With Paolo Pasco wiping the floor
with the competition in impressive fashion in the Tournament of Champions the
final part of the Jeopardy postseason began on Thursday: the 2026 Jeopardy
Invitational Tournament.
It has far more familiar faces
then usual with no less then five previous participants in the Jeopardy Masters
competing in the Invitational this year. We also have quite a few holdovers
from the 2025 Tournament of Champions competing this year as well with three
faces from that group. But there are two new wrinkles.
The first is the number of
competitors. As opposed to the previous two invitationals this years contains
only eighteen participants who will face off in six quarterfinal matches that
will produce six semi-finalists. The second wrinkle is one that Jeopardy fans
are familiar with: the wild card spot. The three highest scores among the
twelve non-winners will advance to the semi-finals.
Almost everyone in this year's
Tournament is familiar with this wrinkle to an extent, whether through
competing in a previous Tournament of Champions, the Second Chance and Wild
Card Tournament and Jeopardy Masters itself. The question was how would it
affect play going into the quarterfinals?
Here's how it played out.
February
5th
Matt
Amodio vs. Drew Basile vs. Karen Farrell
Karen almost certainly did the
most damage to any chance she had of a victory in the Jeopardy round. She got
to the Daily Double ahead of Matt in the Jeopardy round in ONE OF THESE DAYS
when she was in second with $1000. She did what she had to do and bet
everything:
This Caribbean Island nation
gained its name from Columbus, who sighted it on Sunday, November 3rd
1493. She
struggled and couldn't come up with anything. It was Dominica. (I'd never heard
of this island.)
Karen then went really backwards
and at one point was at -$2400. It is a credit to her play that she managed to
get all the way up to -$200 at the end of the round to Drew's $2800 and Matt's
$5400.
Matt, as is his tendency, got to
the first Daily Double early in the round in WORLD HISTORY. Perhaps given his
and other champions track records in so many masters he didn't go all in,
betting just $3000 of his $7000.
Meaning 'the way of the warrior',
it was the code of conduct for Japan's samurai, akin to European chivalry. Matt knew it was Bushido and went
up to $10,000. Not long after that Drew starting going backwards and Karen
began to move forwards. But Matt still had a sizable lead when he found the
other Daily Double in COUSINS. Now at $14,000 he bet a relatively small $2000
and in this case it was the right call:
The American composer of the opera
'Satyagraha' is second cousins to this radio personality. Matt stumbled and finally guessed:
"Who is Copeland?" It's hard to blame him for not knowing it; only my
experience with modern opera helped me realize the composer was Philip Glass
and therefore his cousin was Ira Glass." Matt dropped to $12,000.
Matt's performance in this game
was by his impressive standards, somewhat lacking. He only got 24 correct
responses and had 4 incorrect ones (including that Daily Double) Karen it's
worth made a remarkable comeback in Double Jeopardy. Having made five incorrect
responses in that round she only made one the rest of the way. However Matt
managed to finish with $18,800 and Karen just couldn't close the gap and
finished with $8200. Drew struggled and finished with $3600.
The Final Jeopardy category was
COINS OF THE WORLD. Coins issued by this territory have depicted Old World
monkeys, Neanderthal skulls & Europa Point lighthouse.
Drew's response was revealed
first. "What is Gibraltar?" That was correct. (Ken reminded us of the
Barbary apes and the famous lighthouse.) Drew did what he had to do and bet
everything giving him $7200.
Next came Karen. She also knew it
was Gibraltar. She also risked everything, putting her at $16,400.
Matt, however, wrote down:
"What is Kenya?" Had Karen been able to get close to him she could
have made Matt's life difficult. Instead Matt bet nothing and definitely earned
his return to the semi-finals. Karen's score looks pretty good; Drew is in a more
precarious position.
For the record I wasn't even in
the right part of the world with my guess. I wrote down: What is Samoa?",
crossed it out and wrote down Guam.
February
6th
Eric
Ahasic vs Roger Craig vs Veronica Vichit-Vadakan
As is his wont Roger got off to a
fast start in the Jeopardy round and found the Daily Double. Already in the
lead with $2800 he bet everything in
BLANK & BLANK:
Involving 2 elements of the
magician's art, this idiom is used to describe a situation of deception. He paused and guessed: "What
is cloak & dagger?" I thought it was that too but it was actually
smoke & mirrors. He dropped to nothing and rebuilt. By the end of the round
he was back up to $2400, just $400 behind both Veronica and Eric.
