LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Jeopardy!' is gradually losing its grip as the top game show, with new contestants delivering boring gameplay moments and host Mayim Bialik annoying the viewers with intolerable hosting skills. In a recent episode, a newcomer toppled the reigning champion Suresh Krishna and dominated the game until an error was made.
During the Thursday, June 8 broadcast of 'Jeopardy!', Allison Strekal, a nonprofit development director from Missoula, Montana, competed against Suresh Krishna, a networking engineer from Suwanee, Georgia, and David Ford, a sales manager from Pasadena, Maryland. Suresh, a three-day champion returned for his next streak and had accumulated a two-day total of $21,099. However, his luck ran out as Allison dominated most of the game and dethroned Suresh. It was only when the Daily Doubles appeared that Allison made a crucial error, revisiting a category that had already been chosen, giving Suresh an opportunity to claim the last Daily Double.
Allison Strekal's near victory
In a recent episode, 'Jeopardy!' contestants Allison Strekal, Suresh Krishna, and David Ford competed against each other. While Suresh had been the reigning three-day champion, it was Allison's debut game. By the end of the first round, Allison had amassed $7,000, Suresh had $2,400 and David had $1,200. In the Double Jeopardy! round, David correctly answered the second of the three Daily Doubles in the "A Mid Category." However, this meant that the final hidden clue could not be located in that position, as per the rule that two Daily Doubles cannot be in the same column. When the last Daily Double appeared, Suresh's score plummeted to $0 due to a few incorrect guesses, while Allison was leading with $13,800.
With six clues remaining, Allison made a move that turned the game upside down. She returned to the category where the Daily Double had already been found, which was a genuine blunder since there cannot be two Daily Doubles in one row. However, one category remained untouched, and with six clues left, Allison chose the last clue in the "A Mid Category" and proceeded to work through the remaining category from top to bottom. This gave Suresh an opportunity to find the last Daily Double after he regained his footing in the "Yes You Canal" category, turning his score from $5,600 to $11,200. He ultimately emerged victorious and secured a spot in Final Jeopardy, finishing with $12,800, while Allison remained at $17,000 and David at $4,400.
'Dominating for most of this game'
During Thursday's 'Jeopardy!' game, host Mayim Bialik praised newcomer Allison Strekal for her outstanding performance. In the Final Jeopardy round under the category "Business History," the clue read: "What is dubbed 'the world's first initial public offering' took place in 1602 in this current European capital." While Suresh was the only one to correctly answer "Amsterdam," adding $4,300 to his score, Bialik turned to Allison and acknowledged her dominant gameplay throughout most of the game.
However, Allison responded incorrectly with "Berlin." She wagered $8,601 and was disappointed with the outcome. Bialik then smiled and hinted at Suresh's fortune, saying, "Suresh, congratulations, you are our Jeopardy! champion!" With a three-day total, Suresh's winnings totaled $38,199.
