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Preliminaries: Breitenbach/Richards/Vaz -
May 10
Fifteen of the best Jeopardy! players this year
have returned for one more shot at $250,000. In the next two weeks, three will
play in a two-day final to determine who will walk away with the grand prize.
Another standard two-week affair awaits with an
increased minimum guarantee of $100,000 for second place and $50,000 for third. Semifinalists are guaranteed at least $10,000,
while quarterfinalists are guaranteed $5000 for participation. As always, any
and all winning accrued depends on how far up the ladder a player goes.
So far, Maria Wenglinsky has her semi-final
ticket stamped, but who will join her?
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KERRY BREITENBACH
Cleveland, OH
Marketing analyst
Six days, $90,400 |
JASON RICHARDS
Old Town, ME
Lawyer
Four days, $99,200 |
VIK VAZ
Austin, TX
Medical student
Three days, $72,002 |
Jeopardy! categories: Opera Houses, Bruce
Springsteen, When Australian Animals Attack, Legal Types, It's On the Map,
Letter Perfect
Daily Double: $1000 Opera Houses. Vik (tied with Kerry's $600) bets the max of
$1000. The clue: London's Royal Opera House traces its history back to a 1728
performance of this John Gay "opera". Viz's
response: "What is The Beggar's Opera?" Correct for $1600.
End of round:
Kerry: $2000
Jason: $4200
Vik: $6000
Double Jeopardy! categories: The New York Times Arts, TV Numbers, Alternative
Energy, Politicians, Short Fiction, Parlez-Vous Anglais?
Daily Double #1: $1600 Politicians. Vik ($6800 to Jason's
$10,200 and Kerry's $8000) bets $4000. The clue: in 1832 this Couth Carolina
statesman resigned as vice-president & became a senator. Vik's response:
"Who is John C. Calhoun?" Correct for $10,800 and the lead.
Daily Double #2: $1600 Short Fiction. Vik ($16,400 over Jason's $12,200 and
Kerry's $8400) fronts $4000. The clue: this Mississippian's 1941 story "The Worn
Parth" won her an O. Henry Memorial Contest award, the first of several. Vik's response: "Who is
Eudora Welty?" Correct for $20,400.
End of round:
Kerry: $10,400
Jason: $13,000
Vik: $23,200
Final Jeopardy! category: Characters in Shakespeare. The clue: poet Samuel
Taylor Coleridge referred to the "motiveless malignity" of this character.
Correct response: Who is Iago?
Kerry's response: Who Iago? RIGHT. Wager: $399. Total:
$10,700.
Jason’s response: Who is Othello? WRONG. Wager: $2000. Total: $11,000
Vik’s response: Who is Iago? RIGHT. Wager doesn't matter.
 Vik
got to where he is today because of one strategy:
attack, attack, attack. He scored with the board on
the Daily Doubles, and that kept him competitive up
until the end.
Now the playoff picture
becomes a little clearer. As of now, both of
Monday's runners-up are now out of contention. Aaron
from yesterday's show stands a greater chance of
clinching a wild-card spot, but we'll see what
happens when we play game four tomorrow.
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