In round one, 45 players won their games. Now they join nine seeded opponents in Jeopardy! lore for 18 more game. 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.

Today, one of the Million Dollar Master players returns to roost.

STEVE BERMAN Teacher Santa Monica, CA Won $20,801 (3/23)	ERIC NEWHOUSE Director of technical assistance Sioux City, IA Million Dollar Masters Finalist: $15,000	SHANE WHITLOCK Resident physician Little Rock, AR Won $24,000 (3/21)

Jeopardy! categories: Chicago, Cab Array, Moo-vin' Out, Fan Tom, Avenue "Q", We're Talking Broadway

Daily Double: $600 Chicago. Shane ($1000 to Steve's $2000 and Eric's $800) goes all-in. The clue: Untouchable Tours visits such sanguineous spots as the site of this February 1929 event. Shane's guess: "What is the Valentine's Day Massacre?" Correct for the double-up and the tie, $2000.

End of Round:
Steve - $7400
Eric - $3800
Shane - $5600

Double Jeopardy! categories: P{sychology, Rodney Dangerfield, It Ended the War, Occupational Names, A Capital City Idea, Abbr.

Daily Double #1: $1600 Abbr. Eric ($8200 to Shane's $10,800 and Steve's $9800) fronts $4000. Clue: 4-letter abbreviation for the agency that investigates all the USA's civil aviation accidents. Eric's guess: "What is the NTSA?" So close. Correct response: What is the NTSB? Eric drops further back to $4200.

Daily Double #2: $1200 Occupational Names. Eric ($6600 to Steve's $10,200 and Shane's $9600) puts it all out to take the lead. Clue: this common English last name indicates an ancestor who rounded wood on a lathe. Eric's guess: "What is Cooper?" Correct response: What is Turner? Eric is zapped to nothingness.

End of Round:
Steve - $12,600
Eric - $400
Shane - $11,600

In round 2, runners-up are guaranteed $10,000, while the winner is guaranteed at least $20,000.

Final Jeopardy! Category: The Cabinet. Answer: a top member of the Reagan Cabinet, he was also Labor Sex'y & Treasure Sec'y under Richard Nixon. Correct response: Who was George Schultz?

Eric's question: Who is Baldrige? (WRONG) Wager: $395. Final score: $5.
Shane's question: Who was Meese? (WRONG) Wager: $4000. Final score: $7600.
Steve's question: Who was Donald Reagan? (WRONG) Wager: $10,601. Final score: $1999.

Shane backdoors his way into $20,000 as another member of the Seeded Nine falls. Just goes to show you that rank is not an issue. You win when you win. And Shane hopes to continue on his winning ways against Dan Melia, Steve Chernicoff, Michael Rooney, and Michael Daunt in the quarterfinal.

Seat number six is up for grabs tomorrow.