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.

JIM SCOTT Attorney Arlington, VA 1991 '91 TOC winner	JEROME VERED Writer Los Angeles 1992 1-day record holder for more than a decade	MICHELLE CLUM Executive assistant orig. from Wichita, KS 2000 5-time champion

Jeopardy! categories: The Jimmy Carter Experience; Hey, Tiger; Countries in French; Brand Names; Maurice, Barry, or Robin; The "BG"s.

Daily Double: $600 Brand Names. Jim ($400 to Jerome's $2400 and Michelle's $800) bets the maximum of $1000. The clue: In the 1980s, Royal Appliance Manufacturing colored its hand-held vacuum cleaner red & called it this. Jim's response: "What is the Red Devil?" Close. Correct response: What is the Dirt Devil? Jim dips into the red by $600.

End of Round:
Jim - $4000
Jerome - $6200
Michelle - $6200

Double Jeopardy! categories: Body Worlds, Out of the Mouths of Babes, What a Character!, February in History, Decade of Discovery, "In"s  & "Out"s.

Daily Double #1: $1600 What a Character! Jerome ($10,600 to Michelle's $8200 and Jim's $6000) bets $2000.  Clue: The last words of this 1851 novel character are "Thus I give up the spear". Jerome's guess: "What is 'The Count of Monte Cristo'?" Wrong book... Correct response: Who was Captain Ahab (of "Moby-Dick")? Jerome dips to $8600.

Daily Double #2: $1600 Decade of Discovery. Jerome ($15,000 to Michelle's $9000 and Jim's $6400) goes $2500. Clue: DNA's double helix. Jerome's guess: "What are the 1950s?" Correct for $17,500.

End of Round:
Jim - $7200
Jerome - $21,500
Michelle - $13,800

Remember, the losers get $5000 each, while the winner is guaranteed at least  $15,000.

Final Jeopardy! Category: College Libraries. Answer: Built in memory of a victim of this tragedy, Harvard's Widener Library was opened in 1915. Correct response: What is the sinking of the Titanic?

Jim's question: What is the Titanic sinking? (RIGHT) Wager: $7200. Final score: $14,400.
Michelle's question: What is Titanic sinking? (RIGHT) Wager: $7701. Final score: $21,501.
Jerome's question: What is the sinking of the Titanic? (RIGHT) Wager: $6101. Final score: $27,601.

Another big gun from the old school joins Eric Terzuolo, Michael Rankins, Arthur Phillips, David Traini, Bob Harris, Vinita Kailasanath, Bev Schwartzberg, Dan Melia, Mark Eckard, Michael Dupee, Jeff Richmond, John Beck, and Tad Carithers in the next round. Jerome takes $27,601 home en route to $2 million.

Next time, it's like the first time all over again for Diane Siegel, Kevin Keach, and Bruce Borchardt.