JEOPARDY! star Greg Jolin has revealed his ‘nerdy’ strategy for battling his upcoming Tournament of Champions opponents after scoring his fifth win.
In order to score an invitation to the prestigious tournament, Jeopardy! players must win at least five consecutive games – something few contestants have done so far in season 41.
On Wednesday’s episode, Greg was looking to extend his four-day earnings of $110,402.
The New Hampshire accountant went up against Adrienne Clermont, an ER doctor originally from Ithaca, New York and Derek Hieronymus, a sales director from Hutto, Texas.
After impressing fans all week with landslide wins, viewers were eager to see if Greg could pull off one more to secure his ToC spot.
Greg came to play and jumped out to an early lead – securing $3,800 by the first break.
He continued to be quick to the buzzer and accumulate accurate responses – furthering his total despite not finding any of the three Daily Doubles.
Without putting much pressure on him, Greg had a substantial advantage heading into Final Jeopardy!
He had garnered $24,600 while Adrienne was in second with $12,200 and Derek had $10,600.
Host Ken Jennings read the final clue under the “Countries” category.
“This country has the most time zones in the world, including its territories in South America & off the coast of Africa,” he said as they placed their wagers.
Everyone was correct in writing down “What is France?” – closing the gap but still giving Greg his 5th win.
Greg strategically did not bet anything, leaving his score at $24,600.
Adrienne nearly doubled her lead to $21,201 while Derek finished the game with $12,201.
After scoring the highly-coveted ToC spot, Greg went online to discuss his gameplay – and admitted to it being on the “nerdier” side.
“I am a gigantic nerd so I started compiling my own spreadsheet of potential TOC opponents after I knew I qualified for the TOC.
“At the moment my average Coryat ($19,120) is second to Isaac Hirsch’s ($20,400) among 3+ game winners this season,” he wrote.
He then added: “(And for the record, all the stats I’m looking at have Isaac at or near the top.)”
Greg was referring to Isaac Hirsch – who won 10 games earlier this year.
Fans were thrilled with his performance, with one writing: “Close game! Well done, Adrienne, Derek, and TOC-eligible Greg!”
Jeopardy! Set Secrets
Jeopardy! fans don’t see everything behind the scenes from watching on TV. These hidden set features make the show run smoothly:
- Each podium has a hidden riser so that all contestants appear to be the same height.
- After each clue is read, signal lights go off around the game board, indicating players can buzz in and respond.
- Buzz in too early, and you’re locked out for .25 seconds.
- The podiums have a small white light in the lower left corner, which tells Ken Jennings who goes next.
- Contrary to popular belief, the player with control doesn’t have a buzzer advantage on the next clue.
- To the game board’s left is a scoreboard so the players can see their opponents’ scores.
- All contestants must bring three outfits to the studio, but only the host and returning champion change for the next episode.
- There are wardrobe rules, including restrictions on busy patterns, solid white, purple (like the background), and logos.
- Five episodes are taped in a single day, and sometimes more.
- The categories, players (aside from the returning champion), and Final Jeopardy! for a tape day are all drawn randomly to ensure fairness.
- Female contestants are asked not to wear makeup, which is applied backstage, and don’t wear mascara because of sweat.
- Contestants fill out a questionnaire, and producers select five Q&A topics for the host.
- Host Ken isn’t allowed to interact with the contestants until after the game.
- Players can request to sit in a chair while competing without question.
“Great playing all round! It looked like Greg wasn’t going to ring in on that last clue, but then he realized it would give him a runaway if he got it right and not risk his lead if he got it wrong,” another said.
Greg’s impressive gameplay has turned heads with even his toughest rivals.
While reflecting on the game, contestant Sam Cameron expressed his envy for not being able to buzz in quick enough for a clue Greg knew quickly.
“Oh man, I’m super jealous that Greg got to the buzzer first on the Agatha Christie question, haha!
“She’s my all-time favorite author and I’ve got a collection of her books from thrift stores and garage sales,” he wrote.
Greg’s quest to continue his winning streak continues on Thursday’s game.
