JEOPARDY!’s newest star Scott Riccardi’s impressive gameplay has blocked his rival from competing in the final category of today’s nail-biting game.
Scott’s latest triumph, his eighth consecutive victory, is now the longest-running winning streak in season 41.
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The engineer from Somerville, New Jersey, has gone big on all of his Final Jeopardy! bets – giving him a staggering $182,901 from seven wins.
Looking for his 9th win, Scott went up against Paul Swain, a tutor from Vancouver, Washington, and Amanda Hopkins, an analytics manager originally from New Providence, New Jersey.
Similar to his previous games, Scott was off to a quick lead early on in – which only increased when he found the first Daily Double.
Under the Words of Weather category, Scott accurately answered the clue and doubled his score to $4,800.
By the time the trio of players entered the Double Jeopardy! round, Scott already was in position for a runaway lead with $9,000.
Amanda was in a distant second with $3,000 while Paul had $2,200 in third place.
Paul found the second Daily Double in the Fizzy Drinks category and went for a big swing, betting his entire $3,000 prize pot.
However, his risk didn’t pay off as he got the clue wrong and lost $3,800 on a true Daily Double.
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Scott was able to find the third and final Daily Double under the In The World’s Fair Host City category.
He once again got the clue correct, adding $4,000 to his massive lead of $18,200.
ALL BET’S ARE OFF
Heading into Final Jeopardy!, Scott easily had a massive lead of $34,200 – far ahead of Paul in second place with $3,600.
Unfortunately, Amanda was not able to compete in the Final Jeopardy! category as she was in the red going into the last round.
She nearly made it in, buzzing into the final regular-game clue however, both Scott and Paul clicked in before she did – blocking her from the opportunity to compete in the last round.
Paul ultimately got the answer right – which left Amanda disqualified from participating in Final Jeopardy! as she had a negative dollar amount.
Host Ken Jennings told the player: “Sadly Amanda, you were one clue away from making it back into positive territory.
“But we loved having you! You’ll receive a third-place price. Thank you for being here!”
Ken, 51, then read the final clue under the “Awards” category: “In the 50-year history of Saturday Night Live, he’s the only cast member to have won an Oscar – and it wasn’t for a comedy.”
Jeopardy! 2025 Tournament of Champions
Jeopardy!’s next Tournament of Champions will take place this winter, midway through Season 41 (exact airdate TBA) and it’s shaping up to be another showstopper. Here’s who is officially eligible so far:
- Adriana Harmeyer (15 wins and $349,600 total)
- Isaac Hirsch (nine wins and $215,390)
- Greg Jolin (five wins and $135,002)
- Survivor alum Drew Basile (seven wins and $129,601)
- Alison Betts (5 wins and $121,500)
- Mark Fitzpatrick (five wins and $107,201)
- Dr. Amy Hummel (5 wins and $100,994)
- Ryan Manton (four wins and $83,179)
- Grant DeYoung (four wins and $81,203)
- Will Wallace (four wins and $79,998)
- Amar Kakirde (four wins and $55,899)
- Lisa Ann Walter (winner of Celebrity Jeopardy! 2024)
The prize for winning the ToC is $250,000 and a coveted slot in Jeopardy! Masters.
Jeopardy.com notes: “All 4-time and over winning players starting from 04/10/24 will be eligible for a future Tournament of Champions.”
“Presence on this list does NOT guarantee an invitation to compete. Other eligibility rules apply and final selection is up to the producers’ sole discretion.”
Both Scott and Paul were incorrect as neither wrote down Robert Downey Jr. – who won an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in 2024 for his work in Oppenheimer.
Paul dropped back down to $0 but still earned the second-place prize.
Scott, like he has in the past, went big and bet it all – dropping him all the way down to $18,400 but still with plenty to win the game.
This marks Scott’s 8th consecutive win, which is much needed after the longest running streak of one-day champions.
His 8th win is the most anyone has scored in season 41 as he surpasses Laura Faddah, who achieved 7 wins at the end of 2024.
Their achievements will score them both a spot in the 2026 Tournament of Champions.
Scott will continue competing in Tuesday’s game with hopes of winning his 9th game and extending his prize pot of a whopping $201,301.
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