We started with 135 players fighting for 45 slots. Then we threw in nine of Jeopardy!'s best for fun, whittling the field to 18. Now we're down to the six best - Brad Rutter, the Million Dollar Master; Pam Mueller, the lady of the bunch; Frank Spangenberg, the living legend; John Cuthbertson, the underdog; Chris Miller, the newbie; and Jerome Vered, the guy everyone likes. Two of these players will go on to next week's finals against the reining King of Quiz, Ken Jennings. At stake: $2,000,000 for the winner, $500,000 for the first runner-up, and $250,000 for the third-place finisher.

So far, Jerome Vered has earned his seat in the final. Today, another semi-final match for the big dance.

BRAD RUTTER TV quiz show host Lancaster, PA Won $65,000	CHRIS MILLER Retail specialist Louisville, KY Won $73,844	JOHN CUTHBERTSON Investment analyst San Diego Won $67,900

Jeopardy! categories: Frisky Presidents, True Crime, States by Counties, Animal Shelters, "W"ho Can It Be Now?, An Attractive Preposition.

Daily Double: $1000 An Attractive Preposition. Brad ($6800 over John's $2000 and Chris' $200) bets $4800. The clue: when not in its usual time context, it can mean "in the presence of". Brad's guess: "What is circa?" Correct response: What is before? Brad drops to $2000 to tie John.

End of Round:
Brad - $3200
Chris - $1200
John - $3400

Double Jeopardy! categories: European Architects, Creature Feature, 18th Century Potpourri, Symphonies, We Rule, "Mal" Practice.

Daily Double #1: $1200 Symphonies. John ($5400 over Brad's $3200 and Chris' $1600) fronts $3000. Clue: this Soviet superstar subtitled his third symphony "May First". John's guess: "Who is Shostakovich?" Correct for $8400.

Daily Double #2: $1600 We Rule. Brad ($10,000 over John's $8000 and Chris' $4000) goes $1000, citing bad luck. Clue: in 1868 Emperor Mutsuhito chose this name meaning "enlightened rule" as the name for the era of his rule in Japan. Brad's guess: "What is Meiji?" Correct for $11,000. "I should've bet more if I knew!"

End of Round:
Brad - $14,200
Chris - $7200
John - $8000

Remember, this is a two-day affair. Scores from tomorrow will be added to today. The winner is guaranteed at least $50,000, second place is guaranteed $30,000, while third is guaranteed $20,000. The winner will join Jerome Vered and Ken Jennings in the final.

Final Jeopardy! Category: Nuclear Power. Answer: this state, besides having the first, also has the most nuclear reactors. Correct response: What is Illinois?

Chris' question: What is Illinois? (RIGHT) Wager: $2800. Final score: $10,000.
John's question: What is Illinois? (RIGHT) Wager: $5500. Final score: $13,500.
Brad's question: What is Tennessee? (WRONG) Wager: $4200. Final score: $10,000.

$10,000	$10,000	$13,500

The final match before the marquee title bout, and it's still anyone's game to lose, but Chris and Brad are going to have to play like it's their last game. For at least one, that may be true. We'll find out tomorrow!