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[The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Tuesday, April 15, episode of Jeopardy!]
In a thrilling match on April 15, contestant Andrew Hayes aimed for his fifth consecutive win on Jeopardy!, having secured his place in the Tournament of Champions the previous night. The competition proved intense, with the outcome uncertain until the Final Jeopardy round. A victory for Hayes would place him among the 284 participants in the post-1984 era of the show to achieve at least five wins.
Hailing from Tupelo, Mississippi, Hayes entered the game with an impressive four-day total of $98,603. He faced off against Thomas Wilson from Taylors, South Carolina, and Dondi DeMarco from New York, New York.
The game’s early stages were competitive, with all three contestants performing well in answering questions. Hayes, who is currently a law student, managed to accumulate six correct answers, while both Wilson and DeMarco secured four correct and one incorrect response each. By the first commercial break, Hayes led with a score of $4,200, followed by Wilson with $2,800, and DeMarco trailing at $1,400.
Upon returning from the break, Hayes encountered a Daily Double but unfortunately lost $1,000 when he answered incorrectly. The clue stated, “Sept. is the natl. month to get this item; Octavia Butler & David McCullough were among those to reminisce about their first, as kids.” Hayes guessed, “What are ballet shoes?” but the correct response was a library card.
This misstep cost Hayes his lead by the end of the round, with DeMarco taking the top position at $4,400 while Hayes fell to $3,600 and Wilson remained in third with $2,400.
In the Double Jeopardy segment, Wilson found the first Daily Double, correctly answering the clue, “This IRS job from the Latin for ‘hearing’ is more formally a revenue agent or tax compliance officer,” with “What is an auditor?” This correct response earned him $2,400 and boosted his confidence.
During the same round, DeMarco located the second Daily Double and answered correctly to the clue, “2 moons around Saturn’s F ring are called these, for the way they tend to the ring’s flock of particles,” with “What are shepherd moons?” His successful response allowed him to increase his total by $2,000, putting him in the lead.
In terms of performance, both DeMarco and Hayes answered 17 questions correctly, but DeMarco had only two incorrect responses compared to Hayes’ three. DeMarco’s Daily Double success helped him conclude the round with a total of $18,400, with Hayes sitting in second at $11,600, and Wilson at $9,600. The competition remained wide open, hinging on the contestants’ strategies and answers in the Final Jeopardy round.
The Final Jeopardy category was “City Nicknames,” with the question: “The poet Albius Tibullus called a city this in the late 1st century B.C., some 700 years after its traditional founding.” Wilson’s guess of “What is Troy?” was incorrect, resulting in a loss of $9,000, leaving him with a total of $600. DeMarco chose not to provide an answer and simply wrote, “What is….?” wagering $5,001, which dropped his score to $13,399, while still maintaining the lead.
Hayes then responded, “What is the Eternal City? It’s been fun!” which was indeed correct. His wager of $7,601 brought his total to $19,201, making him the episode’s winner. This victory brought Hayes’ five-day total to $117,804, solidifying his place among the elite group of five-day champions. Additionally, he surpassed Joey Beachum as the top contestant from Mississippi, according to Jeopardy Fan. Hayes is set to face two new challengers on Wednesday.
Source
www.tvinsider.com