In round one, there are 135 players competing in 45 games. The winners of those games will take on nine seeded opponents. The 18 winners then face off for six slots. The two winners of those semifinal games have a date with destiny in the form of one Ken Jennings for a three-day final. The winner of those games wins $2 million. Second place is guaranteed $500,000, while third place is guaranteed $250,000.

No wild cards, no second chances. It's (my favorite words when it comes to Jeopardy! tourneys) win or go home.

KERMIN FLEMING Junior at Carnegie Mellon Lexington, KY 2004 Reigning College Champion	MARK ECKARD Entrepreneur Bedford, MA 2001 5-time champion	LANCE JOHNSON Model aircraft engine technician Champaign, IL 1998 First 5-timer of '98-'99 season

Jeopardy! categories: Literary Title Pairs, New York On Film, Ar"t", It's a Job, Easy for You to Say, Why Not?

Daily Double: $600 Ar"t". Mark ($1000 to Kermin's $2600 and Lance's $1600) fronts it all early. The clue: Jacopo Robusti was the real name of the painter with this nickname, derived from this father's occupation: dyer. Mark's response: "What is Tintoretto?" Correct for the double up, $2000.

End of Round:
Kermin - $5600
Mark - $4600
Lance - $4400

Double Jeopardy! categories: Mammals; The Born Identity; This Old House 25th Anniversary; Before & After; "CS", I; Miami

Daily Double #1: $1600 Mammals. Mark ($5800 to Kermin's $6000 and Lance's $5200) bets $1800.  Clue: certain moths make sonar-jamming sounds to confuse these predators. Mark's guess: "What are bats?" Correct for $7600 and the lead.

Daily Double #2: $2000 "CS," I. Lance ($8000 to Mark's $9200 and Kermin's $7600) bets the level. Clue: When the Spanish-American War broke out, this poet enlisted in the 6th Illinois Infantry. Lance's guess: "What is Carl Sandburg?" Correct for an even $10,000 and the lead.

End of Round:
Kermin - $15,200
Mark - $12,800
Lance - $14,400

Or, in Bugs Bunny parlance, "Close one, ain't it?" Today's winner is guaranteed $15,000. Runners-up receive $5000 each.

Final Jeopardy! Category: Foreign Words & Phrases. Answer: it's the more commonly used term for the practice of Chinese geomancy. Correct reponse: What is Feng Shui?

Mark's question: What is mah jong Feng Shua? (RIGHT) Wager: $12,800. Final score: $25,600.
Lance's question: What is Tai Chi? (WRONG) Wager: $4000. Final score: $10,400.
Kermin's question: What is fortune telling? (WRONG) Wager: $13,601. Final score: $1599.

Kermin would've won it if he had only gotten it right, but it's Mark Eckard, who brings $25,600 into the next round, joining Eric Terzuolo, Michael Rankins, Arthur Phillips, David Traini, Bob Harris, Vinita Kailasanath, Bev Schwartzberg, and Dan Melia.

Next time, Michael Dupee holds court against Jack Archey and Sandra Gore.