On Thursday’s Jeopardy!, retired library reference assistant Betty Hume stopped four-time returning champ Erica Doornek in her tracks thanks to a hefty daily double in Double Jeopardy and a correct answer in Final Jeopardy. With one day’s cash winnings of $21,000, Hume hoped to add to her tally, but did the Fredericksburg, Virginia, native have what it took to win again? Warning: Spoilers for the Friday, November 6, episode of Jeopardy! ahead!
Today, Hume went up against Jeremy Rotman, a lawyer originally from Paris, France, and Sam Dhindsa, a product manager from Oakland, California, each hoping to become the next Jeopardy! champ.
“After the game, Betty told us that she’s been procrastinating trying out for Jeopardy! for decades! But she finally did it. And look at this, Betty. It worked. Procrastination works!” joked Ken Jennings.
Hume started the round with “Wordplaying Our National Anthem” for $600: “It’s the only contraction we sing in the tune.” With the correct answer of “What is ‘o’er’?,” Dhindsa nabbed control of the board.
Hume found the first Daily Double under “Notes on November” for $800. With $1,800, Hume wagered $800 on the clue: “November symbols include this birth flower, a ‘Golden’ one native to Asia.” Sadly, Hume missed the question and was knocked down to second place behind Dhindsa with $1,000. The answer was chrysanthemum.
By the time of the break, Hume had caught back up with $2,000 as Dhindsa was nipping at her heels with $1,800 and Rotman was in third with $0.
During the getting-to-know-you portion, Rotman admitted to being an avid reality TV watcher as it taps into his competitive side, particularly Survivor, and he loves the chaos of the Housewives franchise. Dhindsa talked about taking up tango dancing as a new hobby, while Hume had made it her life’s mission to lower Spotify age, which was currently in the 80s. Her goal was the 50s.
Rotman was silent for most of the game and didn’t get on the board at all until the very end of the round, when he buzzed in on “Diwali” for $1,000. On the clue, “He has a long-time tradition of celebrating Diwali with India’s armed forces as in 2025 aboard INS Vikrant. With the answer, “Who is Modi?,” Rotman was finally on the board.
By the end of the first round, Dhindsa was in the lead with $4,800, Hume was second with $3,000, and Rotman had $2,800.
In Double Jeopardy, Hume found the second Daily Double in “American Novels” for $800. Wagering $2,000 on $3,400, the clue was: “In a Horatio Alger novel, Mark is a seller of these, like a little Hans Christian Anderson girl, but more successful at it.” With the correct answer of “What are matches?” Humes retook the lead.
Actor Mark Duplass made an appearance for the category “Core Values” in the video clue: “My brother Jay and I made films like The Puffy Chair that helped define this early 2000s indie genre that got its name from sound mixer Eric Masunaga’s comment about the naturalistic dialogue.” Dhindsa nabbed $2,000 with the correct answer of “mumblecore.”
It wasn’t until the second-to-last clue of the game that Hume pulled off a trifecta and found the third and final DD under “Orchestras” for $1,600. In third place now, Hume bet $4,000 against $5,800 to steal the lead. The clue: “The London Symphony says it’s ‘The Film Music Orchestra’: Star Wars, Harry Potter & this film with Gary Oldman as Beethoven.”
Almost not getting it, Hume blurted out “What is Immortal Beloved?” at the buzzer, taking the lead.
Heading into Final Jeopardy, a last-minute correct answer put Rotman in the lead with $10,000, Hume in second with $9,800, and Dhindsa in third with $8,000 in this close game.
In the category of “Campaign Slogans,” the clue was: “A 1905 advertisement for a clothing sale said it offered one of these, the same as a campaign slogan.”
Third place, Dhindsa didn’t know the answer and wrote down “Hi Eric,” and bet $7,000, putting her at $1,000.
Returning champ Hume wrote down “What is a hat on every head?” an incorrect answer. She wagered $3,000, which left her with $6,800.
Did Rotman have the right answer?
He wrote, “What is a teddy?” Wrong answer, but the right president. Teddy Roosevelt had just run for president, promising a square deal. The answer was a square deal.
He wagered $9,601, leaving him with $399, meaning that Hume was now a two-day champ, with a grand total of $27,800. She’ll return on Monday for her third game.
Jeopardy!, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu & Peacock
