Thursday, February 27, 2025

Jeopardy Invitational Tournament 2025 Recap, Part 1: The Quarterfinals

 

 

I’ll be honest, I didn’t think I’d be writing about the 2025 Jeopardy Invitational Tournament this soon: I’d been told by numerous sources that it had been postponed and I figured they’d wait a few weeks before we saw it. But apparently the producers are believers in giving the fans what they want – and not entirely coincidentally, getting the postseason over  with as quickly possible.

So on Monday the long anticipated 2025 Jeopardy Invitational Tournament began. Since we only learned about the participants last week we haven’t had much time to react. That doesn’t means fans like myself weren’t looking forward to it greatly. So here are the recaps of the quarterfinals. I’ll add two addendums from both the last invitational and the postseason so far: I’ll reveal my response for Final Jeopardy and I’ll let you know who I was rooting for in each quarterfinal.

 

February 17th

Matt Amodio vs. Hannah Wilson vs Doug Molitor

Interviews: Hannah mentioned that she went to Canada and participated in an escape room with Javeria Zaheer and Mattea Roach – and they lost. Matt said that he was auditioning for James Holzhauer’s title of game show villain – which we all know Matt couldn’t pull off and he didn’t really try in this game.

I wasn’t rooting against Matt, who is one of my favorite players of all time but I was still pulling for Hannah or at least for her or Doug to make Matt earn his win to move forward. I kind of got the best of both worlds and a thrilling game to boot.

From the start it was a back and forth game between Hannah and Matt. Hannah got off to a quicker start in the Jeopardy round and was already in the lead when she found the Daily Double in 2-WORD RHYMES. She wagered the $4000 she already had:

“Magic phrase that’s also a Kurt Vonnegut book title.” She knew it was Hocus Pocus and doubled her score. Matt closed the distance but she was still ahead with $9600 to Matt’s $6800. Doug trailed with $800.

Doug’s best chance came when he found the Daily Double on the first clue in ANCIENT TIMES. He bet the $2000 he was allowed to: “To ancient Greek poli sci, it was rule by the few and not the best few; the Thirty Tyrants of Athens in 403 B.C. are an example.” Doug struggled before guessing: “What is meritocracy?” It was closer to the opposite: an oligarchy. He dropped to -$1200 and never got out of the red.

Hannah held on to her lead for the first half of Double Jeopardy but then Matt got to the other Daily Double in PHILOSOPHY. Keeping with the trend of two year’s of Jeopardy Masters he bet the $13,600 he had:

“Nick Bostrom is known for his argument that we are living in this, run by posthuman intelligence on their machines.” It took him a moment to guess: “What is a simulation?” He jumped into the lead for the first time with $27,200.

Hannah had no intention of going quietly, which left little room for Doug between these two juggernauts. He finished at -$3200 and achieved the dubious distinction of becoming the first player in a Jeopardy Invitational Tournament not to play in Final Jeopardy. Matt had $30,400 to Hannah’s $22,400.

The Final Jeopardy category was a strange blend: LITERATURE & SICKNESS. “Still around today, this strep infection that causes a rash has terrible effects in Little Women & the Little House on the Prairie books.

Hannah’s response was revealed first: What is scarlet fever? That was correct. (I guessed that too, having seen Little Women more than a few times.) She wagered $8001 putting her in front by $1.

It came down to Matt who also knew it was scarlet fever. He wagered quite a bit more than  a dollar: $15,000 in fact. He more than earned his spot in the semi-finals.

 

February 18th

Skyler Hornbeck vs Margaret Shelton vs Jaskaran Singh

This was the first Jeopardy Invitational game of any kind I had no out-and-out favorite: all three had made an impact. What I wanted was a good game and it was for a while.

Jaskaran took a lead early in the Jeopardy round. Skyler had a chance to cut into when he found the Daily Double in BORDERLINE and indeed could have with $3200 to Jaskaran’s $5600. He cautiously bet $1500:

“Now a tourist attraction, the demilitarized zone separating these two countries was officially demolished in 1976.” Skyler couldn’t come up with it: it was North and South Vietnam. (My guess was North and South Korea.) At the end of the round Jaskaran led with $5600 to Margaret’s $2800 and Skyler’s $2700.

