Nine-day Jeopardy! champion Scott Riccardi has now surpassed a Masters legend and entered the history books, as he continues his impressive winning streak. After the July 15 episode, Scott is now the Jeopardy! season 41 champion who’s won the most games, as he moved past Laura Faddah, who’d won eight. He’s also won the most money of any champion this season with $233,501.
Nine-day Jeopardy! champion Scott Riccardi has now surpassed a Masters legend and entered the history books, as he continues his impressive winning streak.
TV Insider reported that Scott is now on the Jeopardy! Top 20 all-time regular-play winnings list, knocking Jeopardy! Masters season 3 contestant and legend of the game Roger Craig off the list. Roger had total earnings of $231,200.
In the game in which he moved past Roger, Scott went into Final Jeopardy! with a considerable lead of $28,200. Still, it wasn’t a runaway, as his competitor Pete Johnston had $15,600. However, Carl Adams had $9,100.
The Final Jeopardy! category was “Theater.” The clue read, “The title of a Pulitzer-winning play from 2007 mentions this month, as does another winner 54 years prior.“
Everyone answered correctly with “August.” Scott won the game with a total of $32,200, which added to his previous winnings and allowed him to surpass Roger. Jeopardy! shared a clip of the Final Jeopardy! round on its YouTube channel.
In addition, host Ken Jennings pointed out that Scott won his ninth game exactly one year to the day that Jeopardy! Masters season 3 contestant Isaac Hirsch earned his ninth victory in his regular-game streak. It was the first time since Isaac’s win that a Jeopardy! contestant had won nine games in a row.
What Scott Riccardi Surpassing Roger Craig Means For Jeopardy!
Scott Has The Potential To Become A New Jeopardy! Legend
Now that Scott has won nine games, he has the potential to become a Jeopardy! superchampion by winning 10 or more matches. His extraordinary total winnings are due in part to the fact that, in his second game, he made a gutsy Final Jeopardy! wager and won $50,400 in one game.
The fact that Scott has now entered the Top 20 all-time earnings list, surpassing an icon like Roger means that he’s on his way to becoming the new face of Jeopardy! With his place in the Tournament of Champions already secured, he can make a name for himself both in that competition and by continuing his streak.
In addition, if Scott wins or places second or third in the Tournament of Champions, he’ll automatically qualify for Jeopardy! Masters season 4.
Our Take On Scott Riccardi’s Jeopardy! Run
Scott Has Brought Excitement Back To The Game
Jeopardy! season 41 had some thrilling moments, but, in the last couple of months, the excitement had come to a halt. Just a few weeks ago, there was a run of 13 one-day champions, which Jason Singer finally broke, but it had me worried that the season was going to go out with a whimper.
However, I’ve eagerly awaited each of Scott’s episodes since he beat Jason, and I hope that he’ll continue to win and shake up the Jeopardy! history books.
Scott has been a joy to watch. The 26-year-old mechanical engineer has a calming presence, and I really enjoy watching him play. He’s a superfan of the show, who even once had a Jeopardy!-themed birthday party, so it’s even more special to see him doing so well. I hope that Scott continues to win Jeopardy! games and that he even breaks some records along the way.
Jeopardy! airs weeknights. Check local listings for time and channel.
Sources: TV Insider, Jeopardy!/YouTube