‘Jeopardy!’: Dramatic Game Comes Down to Gutsy Final wager

Spoiler Alert

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What To Know

The November 11 episode of Jeopardy! featured a dramatic finish, with Harrison Whitaker overtaking four-day champion Allegra Kuney thanks to a bold Final Jeopardy wager.
Kuney and Whitaker battled for the lead throughout the game, but Whitaker’s correct Final Jeopardy response and large bet secured his victory with $34,801.
Despite losing her champion streak, Kuney is expected to return for the Tournament of Champions due to her impressive performance.

[Warning: The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Tuesday, November 11, episode of Jeopardy!]

The November 11 Jeopardy! game was determined by a gutsy final wager that caused one contestant to take home a shocking win. Did Allegra Kuney make it to an upcoming Tournament of Champions, or was there a new champion crowned?

Kuney, from New Brunswick, New Jersey, played against Harrison Whitaker, from Terre Haute, Indiana, and Jessica Marshall, from Madison, Wisconsin, for her fifth game. Kuney, a Ph.D. candidate, has a four-day total of $92,600.

Kuney took an early lead of $3,600 by the first commercial break. Whitaker, a researcher, found the Daily Double. He had $3,800 and made it a true Daily Double. In “The Rules of the Game,” the clue read, “‘A player can make only one accusation during any one game.’” “What is mafia?” he answered incorrectly. The correct response was Clue. He dropped down to $0.

By the end of the round, Kuney led with $4,600. Marshall, an adjunct English professor, was in second place with $3,200. Whitaker had $600.

In Double Jeopardy, Kuney found the first Daily Double at $11,400. She wagered $4,000 in “Antonyms.” The clue was “Of dull: A 9-letter word from the Latin for ‘Life.’” “What is vivacious?” she answered correctly, giving her $15,400.

A few clues later, Whitaker found the last DD. He had $11,400 and wagered $4,400. In “Flying Colors,” the clue read, “The first U.S. aircraft designed to fight at night, the Northrop P-61 was nicknamed for this appropriate arachnid.” “What is a black widow?” he answered correctly, giving him $15,800 and the lead.

It was a battle between Kuney and Whitaker for first place until the end of the round. Whitaker had the lead with $19,000. Kuney had $17,400. Marshall was in third place with $10,000.

The category for Final Jeopardy was “Romans.” The clue was ‘In a work likely written in the 170s, this leader wondered what were ancient generals’ compared to Diogenes… & Socrates?” The correct response was Marcus Aurelius.

Marshall answered, “Who is Julius Caesar?” Since she was wrong, she dropped down to $2,500, for a total of $7,500. Kuney had the right answer. She wagered $5,000 and ended with $22,400. Whitaker wagered $15,801, ending with $34,801. He became the new champion, ending Kuney’s reign.

“D**n. I wish Allegra had gone further. I really liked her, at least she’ll be back in the toc though!!” one Reddit user said.

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