Jeopardy! is a game of rapid-fire trivia and, if you’re actually on stage, reflexes. But sometimes it’s also a game about math. Which is why a math professor miscalculating Final Jeopardy wagering is certainly a big deal among the show’s rabid fans.
Those syndicated game show fans who were hoping for some fresh faces in the leftmost contestant podium certainly got their wish thanks to math professor Robert Won, a one-day champion whose streak ended on Monday night thanks to a measly two dollars.
You can watch all of Final Jeopardy play out in the video above, which may be helpful because what went down was a bit complicated. On Monday night’s game, Won headed into Final Jeopardy with a significant advantage over the other contestants. His $23,000 meant Steve would have to wager most, if not all, of his $13,800 and see Robert miss the following question about musical theater for him to have a chance.
“It’s one of the most revived shows in Broadway history & in 2001 it was designated the state opera of South Carolina.”
It’s impossible to know what another contestant will answer, let alone what they will wager. But most contestants have the math more or less down pat in situations like this. And Robert, who missed the correct answer of Porgy and Bess, was very close. He wagered $4,601 and guessed South Pacific, while Steve got the question right and wagered the same amount $4,601. That meant champion Robert finished with $18,399, and Steve won with two more bucks on his total: $18,401.
It’s especially heartbreaking because Won had correctly wagered just enough to win his first game and take home $32,001, edging out another contestant by a single dollar in Friday night’s episode. He later told host Mayim Bialik that he was “terrified” he would get that wager wrong.
“If I lost in a wrong wager,” Won said, “my colleagues wouldn’t let me hear the end of it.”
This time, however, the math under the bright lights just didn’t add up.
[via EW]
