Matt Amodio, the quantitative researcher from New York City, proved that numbers aren’t his only forte in Monday’s Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament. Facing novelist Doug Molitor and yarn store owner Hannah Wilson, Amodio used a calculated risk to secure a commanding win.
The first round offered a mix of playful categories like “2-Word Rhymes” and more traditional fare like “The President is in Trouble.” Hannah Wilson jumped out to an early lead, leveraging a Daily Double to reach 8,600. Amodio held steady at 3,200, while Molitor trailed at -200.
Double Jeopardy! introduced categories like “Ancient Times” and “Philosophy,” raising the stakes and the potential for big swings. Molitor attempted an early gamble on a Daily Double, but the risk backfired, sending him deeper into negative territory. The turning point came with a Daily Double about philosopher Nick Bostrom’s simulation argument. Amodio, recognizing the opportunity, doubled down and correctly identified “simulation” as the answer, catapulting him ahead of Wilson’s 19,200 with a hefty 27,200.
With Amodio holding a comfortable lead going into Final Jeopardy!, the category “Literature & Sickness” presented a final challenge. The clue focused on a strep infection and its impact on characters in “Little Women” and “Little House on the Prairie.” Both Amodio and Wilson correctly answered “scarlet fever.” Amodio’s wager solidified his already strong position, finishing with a final score of 45,400, while Wilson ended at a respectable 30,401. Molitor, unfortunately, remained at -3,200.
Jeopardy! airs weekdays in syndication. Check local listings.
