JEOPARDY! champion Laura Faddah has blown fans away with an ‘improbable’ winning streak after ‘getting lucky’ with various advantages.
The game show contestant was praised for being “relatable” to at-home viewers despite her impressive knowledge giving her one of the longest winning streaks of season 41.
5
5
On Thursday’s game, the Memphis Tennessee native was looking to extend her five-day winnings of $58,400.
Laura, who is a manager at the Berkeley Research Group went up against Brad Grusnick, a voice actor from Aurora, Illinois and Carole Portas Keane, an education researcher from New Jersey.
The game started off on a bad note for Brad – who lost his entire $2,400 fortune on a true Daily Double despite securing an early lead.
Heading into the Double Jeopardy! round, Laura already secured $4,000 while Carole was closely behind with $3,400 and Brad followed with $2,400.
Laura found the game’s second Daily Double as host Ken Jennings read the $1,200 clue under the category “Differing by a Letter.”
“Treat with pharmaceuticals & engage in a practice to achieve calmness & enlightenment,” Ken read.
Laura correctly responded with “what are mediate and meditate?” – adding $1,600 to her large lead after an impressive run at the beginning of the Double Jeopardy! round.
Carole, who was now in a distant third place, found the last Daily Double and bet her entire fortune in an attempt to get her score closer to her opponents.
5
“James Gadsden negotiated with this Mexican pres. whom Texans had met in battle; the purchase helped get him ousted from office,” Ken read under the “The Gadsden Purchase” category.
She correctly answered with “Who Was Santa Anna?” – doubling her score to $6,400.
Heading into Final Jeopardy!, Laura had the most amount she’s had during her run with $20,400.
Brad was in a distant second with $9,200 while Carole added $6,400 to her prize pot.
Ken introduced the last category “Movies & Their Soundtracks” while the players placed their wagers.
“‘Catch it’ was a tagline for this film whose iconic soundtrack became one of the bestselling albums of all time,” the host read.
All three players were correct with their guess of the iconic 1977 John Travolta classic, What is Saturday Night Fever?
Laura, like she has done in past games, wagered very conservatively – placing her final total at $21,000.
Carole ended with $9,400 while Brad bet $0, ending with $9,200.
ALL BETS ARE OFF
Laura is one of the few contestants of season 41 who has broken through winning five games – securing her spot at the Tournament of Champions.
Fans were impressed by the manager’s winning streak – even if they partially credited “luck” being a factor as to why she’s been able to make it this far.
One viewer wrote: “Laura’s run as champion is a great example of what has made the show popular over all these decades.
“A regular person who, through a combination of smarts and some luck, has gone on an improbably long run where we can’t wait to see what happens next.
“The home viewer can easily relate to Laura and imagine themselves up there in the same position. This is Jeopardy!, and many of us will miss it when the show returns to its overblown ‘post-season.’”
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.”
Another agreed, insisting: “Laura continues to impress. She’s caught some lucky breaks along the way, but you can’t put together a 6-game win streak solely on luck.
“According to the box scores, she’s had more buzzer attempts than either of her opponents since her 3rd game, so she clearly knows her stuff.
“And she looked relaxed and dominant in today’s game (the 4th of the taping day), which takes serious stamina.”
Someone else replied, adding: “100% this. Yes she’s caught some lucky breaks but you have to be good to be in a position to take advantage of those breaks!”
While one more shared a similar sentiment: “Laura is getting better. She’s had some luck along the way to the ToC, for sure, but today’s win was her largest prize yet.
“Now that she’s made it past her qualification, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see her continue improving and end up with 10+ wins.”
5
5
