‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Celebrate JIT Finals Not Being 2022 TOC Rematch
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the April 4 episode of Jeopardy!]
Heading into the last semifinals of Jeopardy!’s Invitational Tournament, fans knew what a win from one of the three players could mean. In the April 4 episode, Victoria Groce, Sam Buttrey, and Matt Jackson faced off, and immediately at the start of it, host Ken Jennings detailed what Buttrey winning could mean.
“So far, the JIT finals are shaping up to look a lot like the 2022 TOC [Tournament of Champions] finals or last year’s Masters field,” Jennings noted. “Because Amy Schneider and Andrew He have both secured spots in the finals. Sam Buttrey, that could bode well for you today, but as you know, you’re facing some tough competitors in Matt and Victoria.”
Early on, it was an evenly matched game, with the first half of the Jeopardy! round ending with Buttrey and Jackson both with $2200 and Groce with $2000; Groce pulled out in the lead heading into Double Jeopardy, with $5000, but Jackson ($4800) and Buttrey ($3800) were close behind. Though she also led heading into Final Jeopardy, it wasn’t a runaway game (her $27,000 to Buttrey’s $16,000 and Jackson’s $10,400). In fact, with where the scores fell at the end of the game, if Groce hadn’t bet anything, she would have lost.
Both Groce and Buttrey got the final question correct, and his final score was $27,001, one dollar more than she had going in. But she added $5,001 to her score (for $32,001 total) and advanced to the finals, meaning there will not be a repeat of the 2022 TOC.
That was something that fans were happy to see on Reddit, mainly because it means new match-ups. “Honestly, thank goodness Victoria won this semifinal match to prevent JIT from being a complete TOC 2022 reunion/rematch,” one viewer wrote, adding, “No hate for Sam B., by the way.” Another agreed because “love all the 2022 TOC finalists, but I’m glad we avoided a complete revival of that matchup.”
And that sentiment is extending to what fans are expecting to see on Jeopardy! Masters (along with $100,000, the JIT winner earns a spot in the next one). “Even if I’m not exactly a great fan of the idea of a world renowned quizzer and chaser winning this tournament (if only because it kinda feels a bit like a power imbalance of sorts), I’m still rooting for Victoria to win this thing, just for the simple reason that I’d like all 3 of the Masters contestants next season discounting James, Matt A. and Mattea to be brand new and thus give us more variety with these matches,” one fan explained.
Others agreed, chiming in, “I am rooting for Victoria because I’d like to see someone new in the masters though, not anything personal towards Amy or Andrew” and “I like them both and won’t hate seeing one win but I feel masters needs more fresh faces and Victoria could possibly be a challenge to James watching her and Yogesh up against James would be some good tv.”
In her interview during the Jeopardy! round, Groce shared that for her buzzer work, she’d been playing rhythm games. “It involves anticipating and timing, so it seemed like it would work,” she explained. We’ll have to see if that comes in handy during the JIT finals!
Buttrey also mentioned that he believed he holds the record for the most losses ever in Jeopardy!. After, a fan shared on Reddit, “Today’s result gives him sole possession of the record for most Jeopardy! losses with thirteen. However, don’t expect that to last very long. Andrew or Amy could equal or surpass it again in either the JIT final or in Masters if either gets back there. Entering the JIT, Sam and Andrew were tied at 12. Prior to last May’s Masters, Pam Mueller held the record with seven (even picking up her eighth in JIT QF1, that’s still only surpassed by five of the six Masters players).”
What did you think of the last JIT semifinals and what do you think of the finals matchup? Let us know in the comments section, below.
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