Margaret would briefly take the lead in Double Jeopardy but Jaskaran then went on a tear of six consecutive correct answers and eventually getting 9 out of 11 correct. He had $21,600 when he found the first Daily Double in EARTH SCIENCE. Cautious he just bet $1000. That turned out to be wise:

“As it name suggests, this part of the atmosphere that begins about 50 miles up is rich in electrically charged particles.” Jaskaran struggled and guessed: “What is the…magnetosphere?” It was the ionosphere which made sense to Jaskaran when he heard it.

Not long after that Margaret found the other Daily Double in TRIPLE ‘A’. She had $11,200 to Jaskaran’s $21,000. She wasn’t that reckless and bet $5000:

“From Sanskrit for ‘great’, it’s a person revered for wisdom and selflessness.” She struggled and clearly forgot the category when she said: “What is guru?” It was actually mahatma. She dropped to $6200. The game ended with Jaskaran having a runaway with $21,800 to Skyler’s $7100 and Margaret’s $6200.

The Final Jeopardy category was SUPREME COURT DECISION. I thought this would be a category I’d do well with. I was very wrong. “This landmark case was reported in the New York Times not on the front page but in ‘News of the Railroads’”. The best I could come up with was Sherman Anti-Trust act, which wasn’t close.

Margaret couldn’t write down anything and she lost everything. Skyler was trying to finish: “What is Pullman vs. United States?” and that was wrong. He lost $3500.

But Jaskaran figured it out. Writing down: “What is Plessy v. Ferguson?” I had long forgotten, if indeed I ever knew, that the landmark ‘separate but equal’ originally had to do with railroad car segregation. Jaskaran bet nothing and he didn’t have too as he became an automatic semi-finalist.

I should add this was the first postseason Jeopardy game I’ve seen in a very long time that was ‘old-school’. All three players did a lot of top to bottom method for all categories, searching for Daily Doubles started in the middle of each category and all three were relatively conservative in wagers on Daily Doubles (except Margaret but she had little choice in the matter). Even odder is the fact that two of the contestants are relatively recent to Jeopardy and the third comes from the 2010s. Skyler mentioned his appearance on the show from Kids Week 2013, so naturally Ken embarrassed him with a picture of him at 12. To be fair, it also showed the incredible $66,600 he won that day which no doubt covers up a lot of teasing.

 

 

February 19th

Emily Sands vs. Rachael Schwartz vs Jonathan Fisher

It was tough trying to figure out who to root for here. I’ve been watching Rachael play Jeopardy on and off for the last thirty years so I had my reasons to root for her. When Matt won I thought it would be great if Jonathan, the man who beat him, got a chance to go up against him. And as someone who thought Emily Sands had to do a lot of work just to get to the Tournament of Champions in the first place, I was inclined to be on her side. The fact that she told us she’d made friendship bracelets for everyone in every tournament she’s been, well, that just made me love her more.

In the Jeopardy round Rachel struck first when she found the Daily Double when she was the only player with money to wager. She bet $1000 in I’M DRAGO TODAY: “This book’s title character is ‘Armansky’s star researcher…a pale anorexic young woman who had hair as short as a fuse.” Rachel knew it was The Girl With Dragon Tattoo and went up to $2200. From that point on it was a close round and when it ended Rachael had the barest of leads with $3200 to Jonathan’s $2800 and Emily’s $2200.

Emily struck first in the Double Jeopardy round. She found the first Daily Double on the second clue in THE ELEMENTS. She bet the $2200 she had:

“The Og of elements is oganesson – though we don’t know for sure it’s a gas, it’s part of group 18, this septet.” Emily knew it was the noble gases and moved into the lead.

The next set of clues were a back and forth and by the time Jonathan got to the other Daily Double in RECEDING HEIR-LINES he was in third with $4400. He wagered $2400:

“This heir, a valuable pawn after his mom and dad got the guillotine in 1793, was determined to have died in prison.” I could see Jonathan counting in his head before he guessed: “Who is Louis XVII?” That was correct. He moved to $6800 and into a tie for the lead with Emily.

