Jaskaran Singh, a consultant from Plano, Texas, highlighting his trivia prowess in Tuesday’s Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament round, leaving his competitors in the dust. While Margaret Shelton, a homemaker from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Skyler Hornback, a chemical engineering Ph.D. student originally from Sonora, Kentucky, put up a fight, Singh’s command of the categories, particularly in Double Jeopardy!, proved insurmountable.
The first round saw a relatively even match, with Shelton briefly taking the lead. Singh, however, maintained a steady pace, demonstrating a broad knowledge base across categories ranging from “On the Historic Top 40” to “Borderline.” Hornback stumbled early on, losing a significant sum on a Daily Double about the demilitarized zone between North and South Vietnam. By the first break, Singh held a comfortable second place behind Shelton.
Double Jeopardy! was where Singh truly shone. He quickly pulled ahead, displaying a remarkable grasp of “The 80s: Who Said It?,” “Libraries,” and “Russian Literature.” While he missed a Daily Double about the ionosphere in “Earth Science,” his conservative wager limited the damage. Shelton, on the other hand, took a substantial hit on a Daily Double about “Mahatma” in “Triple ‘A’,” effectively sealing her fate. Hornback remained a distant third throughout the Double Jeopardy! round.
Going into Final Jeopardy!, Singh held a commanding lead with 21,800 points, compared to Shelton’s 6,200 and Hornback’s 7,100. The final clue, focusing on Supreme Court decisions, asked about the landmark case reported in the New York Times, not on the front page but in “News of the Railroads.” Singh correctly identified Plessy v. Ferguson, wagering zero and securing his victory with a final score of 21,800. Shelton and Hornback answered incorrectly about the iconic Supreme Court decision, with Shelton wagering everything and finishing with zero, while Hornback ended with 3,600.
Singh’s strategic play, combined with his impressive breadth of knowledge, cemented his place as a force to be reckoned with in the Invitational Tournament.
Jeopardy! airs weekdays in syndication. Check local listings.
