Today’s Final Jeopardy – Friday, May 16, 2025

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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 National Monuments) for Friday, May 16, 2025 (Season 41, Game 180):

Also called “Great Gray Horn” & “Bear’s Tipi”, this site in the western U.S. was made a national monument in 1906

(correct response beneath the contestants)

Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:

Erin Hoard, a logistics receiver from Las Vegas, Nevada

Mitch Loflin, a set decoration coordinator from Long Beach, California

Brandon Monsman, a bartender originally from Cleveland, Ohio (2-day total: $23,600)

Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:

Bartender Brandon Monsman is now a 2-day Jeopardy! champion, with winnings of $23,600. Today, your challengers are set decoration coordinator Mitch Loflin and logistics receiver Erin Hoard.

While I keep talking about “assuming the postseason format doesn’t change” in my prediction, it already looks like the show’s 2026 postseason may be different from 2025’s in terms of composition. On yesterday’s Inside Jeopardy!, Sarah hinted that due to all of the very strong nonwinning contestants in this postseason cycle, the show may need to run three weeks of Second Chance play next season. Of course, that will necessitate a change to the number of contestants in Champions Wildcard. Until I hear official numbers otherwise, though, my postseason predictions will still assume the same format as the previous year’s postseason.

Correct response: What is Devils Tower?

More information about Final Jeopardy:

(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2025 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)

Devils Tower in northeastern Wyoming and the Black Hills was made a National Monument by Theodore Roosevelt in September 1906. It has numerous indigenous names in addition to the two mentioned in today’s clue: there is also Matȟó Thípila (Lakota) and Daxpitcheeaasáao (“Home of Bears” in Crow).

This should be a straightforward Final Jeopardy clue for anyone who pays attention to the show’s writing: Devils Tower has been a favorite subject of the writers over the years, and its becoming a National Monument in 1906 is nearly Pavlovian for those who have paid enough attention. For years, the show has said the best way to study for the show is to watch the show—and this Final Jeopardy today is a prime example of that. In fact, the Final Jeopardy about Devils Tower in 2018 also mentioned 1906 while also tying it in to its being featured in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

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Game Recap & Tonight’s Game Stats:

Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Friday, May 16, 2025 Jeopardy! by the numbers, along with a recap:

Jeopardy! Round:

(Categories: Countries Of The World; The Something Of The Something; 3 Words, 3 Syllables; On A Stamp; Contained Therein; Trash Talk)

Brandon found the Daily Double on Clue 1, and incorrect response put him in the red. Both challengers got off to a good start; at the break, the scores were Erin $2,800 Mitch $2,200 Brandon -$200.

Statistics at the first break (15 clues):

Erin 6 correct 1 incorrect
Mitch 3 correct 0 incorrect
Brandon 2 correct 2 incorrect

Today’s interviews:

Erin met her husband when wearing a ridiculous costume.
Mitch made a New Year’s Resolution to watch every Anne Hathaway film.
Brandon won a pinewood derby despite not being sure how to carve a car out of wood.

Despite a hilarious misreading of a country clue, Mitch picked up 6 correct after the break to take the lead and hold it after 30.

Statistics after the Jeopardy round:

Mitch 9 correct 1 incorrect
Erin 7 correct 2 incorrect
Brandon 7 correct 3 incorrect

Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:

Mitch $4,200
Erin $3,000
Brandon $2,000

Double Jeopardy! Round:

(Categories: 20Th Century Song, 21St Century Ad; Book Title Tattle; Plants & Trees; Naval History; Old Testament Names; Trash Talk)

Brandon found DD2 immediately and gained $1,500 from it. Mitch built a big lead, but Erin clawed it back from both DD3 and a number of correct responses following. Erin led going into Final Jeopardy.

Statistics after Double Jeopardy:

Erin 17 correct 3 incorrect
Mitch 18 correct 1 incorrect
Brandon 13 correct 3 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 30 (0 today).

Scores going into Final:

Erin $16,000
Mitch $13,800
Brandon $8,300

This Final Jeopardy was a Triple Stumper—and Mitch didn’t make the same mistake that Neeraj did yesterday. Mitch is your new champion; he’ll be back Monday to defend.

Tonight’s results:

Brandon $8,300 – $6,000 = $2,300 (What is the Transameria Building?)
Mitch $13,800 – $5,400 = $8,400 (What is Mt. Wilson) (1-day total: $8,400)
Erin $16,000 – $11,601 = $4,399 (What is Chimney Rock)

Other Miscellaneous Game Statistics:

Daily Double locations:

1) 3 WORDS, 3 SYLLABLES $800 (clue #1)
Brandon 0 -1000 (Mitch 0 Erin 0)
2) BOOK TITLE TATTLE $1200 (clue #1)
Brandon 2000 +1500 (Mitch 4200 Erin 3000)
3) PLANTS & TREES $1600 (clue #18, $12000 left on board)
Erin 6600 +3000 (Brandon 7100 Mitch 13400)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: 20

Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:

J! Round:
Brandon 4*
Mitch
Erin

DJ! Round:
Brandon 3* 3 5† 2
Mitch 2 4 2 5 2 3 4 5 2† 4† 4
Erin 3 3 4*

† – selection in same category as Daily Double

Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:

Mitch 3.36
Erin 3.33
Brandon 3.40

Unplayed clues:

J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 30 (0.17 per episode average), 0 Daily Doubles

Game Stats:

Mitch $13,800 Coryat, 18 correct, 1 incorrect, 29.82% in first on buzzer (17/57), 2/2 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
Erin $14,600 Coryat, 17 correct, 3 incorrect, 31.58% in first on buzzer (18/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
Brandon $9,000 Coryat, 13 correct, 3 incorrect, 22.81% in first on buzzer (13/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 4 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $37,400
Lach Trash: $12,600 (on 11 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $4,000
Lead Changes: 5
Times Tied: 4

Player Statistics:

Brandon Monsman, career statistics:

38 correct, 12 incorrect
3/4 on rebound attempts (on 12 rebound opportunities)
23.39% in first on buzzer (40/171)
2/3 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $1,500)
1/3 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $8,133

Mitch Loflin, career statistics:

18 correct, 2 incorrect
2/2 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
29.82% in first on buzzer (17/57)
0/0 on Daily Doubles
0/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $13,800

Erin Hoard, career statistics:

17 correct, 4 incorrect
1/1 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
31.58% in first on buzzer (18/57)
1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $3,000)
0/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $14,600

Mitch Loflin, to win:

2 games: 43.883%
3: 19.257%
4: 8.451%
5: 3.708%
6: 1.627%
Avg. streak: 1.782 games.

Andy’s Thoughts:

• Today’s box score will be linked to when posted by the show.

Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:

(Scores: Erin $16,000 Mitch $13,800 Brandon $8,300)

Brandon: You should bet between $2,700 and $3,900 to have the best chance of winning. (Actual bet: $6,000)

Mitch: Standard cover bet over Brandon is $2,801. As Brandon may well bet $0 again, don’t bet any more than $5,499. (Actual bet: $5,400)

Erin: Standard cover bet is $11,601. (Actual bet: $11,601)

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