Most of the round was dominated by Jonathan and Emily with Rachael only ringing in twice, both times with correct answers. Jonathan gave 19 correct responses but gave six incorrect ones and Emily gave 20 correct answers but four incorrect ones. So by the end of Double Jeopardy it was still incredibly close: Emily had $14,000, Jonathan $12,400 and Rachel was still very much alive with $6000.

The Final Jeopardy category was THE ANCIENTS SPEAK. “He wrote, ‘I must make the founder of lovely & famous Athens the counterpart…to the father of glorious Rome.” Now for the first time in almost a month I actually knew the correct answer and none of the champions did. That’s not entirely their fault as it was a tough one.

Rachael wrote down: “Who is Herodotus?” It cost her $5000, leaving her with $1000. Jonathan guessed Virgil. He bet just $399, leaving him with $12,001. (He was betting to be ahead of Rachael in case he was wrong and she was right and bet everything.)

It came down to Emily. She wrote a tribute to Doug and Dana. The correct response was: Who is Plutarch? Long ago I once had a copy of what is known as Plutarch’s Lives in which he parallels Greek and Roman figures. (I didn’t actually read it, though.)

It came down to wagers. Emily bet nothing. That left her with $14,000. Her gamble had paid off as she  became a semi-finalist.

 

February 20th

Raymond Goslow vs Troy Meyer vs Jackie Kelly

If I had a preference it was for Troy because he was so magnificent in last year’s Tournament of Champions. But what we got is one of the great games of Season 41, period.

It started out as a back and forth between Troy and Raymond in the Jeopardy round. Raymond got an early but Troy took it back when he found the Daily Double in SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES. He bet the $2800 he had:

“Historians use the term ‘the long 19th century’ to refer to the 125 year period between the starts of these 2 European cataclysms.” Troy responded: “What are The French Revolution and World War I?” and went into the lead with $5600. However the round ended in a tie with Raymond and Troy at $7400 apiece and Jackie trailing with $1600.

The Double Jeopardy round was perfect: all thirty responses were answered correctly by one player. Troy moved into the lead early in the round but Jackie caught a break when she found the first Daily Double in SURPRISE! SHAKESPEARE! (As Ken pointed out “Not that big of a surprise on Jeopardy.” ) Jackie was at $5600 but she was doing well in the category already so she bet it all:

“The title of this play is fulfilled in Act V, Scene 3 when Helena finally gets her Bertram.” She knew it was ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL and jumped into second place.

One clue later Raymond found the other Daily Double in YOUR CHARITY AWAITS. At that point he was in third with $10,600. He bet $5000:

“Each year this organization founded in 1944 awards scholarships worth more than $65 million as it aids 37 HCBUs” Raymond didn’t sound certain when he said: “What is the United Negro College Fund?” but he was correct and moved into the lead again with $15,600.

As you’d expect when you have a perfect round the scores at the end of Double Jeopardy were incredibly high: $25,200 for Raymond, $19,800 for Troy and $13,200 for Jackie. It came down to Final Jeopardy. The category was THE SOUTHWEST:

“The 4-syllable name of this city is almost identical to its namesake town in Spain, except the Spanish one has an extra ‘R’.

Jackie couldn’t come up with anything. It cost her everything she had. Troy wrote down the correct city: “What is Albuquerque?” (And he even spelled it right which I’m not sure I did at home.) He bet $7601 putting him in the lead with $27,401.

It came down to Raymond. He wrote down Albuquerque as well. He bet $14,401. That gave him $39,601 and made him a semi-finalist with what was the second highest score of Season 41. He definitely earned it.

(Incidentally Troy was involved in one other Jeopardy game with a perfect Double Jeopardy round: his semifinal appearance in the Tournament of Champions which he won. Sometimes the magic works, sometimes it doesn’t.)

 

February 21st

Maya Wright vs Roger Craig vs John Focht

If you’ve been reading my columns about Jeopardy on and off for the last year, you already know who I was rooting for. I wanted to see Roger Craig, the man who broke Ken Jennings’ one day record and who nearly beat Ken in the Battle of the Decades Finals win. And honestly since the moment the first JIT was announced, every Jeopardy fan wanted this. We wanted to see Roger go head to head with Amy Schneider and Matt Amodio and make it to the Masters. And today we got the first part of our wish fulfilled.

