ray and Isaac saw big jumps in their scores due to Daily Doubles. Isaac held the lead for much of the round, but a late charge by Ray saw him eke into the lead going into Final. Scores going into clue #61 were Ray at $22,800, Isaac at $20,100, and Kristin at $10,600.

Statistics after Double Jeopardy:

Ray 24 correct 1 incorrect
Isaac 17 correct 2 incorrect
Kristin 15 correct 1 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 12 (0 today).

Final Jeopardy! was a triple get today—everyone bet big, so Ray’s now a 12-day champion! He’ll see us into 2023 on Monday!

Tonight’s Game Stats:

Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Friday, December 30, 2022 Jeopardy! by the numbers:

Scores going into Final:

Ray $22,800
Isaac $20,100
Kristin $10,600

Tonight’s results:

Kristin $10,600 + $10,600 = $21,200 (What is Lake Meade)
Isaac $20,100 + $19,900 = $40,000 (What is Lake Mead)
Ray $22,800 + $20,000 = $42,800 (What is Lake Mead?) (12-day total: $354,300)

Ray Lalonde, today's Jeopardy! winner (for the December 30, 2022 game.)

Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:

Ray $8,000
Isaac $5,200
Kristin $3,800

Opening break taken after: 15 clues

Daily Double locations:

1) U.S. TERRITORIES $800 (clue #14)
Kristin 1200 +1000 (Ray 5200 Isaac 3400)
2) I GOT A “B” IN HISTORY $1200 (clue #4)
Ray 10000 +4000 (Kristin 3800 Isaac 7600)
3) ALLITERATION $1600 (clue #7, $26000 left on board)
Isaac 9200 +6500 (Ray 15200 Kristin 3800)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: 194

Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:

J! Round:
Ray 3 4 4 4 5 3 3 3
Kristin 5 4*
Isaac 5 5 4 5

DJ! Round:
Ray 3* 3 4
Kristin 2
Isaac 4 5 4*

Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:

Ray 3.55
Isaac 4.57
Kristin 3.67

Unplayed clues:

J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 12 (0.15 per episode average), 0 Daily Doubles

Game Stats:

Ray $20,000 Coryat, 24 correct, 1 incorrect, 40.35% in first on buzzer (23/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
Isaac $15,200 Coryat, 17 correct, 2 incorrect, 31.58% in first on buzzer (18/57), 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
Kristin $10,400 Coryat, 15 correct, 1 incorrect, 21.05% in first on buzzer (12/57), 3/3 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $45,600
Lach Trash: $5,200 (on 4 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $3,200

Ray Lalonde, career statistics:

305 correct, 33 incorrect
24/27 on rebound attempts (on 44 rebound opportunities)
41.23% in first on buzzer (282/684)
16/17 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $45,100)
10/12 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $20,250

Kristin Jacobsen, career statistics:

16 correct, 1 incorrect
3/3 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
21.05% in first on buzzer (12/57)
1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $1,000)
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $10,400

Isaac Rabbani, career statistics:

18 correct, 2 incorrect
0/0 on rebound attempts (on 2 rebound opportunities)
31.58% in first on buzzer (18/57)
1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $6,500)
1/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $15,200

Ray Lalonde, to win:

13 games: 80.512%
14: 64.822%
15: 52.189%
16: 42.019%
17: 33.830%
Avg. streak: 16.131 games.

Today’s interviews:

Isaac threw a roast for himself for his 24th birthday party.
Kristin served in the Navy for 27 years.
Ray was at the Toronto auditions in 2017 when Alex Trebek stopped by. (I don’t think Ray was in any of the photos.)

Andy’s Thoughts:

  • Ray moves to 23rd place in all-time winnings, including tournaments. Arthur Chu is 22nd at $397,200.
  • Ray becomes the 34th confirmed player with at least 300 correct responses on the show.
  • Today’s box score: December 30, 2022 Box Score.

Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:

(Scores: Ray $22,800 Isaac $20,100 Kristin $10,600)

Ray: Standard cover bet over Isaac is $17,401. (Actual bet: $20,000)

Kristin: You can’t bet to pass Isaac’s minimum while also winning the Triple Stumper over Ray, so you might as well go all in and hope for the best.(Actual bet: $10,600)

Isaac: Standard cover bet over Kristin is $1,101. It’s probably worth trying to keep your bet as small as possible, just in case Kristin decides to bet small herself. (Actual bet: $19,900)


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