![]() Which is why I think that this style of play may become the new normal for the show. And his prowess on the buzzer seemed preternatural. No one has ever placed so many big bets on “Jeopardy!” or so fearlessly taken massive risks. He did it by playing fast and going big, denying his opponents chances to uncover the all-important Daily Doubles he used to accumulate huge pots of cash. Of course, game for game, James took it to another level, consistently breaking records for single-day winnings. I wouldn’t have won at all if I hadn’t prepared for it. (Incidentally, the case studies on that website also help explain why James’s final bet was the right one.) My engineer husband built a replica of the show’s buzzer system as a Christmas gift the year before I got “the call” so I could practice ringing in. I also worked on wagering, pausing “Jeopardy!” each night before the final round and writing out the best betting strategy for each contestant based on how much money he or she had, then checking myself against “Jeopardy!” College Championship winner Keith Williams’s very helpful The Final Wager website. Geography was my weakness, so I tried to gamify studying up by downloading study apps and timing myself as I filled in blank maps. I was a history major and now work in publishing, so history and literature were strengths. Similarly, when I decided to try out for Jeopardy, I analyzed my strengths and weaknesses in popular categories. Nobody just walks into that studio in Culver City and randomly wins a bunch of money on “Jeopardy!” As far as I can tell, “Jeopardy!” mega-players have all studied trivia. It might not be ideal for all viewers, but those watching at home should recognize that he was only doing what all players seek to do: maximizing his chances in every aspect of the game, the questions, the wagers, the buzzer. If you can pull it off, James’s strategy is undoubtedly an ideal way to play the game. ![]() And, like James, Ken Jennings famously seemed to know a whole lot about everything as he established himself as the record-holder of most “Jeopardy” wins (74) and cash accumulated ($2.5 million). Arthur Chu gained notoriety by jumping from category to category looking for Daily Doubles rather than moving sequentially through one category at a time. James’s approach might have driven some armchair pundits crazy ( one columnist called his run “a thrilling achievement, and deadly dull television”), but they should recognize that he was only deploying many of the skills employed by big winners who preceded him.
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