Alex DeFrank, the returning Jeopardy! champion, held onto his title by a thread in Monday’s episode, proving that sometimes, a well-placed wager is all it takes. The inventory specialist from Brooklyn, New York, now boasts a two-day total of $56,401, but his path to victory was far from smooth.
The game started with a shake-up when challenger Brett Aresco, a writer and content strategist from Fairhope, Alabama, hit a Daily Double early on. Wagering boldly in the “BAD” ENTERTAINMENT category, Brett doubled his score, putting pressure on DeFrank and fellow challenger Clare Murray, an articling student from Toronto.
Murray, however, faced a setback when she risked it all on a true Daily Double in the “AROUND THE WORLD” category. Her gamble didn’t pay off, leaving her trailing the other contestants. DeFrank, too, stumbled on a Daily Double in “FROM A TEEN’S BOOK REPORT,” giving Aresco an opening to potentially seize the lead.
But the game truly came down to Final Jeopardy!. The category, “TOYS & GAMES,” presented a tricky clue about an invention stemming from a professor’s research on Platonic solids and descriptive geometry. Both Aresco and Murray missed the mark, leaving the door open for DeFrank. He correctly identified the Rubik’s Cube, securing his second victory.
DeFrank’s wagering strategy in Final Jeopardy! was a calculated risk. It allowed for the possibility of Clare winning if she’d answered correctly and both he and Brett had missed. It was a gamble that paid off, demonstrating the strategic depth that often separates Jeopardy! champions from the rest. Jeopardy! airs weekdays in syndication. Check your local listings.
