Jeopardy! recap for Fri., Dec. 28 – Here are today’s contestants:

– James, a filmmaker from New York, was stranded in Siberia;
– Greg, a communications director from California, climbed a redwood to do an interview; and
– Kathryn, a retired CPA from Wisconsin, can only watch Jeopardy! when the trees cooperate. Kathryn is a one-day champ with winnings of $22,000.

Kathryn had the opportunity to take the lead on DD3 but didn’t bet enough and as a result, was in second position going into FJ with $13,600 vs. $15,400 for James and $6,000 for Greg.

DD1 ($800) – CENTS OF A WOMAN – She graces a $1 gold coin, along with her son Jean Baptiste, born February 11, 1805 (Kathryn won $1,000)

DD2 ($800) – MYTHOLOGY – Laocoon, a priest of Apollo, meant this object when he said, “I fear the Greeks, especially when they bring gifts” (Greg won $2,000)

DD3 ($800, video) – ALTERED CARBON – A sheet of carbon atoms is formed by strong covalent bonds. However, the bonds connecting multiple sheets are weaker, resulting in this soft substance used in pencils (Kathryn won $3,000 – with 13 other clues remaining, she was in third place with $8,200 vs. $15,800 for James. This would have been a great time for a true DD found in the second row, since she would have been in very rough shape anyway if she missed with the bet she made.)

FJ – AUTHORS – The first novelist on Forbes’ list of billionaires, this author fell off in 2012 after giving an estimated $160 million to charity

Only James was correct on FJ, picking up $12,000 to win with $27,400.

Wagering strategy: Kathryn caught a strategic break when Greg missed the last clue of DJ, dropping him to just less than half of Kathryn’s score. However, instead of a FJ small wager, Kathryn bet everything but a dollar, which would have cost her the game if James had missed without increasing her chances of winning.

Musical miscues: The players didn’t fare too well in a category about numerical song titles, missing on the 1978 Commodores hit “Three Times A Lady”, and the title royals in a Spin Doctors song being “Two Princes”.

This day in Trebekistan: Alex is getting ready to make some resolutions with which he won’t stick. One that I wish he would keep: not stopping the game cold to explain a just-finished category with time running out.

Correct Qs:
DD1 – Who was Sacagawea?
DD2 – What is the Trojan Horse?
DD3 – What is graphite?
FJ – Who is J.K. Rowling?