A nail-biting contest between four-day champion TJ Fisher and challenger Chris Turner-Neal came down to a dramatic Final Jeopardy wager. Fisher entered the final round trailing by a razor-thin margin, but a confident bet secured his fifth victory and a spot in the next Tournament of Champions. The third contestant was middle school teacher Josh Ng.
Turner-Neal, a writer from New Orleans, established a formidable lead in the first round. He went into Double Jeopardy with $7,800, far ahead of his competitors. Fisher, a marketing specialist from San Francisco, appeared to be in trouble; he held just $1,600 at the game’s halfway point.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the second round. Fisher located a Daily Double and correctly identified Jimmy Hoffa, doubling his score to $7,200 and closing the gap on the leader. Turner-Neal later found the final Daily Double but answered incorrectly. His cautious wager of $1,500, however, kept him narrowly in the lead with $12,700 against Fisher’s $12,400 heading into the final clue.
The Final Jeopardy category was Animation. The clue read: “Phil Vischer, creator of this show, originally had a candy bar as the lead until his wife nudged him in a healthier direction.” Both Turner-Neal and Fisher correctly identified VeggieTales. The game was ultimately decided by wagering strategy. Turner-Neal bet a conservative $1,500, while Fisher risked nearly his entire total with a bet of $11,799. Fisher’s gamble paid off, giving him the win with a final score of $24,199.
The victory makes Fisher a five-day champion with total winnings of $100,723. The game also featured a category on Nic Cage movie titles that were also popular songs; the contestants failed to name “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Valley Girl,” or “Leaving Las Vegas.”