Roger stumbled early in Double
Jeopardy but got up to $4400 and found the first Daily Double in FRANCE IN THE
1600s. Again he bet everything and this time it worked out:
Found on the Left Bank of the
Seine, this veterans' hospital was built by architect Liberal Bruant in Baroque
style.
Another pause: "What is
Invalides?" This time he was correct and he took the lead.
He kept building and when he found
the other Daily Double in WE'RE BUILDING WORDS HERE he had $12,800. He bet just
$4000 this time:
Location of a eustachian tube + a
biblical evangelist = this targeted form of fundraising.
Somehow he figured it out:
"What is earmark?" He went up to $16,800.
This was a far more dominant game
than the one Matt played yesterday: Roger gave 28 correct responses and only
four incorrect ones to finish with $24,000. Veronica with $7200 and Eric with
$5600 were playing for the wild card spot when it came down to Final Jeopardy.
The category was ART &
ARTISTS. He entered the priory of San Marco in Florence in the 1430s &
was commissioned to paint its altarpiece by the Medicis.
Eric's response was: "Who is
Botticelli?" It was incorrect. He lost everything.
Veronica guessed: "Who is
Raphael?" Also incorrect and she also lost everything.
Roger wrote down: "Who is
Michelangelo?" Also incorrect. As Ken put it: "You had to think of a
Renaissance painter who was also a cleric and that was Fra Angelico. Roger bet
bigger then both his opponents and lost $9000 but he also clinched a return to
the semi-finals.
Author's Note: I was hung up on
the Florence part of the clue and wrote down: "Who is Ghiberti?" My
first thought was Brunelleschi but he was an architect. Ghiberti was a sculptor so I didn't have the
right medium.
February
9th
Liz
Feltner vs Tom 'T.L.' Cubbage vs. Drew Goins
This one was tough for everybody
including yon viewer. All three players got off to a fast start in the Jeopardy
round. Drew found the Daily Double when he was in the lead with $3000 and bet
everything in the difficult category FROM SAMUEL JOHNSON'S 1755 DICTIONARY:
Self-effacing Sam defined this,
his occupation at the time, as a 'harmless drudge, that busies himself in
tracing' words. Drew
struggled before guessing: "What is a scribe?" It was actually a
lexicographer which is what Johnson would doing at the time. He dropped to
zero.
By the end of the round is where
very close. Liz was in the lead with $4800 to TOM'S $3600 and Drew's $2800.
They did not get easier in Double Jeopardy.
Tom got a chance when he found the
Daily Double on the second clue of the round in 8-LETTER U.S. CITIES. In the
lead with $5200, he bet $3000: "After Jackson, this city well to the
southeast is Mississippi's largest." He struggled and finally guessed:
"What is Hartford?" It was actually Gulfport (I had no idea.)
It was a pattern for a round full
of triple stumpers and clues that people kept getting wrong because they were
so tough. By the time Liz found the other Daily Double in SCIENTIFIC MINDS she
was in the lead with $9200. She bet $3000 as well and it went no better for her
then Tom or Drew.
"Scientists in Brno dug up
the remains of this local hero around the bicentennial of his birth and
analyzed his genetic code." I was as hung up on Brno as anyone and
like Liz couldn't come up with the clue which involve genes: Gregor Mendel.
By the time the round mercifully
ended (and I mean that for me as well) it was incredibly close. Liz had $6200,
Tom had $5400 and Drew had $5200.
The Final Jeopardy category was 20th
CENTURY LITERARY NAMES. It sounded easy. The clue was anything but.
In 1950 he won a Tony for Best
Play &18 years after his 1965 death, he would go on to win 2 Tonys for a
musical/
Drew's response was revealed
first: "Who is Miller?" That was wrong. He bet $3600, leaving him
with $1600.
Tom was next. He wrote down:
"Who is Capote?" Also incorrect. He lost $5399.
It came down to Liz. "Who is
Hudson?" It was not obvious. The
musical in question was Cats and the author of the 'book' was T.S Eliot.
(For the record the play that he won for was The Cocktail Party in 1950.
)
It came down to wagers. Liz bet
$4601. That left her with $1599 and by a margin of a dollar a stunned Drew
Goins made it to the semi-finals. As it stands right now Liz has the third spot
for the wild card berth. Not by much.
(For the record, I wrote down:
"Who is Inge?")
