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Jeopardy! has crowned another champion, thanks in part to a daring wager on a Daily Double that shifted the outcome dramatically. Contestants and fans alike were captivated by this strategic move, which ultimately led to the competitor’s victory.
On Friday, April 11, Andrew Hayes from Tupelo, Mississippi, returned for his third appearance, facing off against Michael DiSciullo from Austin, Texas, and Stephanie Rozman from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Prior to this game, Hayes had amassed a total of $45,401 and aimed to enhance that sum in what was shaping up to be an exciting episode.
By the time the first commercial break arrived, all three contestants had begun strong, with DiSciullo being the only participant to miss a question, having correctly answered 14 out of 15. The group collectively performed impressively throughout the initial round, with merely three incorrect responses, all being unanswered triple stumpers.
The pivotal Daily Double was discovered by Hayes near the end of the first round. He faced a clue that stated, “If your talents take a while to develop, you may be one of these; gentian is one in the garden.” Hayes confidently responded, “What is a late bloomer?” and secured the point. With his cautious approach, he wagered a modest $1,200, giving him a narrow lead.
By the conclusion of the first round, Hayes had reached $6,000, while DiSciullo, a real estate professional, closely followed with $5,000. Rozman was in a solid position as well, trailing with $4,600.
As the game progressed to Double Jeopardy, Hayes fell behind slightly but staged a comeback as he claimed the final Daily Double of the game. The round was noted for its exceptional difficulty, with only five questions answered incorrectly—four of which left all contestants stumped.
Rozman found the first Daily Double and responded accurately, stating, “Who is Queen Mary?” which netted her an additional $1,500. However, the pivotal moment came when Hayes grabbed the second Daily Double after 11 clues. This bold maneuver saw him wagering his entire $7,500 stash on the clue, “Lenin was not a fan of the ‘bourgeois’ this group, a Russian word for the egghead segment of society.” He articulated, “What is the intelligentsia?” and host Ken Jennings confirmed his correct answer, catapulting Hayes to $15,000.
This critical decision paid off, as Hayes then went on to correctly answer eight additional questions, significantly widening his lead over both opponents. By the end of the round, he amassed an impressive $21,600, while DiSciullo had $13,400 and Rozman was close behind at $12,900. With such a substantial lead heading into Final Jeopardy, Hayes needed to be strategic about his next bet.
Final Jeopardy featured the category of “Siblings,” with the clue: “They used some of their $65 million settlement to stockpile bitcoin & in 2014 they founded their own cryptocurrency exchange.” All contestants correctly identified the answer, “Who are the Winklevoss twins?” Rozman wagered $12,300, pushing her total to $25,200. DiSciullo wagered $13,397, bringing his total to $26,797.
Hayes’s decision was decisive; he wagered $5,201, resulting in a final tally of $26,801, edging him ahead of DiSciullo by just $4. This victory marked Hayes as a three-time winner, accumulating a substantial total of $72,202 across his appearances. He is set to return on Monday, April 14, to compete against two new challengers.
Reddit users shared their thoughts on the exhilarating game and Hayes’s impressive strategy.
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