‘Jeopardy! Masters’: Your Ultimate Guide to the Tournament

Jeopardy! Masters is one of the show’s biggest competitions to date, as some of the best players to take part in the game go head-to-head.

An event Jeopardy! fans won’t want to miss, Jeopardy! Masters has plenty to love, but in case you’re not up on the latest, we’re breaking down all the need-to-know details, below. Scroll down for your complete guide to the competition, from competitors to games and everything in between.

When Is the Jeopardy! Masters Tournament?

The tournament runs from Monday, May 8 through Wednesday, May 24 when The Finals air. Every episode will air at 8/7c on ABC.

Who Will Host?

Despite Mayim Bialik‘s usual primetime positioning as host, Ken Jennings will be handling this tournament, following in his Jeopardy! GOAT footsteps.

(Credit: ABC/Christopher Willard)

How Many Jeopardy! Masters Episodes Will There Be?

There will be 10 episodes in total for the tournament, with each running an hour long. There will be 20 games in total with the tenth episode featuring two Finals games. This means the tournament will follow Jeopardy!‘s half-hour model for the games.

What Is the Jeopardy! Masters Schedule?

See the listing, below:

Monday, May 8
“Games 1 & 2”
Tuesday, May 9
“Games 3 & 4”
Wednesday, May 10
“Games 5 & 6”
Friday, May 12
“Games 7 & 8”
Monday, May 15
“Games 9 & 10”
Tuesday, May 16
“Games 11 & 12”
Wednesday, May 17
“Games 13 & 14″
Monday, May 22
“Semifinals 1 & 2”
Tuesday, May 23
“Semifinals 3 & 4”
Wednesday, May 24
“The Finals”

Who Is Playing in the Jeopardy! Masters Tournament?

(Credit: ABC/Christopher Willard)

The six highest-ranked current Jeopardy! champions will feature in this cutthroat competition, with Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach, Andrew He, Sam Buttrey, and James Holzhauer going head-to-head for the top prize.

What Does the Jeopardy! Masters Champion Win?

The grand prize for the winner of Jeopardy! Masters is $500,000 and the Trebek Trophy, an award honoring late host and fan-favorite Alex Trebek. The second-place winner earns $250,000, the third $150,000, the fourth $100,000, the fifth $75,000, and the sixth $50,000.

How Does the Jeopardy! Masters Game Work?

The tournament will play out in a series of league-style games that include Jeopardy!, Double Jeopardy!, and Final Jeopardy!, as fans have come to expect. Players will be awarded points rather than cumulative numbers at the end of each game with the winner earning 3 points, the second-place player earning 1 point, and the third-place competitor earning 0 points. After seven episodes and fourteen game total, the top four players based on the points system will advance to the Semifinals before one more player is eliminated. The championship concludes with the top three players competing for the Masters Finals.

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Based on the game rankings, that will determine which prize each player gets.

What Is the Jeopardy! Masters Game Structure?

Games 1 and 2 will see the six competitors play for a chance to participate in Game 3. The two winners from these matches will face off in the third game alongside another competitor who will be randomly selected. This structure will continue through Game 7 at which point the two lowest-ranking players will be awarded their respective prizes and end their time in the tournament.

For Episodes 8 and 9, which feature Games 15 through 18, the four remaining players will face each other over four games in various combinations. Match points will also be reset before Game 15, allowing for fresh competition. By the end of Game 18, the player with the fewest match points from the Semifinals will be awarded fourth place as the game continues onto the Finals.

The final three will play against each other in a two-game total point affair, with all match points being reset to zero at the start of Game 19.

Jeopardy! Masters, Series Premiere, Monday, May 8, 8/7c, ABC