February
10th
Mehal
Shah vs. Jen Giles vs. Andrew He
In Andrew's first JIT appearance
in 2024 he ended up running away with both his games. This time it was a lot
tougher and much of this was due to Andrew's own difficulties.
Andrew found the first Daily
Double on the third clue of the Jeopardy round in AT FERNCLIFF CEMETERY. He was
only allowed to wager $1000 and its good he did:
After his 1965 death at the
Audubon Ballroom at Upper Manhattan, he was interned at Ferncliff Cemetery.
Andrew struggled and finally
guessed: "Who is Rockefeller?" That was wrong. The ballroom was where
Malcolm X was assassinated. He dropped to -$200.
As a result the Jeopardy round was
much closer. Jen finished in the lead with $3400 to Mehal's $2800 while Andrew
trailed with $2200.
Early in Double Jeopardy Mehal had
taken the lead and found the first Daily Double in BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIRS. He
treated it like it was a snake that would bite him betting $5. Ken would joke
he had that much in his pocket but for once discretion was the better part of
valor:
This poet & author wrote a
6-volume bio of Abe Lincoln made up of 'The Prairie Years' & the
Pulitzer-winning 'The War Years'. Mehal
said: "Who is Goodwin?" He didn't know it was Carl Sandburg and
dropped all the way down to $5595.
Three clues later Andrew, having
retaken the lead, found the other Daily Double in AWARDS & HONORS. Rather
than showing that same discretion, he bet the $7400 he had. It went no better
then the first one he'd gotten:
The IEEE established an award in
1976 to honor the centennial of an invention by this man & named the award
for him.
Again Andrew struggled before
guessing: "Who is Morse?" It was actually Alexander Graham Bell.
For Andrew He, this was a bad day.
He got 19 correct answers and five incorrect ones, including both Daily
Doubles. To be fair none of these were easy clues. It ended with close scores.
Andrew finished in first with $6000, Jen was next with $5400 and Mehal was in
third with $4395.
The Final Jeopardy category was
THE CALENDAR. Black History Month was first celebrated around the birth
dates of Abraham Lincoln & this contemporary who died in 1895.
For the first time in the JIT all
three players knew the correct response. "Who is Frederick Douglass?"
Andrew was the only one who spelled Douglass correctly but that didn't matter.
(I knew this too.) It came down to wagers.
Mehal bet $1606, giving him $6001.
Jen bet $3000, putting her at $8400. And Andrew bet $4801 to give him with
$10,801 and giving him a return to the semi-finals.
With her total of $8400 Jen Giles
is now in second place for the Wild Card spot. Mehal was eliminated as was Liz
Feltner.
February
11th
Josh
Hill vs, Alison Betts vs. Isaac Hirsch
Alison started out the Jeopardy
round in grand style when she found the Daily Double already in the lead with
$2000. She bet it all in the category USA:
While is library is in Ann Arbor,
his museum is in Grand Rapids, where he grew up.
She figured it out: "Who is
Ford?" She held the lead for the rest of the round finishing with $5400 to
Josh's $3400 and Isaac's $3200.
Early in Double Jeopardy while
still in the lead with SIDE HUSTLE PARTS OF SPEECH. She bet $5000 and this one
really hurt:
This adjective is used more &
more as a noun meaning anyone who generates content, from poems to advertising.
She finally guessed: "What is
creator?" Alison was introduced as a creative executive and the
word was creative. She dropped to $1600.
Much of Double Jeopardy followed
the pattern we've seen in the last few games: many triple stumpers and a lot of
incorrect response. As a result the scores were low when Josh found the other
Daily Double in ASIA: BACK ON TOUR. He bet the $3600 he had:
Of the 7 – 'stan' countries, we're
headed for this one, the southernmost.
There was a long pause: "What
is Pakistan?" That is the southernmost and Josh doubled his score.
Double Jeopardy finished with Josh
and Isaac tied for the lead at $7600 while Alison had $3200. And it was then
Alison did something unheard of it in Final Jeopardy. She became a prophet.
The category was 1960s NOVEL
CHARACTERS. An article about autism in fictional characters included him,
whose '"reward' is to have his brave act go unrecognized."
Alison wrote down: "What is I
hope they both everything?" After the laughter:
Ken: I don't know if you mean you
want them to be everything and get it get right or get it wrong.
Alison: "The getting it
wrong part is kind of key to my plan."
She wagered $414, leaving her with
$2786.
