Wednesday’s “Jeopardy!” match shaped up to be a real nail-biter, with returning champion Liam Starnes facing off against two new challengers: Eric Cordova and Abigail Arnold. Liam, an undergraduate student from Barrington, Illinois, entered Final Jeopardy! with a seemingly comfortable lead of $18,800, but Abigail, an academic administrator from Waltham, Massachusetts, wasn’t far behind at $14,000. Could she pull off the upset?
The Final Jeopardy! category, 20th Century History, seemed to offer a fair playing field. The clue: “A 1919 Punch cartoon titled ‘The Gap In The Bridge’ showed Uncle Sam sleeping on the missing keystone of this.” Both Liam and Abigail, however, stumbled, missing the correct response: “What is the League of Nations?”
Here’s where the strategic wagering comes in. Liam played it safe, betting $0 and holding onto his $18,800. Abigail, needing to surpass Liam’s score, bet big – perhaps a little too big. Her incorrect response and substantial wager dropped her down to $9,199, just shy of Liam’s adjusted total of $9,599. Eric Cordova ended up with $0 going into Final Jeopardy!
This win brings Liam’s four-day total to an impressive $81,801. While Abigail’s all-in Daily Double bet in the first round didn’t pan out, she certainly made the game interesting. Liam’s strategic play, including finding both Daily Doubles in Double Jeopardy!, ultimately secured his fourth victory.
Jeopardy! airs weekdays in syndication. Check your local listings.