It didn’t look like it early on; Roger spent much of the Jeopardy round in the red and in a distant third. By the time he found the Daily Double late in the round, he was far behind John Focht with $800. He wagered the $1000 he was allowed in ASTROLOGY:

“Think of the 4-letter acronym describing Muhammad Ali & it makes sense this was his sign.” It took a moment before he said: “What is Capricorn?” (for GOAT) and he moved up to $1800. He was still in second at the end of the round with $2600 to John’s $7800 and Maya’s $1200.

For the first half of Double Jeopardy it seemed like John had the edge even as Roger closed the gap. Then he found the first Daily Double in MOVING WORDS. He did what we all knew was coming and bet the $9000:

“12-letter word for the group of people walking down the aisle at the start of the wedding.” He had to count on his fingers before he guessed: “What is processional?” He had done a ‘classic Roger Craig double up’ as Ken himself could appreciate and was not in the lead.

Three clues later, still with $18000 he found the other Daily Double in PROLOGUES. This time he bet $12,000:

“His intro to Nobody Knows my Name: “in America, the color of my skin had stood between myself and me; in Europe, that barrier was down.” He knew it was James Baldwin and went to $30,000. He had not officially locked the game up with that wager but he very quickly did finishing with $36,000 to John’s $13,800 and Maya’s $1400.

Final Jeopardy was an exercise but all three players took it seriously. The category was COMPOSERS: “Yale takes credit for starting a commencement tradition when it gave this composer an honorary doctorate in 1905.” All three players knew it was Elgar, the composer of ‘Pomp and Circumstance’. (So did I.) Ken went out of his way to praise his friend and fellow competitor as he punched his ticket to the semi-finals.

By the way for those of you who might have wondered why Julia Collins wasn’t invited? Apparently in the Jeopardy All-Star Games he and Julia connected and they’re married now! Which officially makes them the most successful Jeopardy spouses in history. Roger hinted that Julia will probably be back next year if things worked out.

 

February 24th

Avi Gupta Vs. Amy Schneider Vs. Luigi De Guzman

Amy is the only player from the previous year’s Invitational who is playing in this one. In her first quarterfinal match back in 2024 she was up against Austin Rogers and Celeste DiNucci, and she ran away with that game. With respect to Luigi and Avi, I figured Amy would have an easier time with them. Boy I was wrong – and maybe Jeopardy will be better for it.

From the start this was a tight game between Luigi and Amy. Luigi got into the lead early in the Jeopardy round and managed to add to it when he found the Daily Double in a category none of the players wanted to go near 21st MOVIE QUOTES. He was in the lead with $6800 before cautiously betting $1200:

“Alan Arkin: ‘If I’m doing a fake movie, it’s gonna be a fake hit.” Luigi knew it was Argo and went up to $8000. He finished the round with $9600 to Amy’s $5200 and Avi’s $2600.

Amy got a chance to take the lead back early in Double Jeopardy when she found the first Daily Double in HISTORY TO A ‘T’. She wagered $5000:

“The forces of Leonidas and Xerxes faced off at this 480 B.C. battle.” I don’t know if it was her studies or seeing 300 that helped her know it was Thermopylae but she moved into the lead with $12,200.

Just four clues later Avi found the other Daily Double in FORESTS. He was in a distant third with $4600 so it made sense to go ‘All In.”

“The Bohemian Forest is mainly along Germany’s border with this country to the east.” He used a term I hadn’t heard: “What is Czechia?” but apparently that is an acceptable response for the Czech Republic. He doubled his score and it was much closer.

Luigi pulled ahead a few clues later and would maintain for the rest of the game. He finished with $23,600, an impressive score but not nearly enough for a runaway. Amy was next with $14,200 and Avi was still very much alive at the end of Double Jeopardy with $11,200.

The Final Jeopardy category was AMERICAN AUTHORS. The clue was more complex than I thought: “Enlisting in the Army in 1917, he was sent to Camp Sheridan in Montgomery, where he met the woman who would become his wife.”

Avi’s response was revealed first: “Who is Faulkner?” That was my response and like his it was incorrect. He wagered $7233, dropping him to $4233.

Amy wrote down: “Who is Faulkner?” crossed it out and put in Hemingway. Hemingway was incorrect as well. She lost $10,000 putting her at $4200.

