The May 27 episode of Jeopardy! came down to the wire—and then unraveled in spectacular fashion. In a game defined by aggressive betting and a high-stakes Final Jeopardy!, it was Tyler Griffith who walked away with the win—by a margin so thin it barely cleared three digits.
Griffith, a criminal forensic scientist originally from Sturgis, Michigan, clinched victory with just $799 on the board after both his opponents imploded in Final Jeopardy!. He entered the final round with $11,200 and held on after both competitors overplayed their hands.
The Final Jeopardy! category—AMERICAN HISTORY—proved to be a game-changer. The clue: “In 1847, a decade before making national news, he was the plaintiff in a Missouri case against Irene Emerson.” Correct response: “Who was Dred Scott?”
One-day champ Judith Friedman, a software engineer from Los Angeles, went all-in from $6,400 and missed, dropping to zero. Jackie Yang, a resident physician from New York City, had $10,800 but wagered $10,500—also answering incorrectly, leaving her with just $300. A more conservative play could’ve secured the win; a $2,001 bet would’ve given her just enough to edge out Tyler, had he missed.
Tyler’s win wasn’t just luck—he picked up two Daily Doubles earlier in the game and capitalized on both, building his total heading into the final round. Jackie also hit a Daily Double, doubling her total at the time.
The episode had a few notable stumbles in the main board as well, with all three players blanking on “Groovy” as a popular word from 1966, and missing Bing Crosby as the crooner connected to the Pebble Beach pro-am tournament.
With Griffith’s improbable $799 finish, the episode serves as another reminder that on Jeopardy!, Final Jeopardy! wagers can make—or break—a champion.
