‘Jeopardy!’ Reveals 5 Rules Contestants Should Know Before Appearing on Show

Think you know Jeopardy! better than most people? The game show shared five rules that every contestant should be aware of before playing the game.

Most Jeopardy! fans and contestants know that it is a question-and-answer show, where contestants have to answer in the form of a question (What is_____? Who is blank?), but did you know that contestants get a redo in the first round if they forget? According to the official website, in 2016, “If a contestant gives a response to a non-Daily Double clue in the Jeopardy! round that is not in the form of a question, the host will give them a reminder.”

The post went on to say that if a contestant doesn’t answer in the form of a question in Double Jeopardy, Final Jeopardy, or for a Daily Double, they will be deemed incorrect. The website suggests “practicing every day.” “When your kids ask, ‘What’s for dinner?’ reply, ‘What is minestrone soup?’ When the officer says, ‘Do you know why I pulled you over?’ say, ‘What is running a stop sign?’ You might get some funny looks and a traffic ticket, but by the time you’re on Jeopardy!, it’ll be second nature,” it said.

The second rule is that a contestant is allowed to change their response before host Ken Jennings or the judges have made a ruling. However, the show warns that contestants have to be quick about it. “There’s no way to prepare for how nerves may affect you when the game is in play,” the site said.

The third rule is that “Correct responses must satisfy the demands of both the clue and the category.” Contestants should pay close attention to the category because it often gives a hint as to what the answer is. Jeopardy.com gave an example from the category of “‘TEN’-letter words.” The word had to be not only 10 letters long, but also contain the word “ten” somewhere in it. “Don’t overlook these golden nuggets. They are there to guide you,” it said.

Although most people wager high, the minimum wager for a Daily Double is $5 in either round. However, a contestant can wager $0 in Final Jeopardy, which is the minimum for that round. The game is more than just knowing trivia facts. It’s also about knowing the right amount to bet.

The fifth and final rule every Jeopardy! contestant should know is that the game show is not a spelling test “unless the category requires it.” The answers in Final Jeopardy do not have to be spelled correctly as long as they are phonetically correct. This rule also applies to all responses on both the written and online tests.

“If you’re not sure how to spell something in Final Jeopardy!, sound it out slowly in your head and write it the way it sounds. If it’s misspelled, it will come down to a judgment call, but the closer you can get it, the better chance for a thumbs-up from the judges,” the site suggested.

The site ended by saying that although knowing these rules beforehand always helps, the judges can change the rules at any time.

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