Warning: This page contains spoilers for the April 18, 2024, game of Jeopardy! — please do not scroll down if you wish to avoid being spoiled. Please note that the game airs as early as noon Eastern in some U.S. television markets.
Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category Alphabetical America) for Thursday, April 18, 2024 (Season 40, Game 159):
Until Alabama became the 22nd state, this one was first alphabetically
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Marko Saric, a math professor from Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
Rob Blumenstein, a paralegal originally from Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Alison Betts, a writer & creative executive originally from San Jose, California (5-day total: $121,500) |
Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
Alison Betts is a 5-time champion with total winnings $121,500 after her victory on yesterday’s show. Will she take victory number 6 today? Rob Blumenstein and Marko Saric will want to stop her. One thing working in Alison’s favor will be that this is the start of a new tape day; Alison will have had a chance to get some rest before resuming.
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(Content continues below)
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Correct response: What is Connecticut?
More information about Final Jeopardy:
(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2024 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)
Alabama was the first of the four “A” states to gain statehood, doing so in 1819; Arkansas gained statehood in 1836, Arizona in 1912, and Alaska in 1959. Thus, first alphabetically—also first alphabetically amongst the 13 Colonies—was Connecticut. (While both California and Colorado are also in front of Connecticut alphabetically, California’s statehood was 1850, while Colorado’s was 1876.)
I think this Final Jeopardy might have been better suited for a Tournament of Champions, JIT, or Masters; at regular-play level, having this clue hinge on the fact that Arkansas statehood was after Alabama’s is a big ask for a clue that needs to be answered in 30 seconds.
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Game Recap & Tonight’s Game Stats:
Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Thursday, April 18, 2024 Jeopardy! by the numbers, along with a recap:
Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: At The Start Of The Sport; Second Cities; All Up In Your Business; What A Literary Character; Crossword Clues “R”; Patience)
The opening 15 clues saw Alison’s score drop to $0 after a missed True Daily Double; however, she rebounded well and nearly re-took the lead by the interviews. Rob led after 15 with $3,400 to Alison’s $2,600 and Marko’s $1,000.
Statistics at the first break (15 clues):
Rob 4 correct 0 incorrect
Alison 6 correct 1 incorrect
Marko 4 correct 2 incorrect
Today’s interviews:
Marko learned to spell thanks to Wheel of Fortune.
Rob is a newly-minted paralegal.
Alison accidentally made a viral cat video.
Alison picked up another 6 correct to have the lead after 30, but all three players were playing very well at this point in the game.
Statistics after the Jeopardy round:
Alison 12 correct 1 incorrect
Marko 11 correct 2 incorrect
Rob 5 correct 0 incorrect
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Alison $5,000
Marko $4,400
Rob $3,600
Double Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: Books In History; Medals & Decorations; 9-Letter Words; Acting Up At Juilliard; Biblical Garb; Patients)
After finding the first Daily Double, Rob stayed in a category guaranteed not to have the second—which yielded the last Daily Double to Marko. While Marko went conservative on his bet, it was still enough to have the lead going into Final Jeopardy.
Statistics after Double Jeopardy:
Marko 22 correct 6 incorrect
Alison 19 correct 3 incorrect
Rob 10 correct 1 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 4 (0 today).
Scores going into Final:
Marko $12,900
Alison $11,000
Rob $9,600
Final Jeopardy was a Triple Stumper, with all three players not thinking past Arkansas. Things came down to the wagering, and Marko ended up as champion!
Tonight’s results:
Rob $9,600 – $9,559 = $41 (What is Arkansas? Love you)
Alison $11,000 – $8,500 = $2,500 (What is Arizona Arkansas Arkansas <3 OJE)
Marko $12,900 – $9,101 = $3,799 (What is Arkansas?) (1-day total: $3,799)
Other Miscellaneous Game Statistics:
Daily Double locations:
1) SECOND CITIES $1000 (clue #9)
Alison 1800 -1800 (Rob 2400 Marko 800)
2) 9-LETTER WORDS $1600 (clue #2)
Rob 3600 +3600 (Alison 5000 Marko 4400)
3) BOOKS IN HISTORY $1200 (clue #6, $27600 left on board)
Marko 6000 +2900 (Alison 5800 Rob 6800)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: 48
Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:
J! Round:
Alison 4 4 5*
Rob 5 5 2
Marko 3 3 4
DJ! Round:
Alison 4
Rob 5 4* 3† 2†
Marko 3*
† – selection in same category as Daily Double
Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:
Marko 3.25
Alison 4.25
Rob 3.71
Unplayed clues:
J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 4 (0.03 per episode average), 0 Daily Doubles
Game Stats:
Marko $11,200 Coryat, 22 correct, 6 incorrect, 43.86% in first on buzzer (25/57), 2/2 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
Alison $12,800 Coryat, 19 correct, 3 incorrect, 33.33% in first on buzzer (19/57), 2/2 on rebound attempts (on 7 rebound opportunities)
Rob $7,600 Coryat, 10 correct, 1 incorrect, 14.04% in first on buzzer (8/57), 2/2 on rebound attempts (on 8 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $31,600
Lach Trash: $9,600 (on 8 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $12,800
Lead Changes: 7
Times Tied: 0
Player Statistics:
Alison Betts, career statistics:
133 correct, 27 incorrect
10/11 on rebound attempts (on 35 rebound opportunities)
38.60% in first on buzzer (132/342)
10/11 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $32,000)
4/6 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $13,667
Rob Blumenstein, career statistics:
10 correct, 2 incorrect
2/2 on rebound attempts (on 8 rebound opportunities)
14.04% in first on buzzer (8/57)
1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $3,600)
0/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $7,600
Marko Saric, career statistics:
22 correct, 7 incorrect
2/2 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
43.86% in first on buzzer (25/57)
1/1 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $2,900)
0/1 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $11,200
Marko Saric, to win:
2 games: 42.595%
3: 18.143%
4: 7.728%
5: 3.292%
6: 1.402%
Avg. streak: 1.742 games.
Andy’s Thoughts:
- All three players made a defensible bet from a strategic point of view in this game. It might not have worked out for them in this case, but Alison being in Stratton’s Dilemma certainly made for more strategic options.
- Today’s box score will be linked to when posted by the show.
Final Jeopardy! wagering suggestions:
(Scores: Marko $12,900 Alison $11,000 Rob $9,600)
Alison: You’re in Stratton’s Dilemma; you can’t both cover Rob and win a Triple Stumper. If you think Rob is going to make a small bet, you might consider something less than $1,400 or between $4,001 and $7,199. If you think he’s making a large bet, you have to bet at least $8,201 to cover. (Actual bet: $8,500)
Rob: If you think Alison is going to bet small, go all in yourself. It does mean you have to be correct to win, though. If you think Alison is going to make a large bet, play for the Triple Stumper and limit yourself to a bet between $2,800 and $5,800. (Actual bet: $9,559)
Marko: Standard cover bet over Alison is $9,101. (Actual bet: $9,101)
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