Introducing the players for day two of the 2022 ToC:
- Christine Whelchel, a graduate assistant, is pursuing a music degree;
- Andrew He, a software developer, hosted a kind of Newlywed Game; and
- Jonathan Fisher, an actor, has faced some sarcastic greetings in the wake of his Jeopardy! success.
Jeopardy!
EUROPEAN HAPPENINGS // SLOGANS & MOTTOES // CROCODILE POP // CATCH-2022 // ‘PLAYS & PLAYWRIGHTS // VWLSS HWN (Vowelless Hawaiian)
DD1 – $400 – EUROPEAN HAPPENINGS – Switzerland was formed in the 13th century after an alliance of these political divisions formed to combat the Habsburgs (Christine, already in the red, dropped by $1,000.)
Scores at first break: Jonathan $4,600, Andrew $5,200, Christine -$1,400.
Scores going into DJ: Jonathan $8,200, Andrew $7,600, Christine -$1,000.
Double Jeopardy!
ART & ARTISTS // CROSSWORD CLUES “Q” // HE DIRECTED THAT? // BRIDGE// I BID // 5 HEARTS
DD2 (video) – $2,000 – 5 HEARTS – Here’s this basilica that looms over Paris (Note: remember the category) (Andrew added $5,000 to his total of $12,000 vs. $14,600 for Jonathan.)
DD3 (video) – $800 – I BID – In 2020 an unnamed bidder spent $4.2 million for the so-called EID MAR coin minted by this assassin (Andrew dropped $10,000 from his score of $18,600 vs. $14,600 for Jonathan.)
Andrew took the lead from Jonathan on DD2, gave it back on DD3 but was able to stay within two-thirds of Jonathan’s score going into FJ at $13,800 for Andrew, $19,800 for Jonathan and $2,200 for Christine.
Final Jeopardy!
POETS – Inspired by stories from his grandfather, his “Battle of Lovell’s Pond” appeared in the Portland Gazette in 1820 when he was 13
Everyone was incorrect on FJ. Andrew wisely made a small wager of $1,799, ending at $12,001 and taking the victory by $2 when Jonathan’s wager of $7,801 was revealed.
Odds and Ends
Triple Stumper of the day: For a top-row clue in a category about recent events, apparently the players missed the news item about President Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sharing a fist bump.
FJ wagering strategy: Here’s an example of how the elimination of wild cards from the ToC might have influenced the outcome. At $19,800 entering FJ, if wild cards were still on the table, Jonathan might have decided to make a small wager, feeling he was in good shape for a wild card without much improvement. Instead, he played for the win, made a big bet and now is out of the running.
Correct Qs: DD1 – What are cantons? DD2 – What is Sacré-Cœur (Sacred Heart)? DD3 – Who was Brutus? FJ – Who was Longfellow?