Even Ken Jennings, the G.O.A.T. of Jeopardy! was shocked by a contestant’s wager during Final Jeopardy! that gave them a runaway game and a huge total in the Thursday, May 1, episode.
Current champion, Ben Ganger, returned for his third game. Did he pave his way to number four? Ganger, from Goshen, Indiana, played against Julie Holt, from Knoxville, Tennessee, and Scott Summers, from Apex, North Carolina. Ganger had a two-day total of $41,815.
The game did not start out well for Holt, a Latin teacher, and Summers, a librarian, as they both answered the first question wrong, putting them each at -$800. Ganger didn’t try to answer it, resulting in the first Triple Stumper of the game. In “State Song Lyrics,” the clue read, “‘Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam, where the deer and the antelope play.’” The answer was Kansas.
Holt answered a question about a word in Latin, which she got correct (consider her career). She was finally on the board as she answered a few questions correctly.
Summers found the first Daily Double of the game. He had -$400 but could wager up to $1,000. He did just that. The clue was, “Appropriately, there is a thawing stage in adhesive capsulitis, this condition abbreviated FS.” Summers didn’t know the answer and gave no response. The answer was frozen shoulder. He dropped down to -$1,400.
By the first commercial break, Ganger, who crashed his wife’s birthday party in eighth grade, was far ahead with $5,000. Holt had $0 and Summers had -$800. By the end of the round, Summers finally got out of the hole with $0. Holt had $2,800. Ganger was in the lead with $6,200.
Ganger found the first DD in Double Jeopardy. With $11,400 in his bank, he wagered $6,000. In “French History,” the clue was, “Comprising 2/5 of the country, this political entity came into being via the Franco-German Armistice of June 1940.” “What is Vichy France?” he answered, which was correct, bringing him to $17,400. This put him $14,600 ahead of Holt, who had $2,800 in second place.
Only two questions later, Ganger found the last DD. He wagered $2,000 out of his $17,400. In “The Riches of the Emersonian Mind,” the clue was “Ralphy’s first book was titled this word, like a science periodical: He called it ‘divine charity’ that ‘nourishes man.’” Ganger hesitated before saying, “What is Journal?” Jennings told him that was incorrect with the right answer being Nature. He dropped down to $15,400. Ganger still had a huge lead.
By the end of the round, Ganger had a runaway win with $24,600, and 24 correct answers. Holt had $3,200. Summers moved into second with $4,000.
The category for Final Jeopardy was “The Stage.” The clue read, “Their show ended its off-Broadway run in 2025 after 34 years, 17,800 shows, and 82,150 gallons of paint.” Both Holt and Ganger answered with “Who is Blue Man Group?” which was correct. Holt wagered all of her money doubling up to $6,400. Summers answered “Little Shop of Horrors,” dropping to $1,599, after wagering $2,401.
When Jennings saw that Ganger wagered $10,000 he exclaimed, “Oh wow!” This gave him a final total of $34,600, and made him the night’s winner. “Well done,” the host said.
Ganger’s three-day total was $76,415. He will be back on Friday to face off against two new opponents.
