‘Jeopardy!’ Wager Drama as Allegra Kuney Bids for $100,000

[Warning: The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Monday, November 10, episode of Jeopardy!]

Jeopardy! three-day champion Allegra Kuney returned for her fourth game on November 10 and tried to reach a $100,000 total. The Ph.D candidate broke a record during her second game.

Kuney, from New Brunswick, New Jersey, played against Matt Eisenberg, from Ypsilanti, Michigan, and Morgan Connolly, from Long Island, New York, on Monday. Host Ken Jennings called Kuney a “strong presence” during game three.

“‘This is wild, Ken,’ Allegra said to me after her third win on Friday,” Jennings said. “She also said her big goal coming into Jeopardy! was not to embarrass herself, but I’d say after three wins and $85,000, you’ve exceeded your goal.”

Kuney started off the game by picking “Putting in Your 2 Cents, Internationally” for $600 and finding the Daily Double. The clue read, “Cruising Karachi? 2 cents turns into around 5 or 6 of these.” “What are rupies?” she answered correctly, giving her $1,000, which was the allotted wager for the round.

By the first commercial break, Eisenberg, a band director, had the lead with $3,600. During the interviews, Connolly, a biochemist, revealed that she has the same birthday as the late host Alex Trebek, which is July 22. Eisenberg attended the Chicago Cubs game where Ken Jennings sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

At the end of the round, Eisenberg led with $6,000. Connolly had $4,800. Kuney was in third place with $2,000.

In Double Jeopardy, Eisenberg had a wide lead of $9,600 when he found the first Daily Double. He wagered $3,000 in “Criminal Behavior.” The clue read, “A contemnor is a person guilty of this 3-word behavior, & they’ve most likely ticked off a judge.” “What is contempt of court?” Eisenberg answered correctly, improving to $12,600.

Kuney found the second Daily Double a few clues later. With $6,400 in her bank, she wagered $6,000 in “Poets & Poetry.” The clue read, “In an ode, Keats says the love depicted on this title object is ‘for ever warm and still to be enjoy’d.’” “What is a Grecian Urn?” she answered correctly, moving up to $12,400.

Kuney maintained the lead heading into Final Jeopardy with $19,200. Eisenberg had $15,400. Connolly was in third place with $10,800. Depending on the wagers, it could have been anybody’s game.

The category for Final Jeopardy was “Geographic Naming.” The clue read, “In 1859, the name of this political unit was chosen by Victoria, who liked herself better than James Cook, another possible honoree.” The clue was a triple stumper, with none of the game show contestants guessing Queensland.

Connolly answered, “What are the Virgin Islands?” She wagered $8,500, giving her a final total of $2,300. Eisenberg’s response was “What is an honor to p?” He wagered $10,000, leaving him with $5,400. Kuney’s response was “What are provinces?” She wagered $11,601, making her final total $7,599.

That was Kuney’s fourth win. She had a four-day total of $92,600. Can she win her fifth game, reach $100,000, and qualify for an upcoming Tournament of Champions? Find out on Tuesday’s game.