There’s a new face in the Jeopardy! winner’s circle. On Tuesday, software engineer Stella Trout of Houston, Texas, stormed past three-day champion Geoff Barnes, capitalizing on a dominant Double Jeopardy! to clinch a runaway victory with $28,800.
Geoff, an analyst from Washington, D.C., entered the episode with a strong track record but faltered in the back half. He wrapped with $21,199 after an aggressive Final Jeopardy! wager that nearly zeroed him out—a curious move given his more-than-safe margin over third-place Peter Vorissis, a writer and teacher from Los Angeles, who ended the game with just $1.
Stella’s turning point came in Double Jeopardy!, where she nailed both Daily Doubles. First, she doubled her $4,000 bank to $8,000 on a question about Ezra Pound’s “cantos.” She then picked up another $3,000 on a Theodore Roosevelt clue, identifying the “nearly vanished race” as the bison, pushing her to $23,000 and cementing control of the board. By the time the players reached Final Jeopardy!, she held a commanding lead of $25,800.
The final clue referenced the CN Tower and a mishap involving falling ice damaging the Rogers Centre roof—a fact Stella pegged correctly, sealing her win. Geoff also answered correctly but had wagered almost everything, effectively taking himself out of contention.
Elsewhere, the game saw three unrevealed clues—continuing a recent trend of unplayed questions—and a triple stumper on Canadian Club whiskey, which stymied all three contestants despite a pointed “north-of-the-border” hint.
Stella returns tonight as defending champ. Geoff exits with three wins and a strong, if slightly puzzling, final appearance.
