Catholic Priest Challenges ‘Jeopardy!’ Super Champ: Does He Have a Prayer?

Jeopardy! Question Mark Umbrella

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Was Jamie Ding down on his knees, praying for his 12th Jeopardy! win? On Monday, March 30, he faced off against a Catholic priest and a writer. Did the priest get a heavenly helping hand, or did Ding win again? Read on to find out.

Ding, a law student and bureaucrat from Lawrenceville, New Jersey, entered his 12th game with a total of $291,820. On March 30, he faced off against Barbara McIntyre, from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and Fr. Paul Baker, from St. Paul, Minnesota. Warning: Spoilers for the March 30 episode of Jeopardy! ahead!

Ding and Fr. Baker, A Catholic priest, were tied at $1,800 when Baker found the Daily Double on clue 10. He wagered $1,000 in “Literary Genres.” The clue read, “This portmanteau word is used of the genre that blends passion with dragon riders & such, as in Fourth Wing.”

“What is fan fiction?” the priest answered, which was wrong. The correct response was romantasy, causing him to drop to third place with $800. McIntyre, a writer, had $1,200.

Ding took a significant lead by the end of the round with $6,200. Baker managed to move back up to second place with $3,000. McIntyre had $2,000.

In Double Jeopardy, Ding found the first DD on clue 14. He had $15,400, compared to Baker’s $8,200. Ding wagered $2,600 in “All Preachers Great & Small.” The clue was “Once known as ‘the most famous man in America,’ this abolitionist preacher also had a famous abolitionist sister.”

“Who is Beecher?” he answered correctly. Since the right response was Harriet Beecher Stowe’s brother, Ding moved to $18,000.

By the time he found the second DD on clue 25, Ding had $22,800 and wagered $500. In “Neologisms,” the clue read, “In Rebecca Solnit’s essay that helped launch this word, a guy informs Rebecca about an important book that he doesn’t realize she wrote.”

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He correctly answered with “What is mansplaining?” This gave Ding a total of $23,300. Baker had $11,000.

By the end of the round, Ding had $24,900. Baker was in second place with $11,000. McIntyre had $6,000.

The category for Final Jeopardy was “Fictional Characters.” The clue read, “Literary theories say the first name of this 1847 title character is meant to evoke plainness while the last name hints at a bequest.” None of the game show contestants guessed “Who is Jane Eyre?”

McIntyre’s response was “Who is Will?” She wagered $5,730, giving her a final total of $270. Baker answered, “Who is David Copperfield?” He wagered $1,001, making his final total $9,999. Ding’s response was “Who is Kansas Testament?” He wagered $2,280, making his final total $22,620.

This marked Ding’s 12th win. He has a 12-day total of $314,440. He is now in the top 16 players of all-time in regular play, according to The Jeopardy! Fan. Ding will return on Tuesday for his 13th game.