It came down to Luigi. He’d also written down Faulkner. Apparently that was where F. Scott Fitzgerald met the Southern belle Zelda. (I didn’t know it either.) Luigi’s wager was $4801. It left him with $18,799 and he narrowly prevailed to become a semi-finalist.

Another thrilling game – and its result will make it much harder for the producers to justify inviting Amy back to the Masters this year. (After last year’s blowback, they probably only would have if she’d won but you never know.)

 

February 25th

Ray LaLonde vs Robin Carroll vs. Ryan Long

When you have three of the greatest Jeopardy players in history facing off as we did with the Three R’s (Ken’s words, not mine) it was hard to choose a favorite. But Ray probably sealed the deal for me in his interview segment when he revealed that in his first game he missed a clue about H.M.S. Pinafore and was complaining about to his daughter afterwards. “I could probably sing the whole score of it,” he said. “Dad you have,” she told him. As an eternal Gilbert and Sullivan fan (who had to endure something similar growing up) I was obligated to favor him slightly more than Ryan and Robin.

The Jeopardy round was pretty much dead even all the way through. Robin didn’t move ahead until near the end helped by the Daily Double in TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION. She wagered $1200:

“In 1942 rails in Utah were removed as war scrap & this commemorative item (OK, a replica) was pulled up after 73 years.” Robin knew it was the Golden Spike and moved up to $4800. She finished the round with $5200 to Ryan’s $3600 and Ray’s $2800.

Ray made his move when he found the first Daily Double in FASCISM on the second clue of Double Jeopardy. After the obligatory jokes (Ken: How much does FASCISM appeal to you?) Ray bet the $4000 he had:

“George Soros survived the rule of the Arrow Cross Fascist Party in this Country late in World War II.” Ray knew it was Hungary and went into the lead with $8000. He would maintain it for the remainder of Double Jeopardy though Robin and Ryan were hot on his heels the whole round.

To assure it he found the other Daily Double in GETTING POSSESSIVE. This time he bet $3000:

“Named for a 5th century Greek philosopher, they’re logical conundrums springing from flawed assumptions about what we know.” Ray figured out they were Xeno’s Paradoxes and went up to $15,400. He would finish Double Jeopardy with an impressive lead of $17,000 but Ryan at $9800 and Robin at $9200 could still take victory from him.

The Final Jeopardy category was an old standard: WORLD GEOGRAPHY. The clue was a nightmare. “Located on an island, in 2016 this world capital began following 2 different time zones.” None of the three players knew this one – and neither did I.

Robin guessed: “What is Paris?” That was wrong. She only lost $601, leaving her with $8599. Next came Ryan. He guessed: “What is Bangkok?” Also wrong. He lost $9700. It was up to Ray. He guessed: “What is Copenhagen?” That was also wrong.

Apparently Cyprus is divided between Turkey and Greece, so it referred to the capital Nicosia. (I had no idea what Cyprus’s capital is and I was in the wrong part of the world. My guess was Jakarta.) Ray’s wager was $2601, which left him with $14,399 and assured that another super-champion will be competing in the semi-final.

 

February 26th

Ben Chan vs Claire Sattler vs Shane Whitlock

In a field that comprised of the three stages of Jeopardy winner (Shane was a former College Champion; Claire a Teen Tournament Winner and Ben a Tournament of Champions runner-up) my heart may have been more with Shane who I have  a longer history with then the other two. (I’ve written about him in my entry on College Champions.) Claire told the more endearing story as an aspiring stand-up when she made a direct appeal to Colin Jost asking to star on SNL. (Which for the record, she’d be awesome at.)

Ben found the Daily Double on the first clue of the game and it went badly. Shane went into the lead early and maintained it for the rest of the round finishing with $9000 to Ben’s $3200 and Claire’s $800.

Claire went into the red early in Double Jeopardy and never got to the positive side. Ben managed to pull ahead very quickly and he and Shane went back and forth. He was at $19,600 when he found the first Daily Double in ALL ABOUT ANIMALS but was so uncomfortable with the category he bet $5. This was a very wise decision:

“These pointy denizens of the ocean were actually named after an earlier word for hedgehogs.” We saw Ben mentally struggle before guessing: “What are sea anemones?” It was apparently urchins and he went all the way down to $19,595.

