Additional Coverage:
- ‘Jeopardy’ contestant stuns Ken Jennings with his risky wager — becomes champion by just $1 (marketrealist.com)
Local Contestant Stuns “Jeopardy!” with Daring Wager, Claims Victory by Just One Dollar!
Even veteran “Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings, who’s seen countless strategic plays in his time as both a champion and a host, found himself momentarily stunned during a recent episode.
The reason? A contestant’s audacious wager that led to an absolutely nail-biting finish, with victory decided by the slimmest margin imaginable: a single dollar.
The man behind this thrilling upset was Curtis Bogetti. He began the game facing off against defending champion Zach Knecht and challenger Hannah Gomez.
Bogetti didn’t exactly hit the ground running, trailing Knecht who quickly took an early lead after finding a Daily Double. By the end of the first round, Knecht was in front with $6,200, Bogetti held second place with $5,400, and Gomez rounded out the field with $1,600.
The turning point arrived during Double Jeopardy when Bogetti uncovered his Daily Double. With $8,600 in his bank, he made a bold, all-or-nothing move that elicited a surprised “Wow!
That’s a big wager!” from Jennings.
The clue read, “In ‘The Song of Roland’, God makes the sun stand still so this emperor can continue a battle.” Bogetti confidently penned, “Who is Charlemagne?” — a correct answer that instantly catapulted him into the lead with $17,200.
As Final Jeopardy loomed, Bogetti held a solid lead with $26,600. Knecht was in second with $15,000, and Gomez had $6,800. The tension in the studio was palpable.
The Final Jeopardy category was ‘Destinations’, and the clue presented was: “In 2020, the Pripyat Ferris wheel earned a cameo mention in a N.Y. Times travel essay called Why Would Anyone Want To Visit this place.”
Gomez, unfortunately, missed the mark with “What is Egypt?” and saw her entire wager disappear.
Knecht, however, had the correct response: “What is Chernobyl?” His score impressively doubled to $30,000, suddenly putting him in the lead and dramatically raising the stakes.
All eyes then turned to Bogetti. He, too, had correctly answered “What is Chernobyl?”
His victory now hinged entirely on his wager. In a stroke of strategic brilliance, Bogetti had wagered a precise $3,401.
This calculated bet brought his grand total after the correct answer to an astonishing $30,001, clinching him the “Jeopardy!” championship by the narrowest of margins – a mere one dollar!
Bogetti’s performance was a masterclass in strategic gameplay, proving that sometimes, the biggest risks yield the greatest rewards. He didn’t just win; he executed a perfectly calculated finish, turning an early deficit into a thrilling, one-dollar victory that left everyone, including Ken Jennings, buzzing with excitement.