A zero-dollar Final Jeopardy! wager paid off in Thursday’s episode of the Sony-produced quiz franchise, as returning champ Brandon Monsman pulled off his second straight win—this time with just $7,200 on the board.
Monsman, a bartender originally from Cleveland, walked into Final trailing two well-capitalized opponents: Nick Marino, a mechanical engineer from San Francisco, held a strong lead at $14,200, while Neeraj Borle, an investment firm managing director out of New York, sat at $12,400. But both challengers overplayed their hand, betting aggressively and answering incorrectly on a tough clue in the “Women of History” category:
“Regarding the idea of ‘Women First,’ she queried, ‘Women demand equal rights on land – why not on sea?’” (Correct response: Who was Molly Brown?)
Marino dropped $10,601 on a miss, falling to $3,599. Borle lost $8,000 and ended at $4,400. Monsman, who also missed the clue, wagered nothing—an intentional hedge that let him leapfrog both and lock in the win.
The veteran format—still hosted by Ken Jennings and distributed in first-run syndication by CBS Media Ventures—continues to turn on game-theory gambits like this one. It’s the kind of scenario longtime fans track closely.
Despite a modest scoreline, Monsman’s two-day total now sits at $23,600. The May 15 installment also featured sharp Daily Double play from all three contestants, including a clutch get by Marino in “You Put Me on the Supreme Court” (Franklin D. Roosevelt) and a hit by Borle in “A Category Good” (agent provocateur). Categories ranged from “First Lines of Hit Songs” to “The Desert Menu” and “Royal Roles.”
Monsman returns Friday to defend his title.