Isaac was next: "Who is
Randall?" I think he had the right idea but it was incorrect. He wagered
everything as Ken pointed out "So far, Alison's plan is working."
The moment of truth. Josh wrote
down: "Who is Caulfield?" That was incorrect. The correct response
was Boo Radley, the unsung heroism at the end of To Kill A Mockingbird.
Josh's wager…also everything.
There were sounds of shock and Alison dropped her head to the lectern as she
realized that she had managed to beat a former Jeopardy master and a seven game
champion to earn a spot in the semi-finals.
Author's Note: The only thing I
could think of was Lennie and Of Mice and Men isn't even close to the 1960s.
At this point Karen Farrell has
officially clinched her spot in the semi-finals via wild card no matter what
happens in the final game.
February
12th
Long
Nyugen vs. Will Yancey vs. Adriana Harmeyer
As has been the habit of all the
quarterfinal matches the Jeopardy round was pretty even. Long got off to a fast
start but Adriana got to the Daily Double in ANTONYMS. She only had $1000 so
she bet it all:
Of seldom: This adjective that as
a verb means to go somewhere often. She
figured it out: "What is frequent?" and doubled her score. Long finished
in the lead with $5200 to Will's $4600 and Adriana's $3400.
Long won points in Double Jeopardy
both for his skill in finding Daily Doubles and his honesty each time. He found the first Daily Double in
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVANCES. In the lead
with $8000 he said: "I don't like this category" before wagering
$2000:
Meaning 'new day' in Farsi, the
March observance of Nowruz dates to spring rites of this ancient religion.
A long pause: "What is
Zoroastrianism?" He was correct and went up to $10,000.
Two clues later he found the other
Daily Double.
Ken: You didn't like that last
category, Long.
Long: I don't like any of these
categories
After the laughter subsided he bet
$1600. Just between us, these mammals'
genus is Odobenus, meaning 'tooth walk' – they use their tusks to get out of
the water.
Another pause: "What is a walrus?"
For a board that had categories he
didn't like Long played very well with 20 correct answers and only one
incorrect one. And he finished with a runaway victory:$19,600 to Will's $7400
and Adriana's $3400.
The category for Final Jeopardy was
THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. A 1606 map of
America shows this archipelago as part of a southern continent by a canoe with
smoke billowing from its center.
Adriana's response was revealed:
"What is Tierra Del Fuego?" That was correct. "Land of
fire." She bet everything, putting her at $6800.
Will started with Florida, crossed
it out and wrote down: "What is Antilles?" That was incorrect and it
cost him everything.
Long was last and he wrote down:
"What is Tierra Del Fuego?" His wager of $2000 was superfluous as he
became the last automatic semifinalist.
Yet again I was nowhere near the
correct response; I wrote down: "What is Indonesia?" That makes me one
for six in the quarterfinals.
And with that here is the official
group of semi-finalists as well as their accomplishments:
Matt Amodio, the former winner of
the Invitational who has appeared in every Jeopardy Masters so far.
Roger Craig, 2011 Tournament of Champions Winner, third
place finisher in the Battle of The Decades, part of Team Austin in Jeopardy
All-Stars, sixth place in last year's Jeopardy Masters.
Drew Goins, 2024 Jeopardy Second
Chance winner, runner up in 2025 Jeopardy Wild Card, 2025 Jeopardy TOC
semi-finalist.
Andrew He, runner-up in the 2022
Tournament of Champions, fourth place in the 2023 Jeopardy Masters, third place
in the 2024 JIT.
Allison Betts, five game winner,
quarterfinalist 2025 Tournament of Champions.
Long Nguyen, Jeopardy Second
Chance Winner 2023, Wild Card finalist.
And the three high scorers:
Karen Farrell, eight game winner, semi-finalist
2021 Tournament of Champions
Jen Giles, 2015 Teacher Tournament
Winner, part of Team Buzzy in the Jeopardy All-Star Games.
Drew Basile, seven game Jeopardy
winner in 2024, semi-finalist in the 2025 Tournament of Champions.
And as we all know of this group
Drew Basile has the most to prove: he was the only seeded semi-finalist in last
year's Tournament of Champions who didn't make it to the finals. His
fellow seeded players Adriana and Isaac did make it to the finals and to the
Masters last year. Can he succeeded where they failed?
I'll be back on Tuesday with my recap
of the semifinals. This is where I'd say anything can happen but having watched
the quarterfinals I think we all know that ship has sailed.
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