‘Jeopardy!’: Error Changes Player’s Total in Double Jeopardy — Is Jamie Ding in Trouble?

Grand champ, Jeopardy! legend, and “faceless bureaucrat” Jamie Ding returned for his 21st game on the Alex Trebek Stage, hoping to add to his 20-day total of $572,600.

On April 10, his competitors were Xaque Williams, a writer from Knoxville, Tennessee, and Kathi Fitzgerald, an English teacher from Williamsburg, Virginia. Would either of them have what it takes to knock Ding from his Jeopardy! throne? Warning: Spoilers ahead for the Friday, April 10, episode of Jeopardy!.

“Yesterday marked win No. 20 for our super champion Jamie Ding, a milestone he now shares with Jeopardy! legend Julia Collins and one that only six other players in the show’s history have ever surpassed,” said Ken Jennings at the top of the show. “His $572,600 also puts him ahead of Mattea Roach. Jamie is now sixth of all time on our Leaderboard of Legends for highest money winnings in regular-season play.”

Ding started the game with “Case in Point” for $800: “Craig v. Boren said a state could not set a different minimum age for men and women to buy the 3.2% of this.” Ding buzzed in with “What is beer?” giving him the early lead.

On the third clue, Ding found the first Daily Double under the category “One Piece.” He wagered his entire total of $1,800 on the clue: “On ’60s TV, Diana Rigg & Eartha Kitt helped popularize this oft-leather onesie.” With “What is a catsuit?” Ding maintained control.

Williams did well in the music category “In Their Live Aid Set,” but Ding mostly dominated the first portion of the round. By the first commercial break, Ding was at $10,200, while Williams had $1,000 and Fitzgerald was at $0.

During the chat portion of the show, Williams admitted to being a massive audiophile, with a preference for ’60s psychedelic bands and obscure discs. He recommended to Jennings either Easter Everywhere by 13th Floor Elevators or Forever Changes by Love for his listening pleasure.

Fitzgerald talked about her time in the Navy during the “big Cold War.” She was now in her second act as a school teacher, as Jennings jokingly compared ’60s Soviets to modern high schoolers. Ding shared that his first memory of Jeopardy! was the video game, recalling how 8-bit Alex Trebek stacked up against the real thing.

By the end of the first round, Ding was at $13,000, while his competitors trailed behind, with Williams at $1,800 and Fitzgerald holding at $1,000.

When the game came back from break, Williams got his own break as one of his answers in the category “One Piece” was deemed acceptable. For the clue, “The name of this one-piece bathing suit is a variation on the name of a bathing suit that caused a stir in the ’50s,” and Williams had answered “burkini,” which was thought incorrect at the time. But the writers had a change of heart and decided it was another correct answer (Ding rang in after Williams with the answer of a monokini and won the cash), bringing his total from $1,800 to $3,800.

Fitzgerald started Double Jeopardy with “Americana” for $1,200: “During World War I, who better to teach soldiers how to escape sinking ships, ropes, chains, and handcuffs than this escape artist?” Williams got in first with the correct response, “Who is Houdini?”

The second Daily Double was found by Ding under “1826” for $1,600. Betting $4,400, he got the clue: “This newspaper that shares its name with an opera character began publishing in Paris as a literary journal.” With “What is Figaro?,” Ding moved up to $23,000.

Ding immediately found the next Daily Double on the very next clue, hidden under “Americana” for $2,000. He wagered $5,000 on the clue: “This city, the seat of Montana’s Cascade County, was named for some watery obstacles encountered by Western explorers.” Ding incorrectly guessed “What is Big Rapids?” when the correct response was “What is Great Falls?”, dropping his total to $18,000.

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By the end of Double Jeopardy, Ding had a “substantial lead” over his competitors with $24,800, while Williams sat in second with $8,200, and Fitzgerald trailed with $200.

The Final Jeopardy category, “Around the World,” offered the clue, “A river named for the sacred lotus flower flows toward this 839,000-square-mile body of water.”

Fitzgerald wrote, “What is the Indian Ocean?,” an incorrect response, and wagered $0, keeping her total at $200. Williams answered correctly with “What is the Bay of Bengal?” His $7,000 wager brought him to $15,200.

Did Ding bet it all?

Ding also answered correctly and, with a wager of $9,600, brings his total to $36,400. He is now a 21-game winner with a total of $609,000. By the end of the game, even Ding looked dazed by his own success.

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