‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Ben Chan Opens Up About His Tournament of Champions Strategy
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Jeopardy! super-champ Ben Chan is one of the three finalists in the 2024 Tournament of Champions and has opened up about his approach to the intensely competitive showdown.
Speaking to WPR’s The Morning Show on the day his quarterfinal game aired earlier this month, the philosophy professor from Green Bay, Wisconsin, revealed the “biggest surprise” about his Jeopardy! experience so far has been watching himself on television.
“I had dreaded that part of it, because, you know, a lot of people don’t like their voice. I thought I would not like my voice or my face if I saw myself on TV,” he shared. “But the watch parties were actually probably the most fun I had. You really do it for your family and-or your community, because that’s what brought you there. So that really completes the experience.”
In terms of preparing for the game show, Chan touched on his unique buzzer technique. Fans have noticed how he clutches the buzzer close to his chest, something Chan said “is on purpose.”
“There’s a lot of talk, (about) how to prepare for Jeopardy!, and one of the big things is buzzer anxiety,” he said. “I liked (holding it close) because I knew where the buzzer was, and I didn’t have to think about it. There are other preferred stances (such as) holding it down by your waist. When I tried that, I lost track of where it was. When I kept up close, I knew it was there, and I didn’t have to think about it again.”
He also revealed how he used “flashcard apps” to help him prepare, noting, “I think in general (my) performance has gotten better on the show, and it’s probably 50 percent due to the fact that we have these flashcard apps that make this kind of learning more effective.”
While many find being on the Alex Trebek Stage a stressful experience, Chan said he actually finds it “very freeing” once the game begins.
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“There’s a psychiatrist who’s in the tournament who mentioned that for a lot of people with anxiety, Jeopardy! is great because it’s actually not a lot of thinking,” he explained. “There’s not enough time to think. You do all the thinking beforehand, and then once they start firing clues at you, you’re just saying things. You’re not thinking.”
For Chan, who has become beloved from his vast trivia knowledge and easy-going nature, he tries to play with “joy,” not fear or stress.
“Once you’re there, you really let something else take over, because you’ve done everything that you can,” he stated. “So once you give up that sense of control, that’s probably what allows you to experience joy, whatever you’re doing.”
As for advice to future contestants, Chan quoted former Greatest of All-Time winner and current host Ken Jennings, who said, “The best preparation is a lifetime of paying attention.”
“It’s very hard to get on the show, so I wouldn’t encourage anybody to study specifically for the show, unless they (get invited),” Chan continued. “But other than that, watching the show was enjoyable for a lot of people, including myself, because there’s so much that the show covers in 20 minutes. If there’s one thing that’s most effective in preparing for the show, it’s just watching the show.”
Chan is currently leading the TOC with two wins to Troy Meyer and Yogesh Raut’s one win apiece. The ultimate victor will be the first to three wins.
Win or lose, Chan is delighted with his time on the show, where he’s made new friends for life.
“It feels less like ‘I found my people’ than ‘I wandered into a group of really random and cool people. Weird random weirdos,’” he said. “But I think maybe that is “my people” — a random assortment of people with really interesting lives who happen to also be good at this fun game show.”
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