Not long after Shane got two clues correct in ALLITERATION and then Ben missed the $1600 one. Shane found the other Daily Double with $17,000 to Ben’s $17,995. He bet $3500 to try and put the lead out of reach of Ben.

“This pair that tests one’s forbearance sounds redundant; the phrase was used about St. Paul’s epistle to the Romans.” Shane struggled but couldn’t come up with trials and tribulations. He dropped to $13,500.

He finished with $14,700 to Ben’s $18,395. Claire had nothing  but Ken said that he hoped Colin saw her audition:

Claire: “I hope he wasn’t deterred by the final score.”

(Laughter)

Ken: “I think he tunes out after the first round. You’re good.

 

For Shane and Ben it came down to Final Jeopardy. The category was PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. The clue was easy if, like me, you know your American political history. As for Shane and Ben, well:

“The only 2 Democrats to be elected president between James Buchanan in 1856 and FDR in 1932.”

Shane was first. He wrote down: “Who are Cleveland and Wilson?” Those were the two. He bet $6000 putting him in the lead with $20,700.

Ben has been a killer in Final Jeopardy his entire career on the show so I thought he would have this. He got Wilson, started to write down Benjamin Harrison crossed it out and put in Garfield. His wagered was $3694 putting him at $14,701. And as a result Shane won a much deserved slot in the semi-finals.

 

February 27th

Seth Wilson vs Jackson Jones vs Juveria Zaheer

My favorite for this was Seth because as I’ve mentioned before he is one of the most undervalued super-champions in Jeopardy history. That said, Javeria proved herself to be endearing in her anecdote when she said her daughter now wants to be Ken Jennings and has perfecting saying such lines as “We needed more” and “I’m sorry.” (Ken says her daughter knows how easy his job is.)

Juveria had a chance to strike first in the Jeopardy round when she found the Daily Double in THE 15TH CENTURY. She bet the $1400 she had: “The structure called this, after the old city of Tokyo, was built; over centuries, it expanded greatly, then contracted.” She said: “What is Edo?” And Ken could not give it to her: They were looking for the structure which was Edo Castle. Juveria dropped to zero and was unable to get out of third place the rest of the round. At the end of the round Jackson led with $5200 to Seth’s $4200 and Juveria’s $2600.

What may have been the critical moment game when Seth found the first Daily Double in TALES OF ADVENTURE. He was in the lead and bet the $5800 he had: “Though a cowardly lech, in India the Hero of Flashman in the Great Game earns this then-highest British Award for gallantry.” Seth guessed: “What is the Order of St. George?” It was in fact the Victoria Cross. He dropped to zero but the next several clues no one was able to gain much of an edge. When Juveria found the other Daily Double in BODY HUMAN she was in second with $6600. Again she gambled and bet everything. This time it paid off:

“Head to the end of the alphabet for this bone that forms an outer wall of the eye socket.” She named a bone I had never heard of: “the zygomatic bone” and went up to $13,200. No one came close to her lead but she finished with victory far from assured: She had $16,000 at the end of Double Jeopardy to Jackson’s $10,800 and Seth’s $6400.

The category for Final Jeopardy was ART & ARTISTS. “Born in Amersfoort in 1872, he helped found an art movement noted for the use of straight lines & primary colors.” For only the second time in the quarterfinals all three players knew the correct response (as did I) “Who is Piet Mondrian?” It came down to wagers.

Seth bet $6399, which put him at $12,799. Jackson bet $5201, which gave him $16,001. Juveria wagered $5601 to give her $21,601 and make her the ninth and last semi-finalist.

This has already been a more thrilling JIT then the first one and I suspect it will have even more potential viewership then last time for at least two reasons:

1.      There’s no possibility of a hint of the producers setting up a Masters type rematch this year because we only have one former Jeopardy Master and we’ve already seen just how hard it was for Matt Amodio to get there.

2.      We’ve already increased the number of upsets in the semi-finals in this year than last year because at least three semi-finalists – Emily, Luigi and Juveria have each already beaten one super-champion who on paper should have been able to destroy them.

There’s obviously more reasons to love this lineup and I’ll be back on Tuesday to discuss what will certainly be a thrilling set of semi-finals.

 

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