Ben Ganger’s spectacular five-game profitable streak ended on Tuesday’s (Might 6) Jeopardy!, and he’s now talking out about his expertise on the present, together with the behind-the-scenes particulars on that controversial Each day Double ruling.
The info analyst from Goshen, Indiana, who additionally sings with the South Bend Lyric Opera, entered Tuesday’s sport with a five-day complete of $105,915 and a assured spot within the 2026 Match of Champions. Nevertheless, he was unable to make it six in a row.
Regardless of the unlucky loss, Ganger spoke extremely of his time on the enduring sport present. “Being on the Alex Trebek Stage was the trip of a lifetime and I’m comfortable to get to speak about it now,” he wrote on the Jeopardy! Reddit discussion board following Tuesday’s episode.
He continued, “Attending to go felt like such a moonshot within the first place, so I attempted to maintain my targets centered on answering one clue at a time, quite than profitable or dropping. I feel that mindset served me properly!”
Ganger additionally defined why he seemed “drained” in his later episodes, revealing that after taping 4 episodes on Wednesday, March 5, he flew residence for a gown rehearsal of the Giacomo Puccini opera Tosca.
“We had [Tosca] exhibits Saturday and Sunday, and I truly ditched the Sunday present at intermission (with the stage supervisor’s approval) to make it again to LA at 11PM Sunday evening. I made it to the studio at 7AM Monday morning,” he stated. “So if anybody thought I appeared drained, you have been proper!”
He added that “this was my alternative,” noting, “Jeopardy workers supplied to reschedule me later in March or to not have me return Monday, and I emphatically declined each of these gives. I acquired to have per week bursting on the seams with issues I really like and I wouldn’t commerce it for something.”
Ganger additionally made it clear his “drained” story wasn’t meant as “a slight towards the folks I performed this week, nor have been my sturdy performances final week a slight towards these gamers. You may solely play the board in entrance of you and the folks subsequent to you, and I acquired a pointy reminder of what the opposite aspect of that appears like on at the moment’s episode.”
Tuesday’s sport noticed host Ken Jennings make a controversial ruling when it got here to a clue a few particular kind of gun. The Each day Double clue learn, “Protecting quite a lot of floor, Mozambique’s flag options an open e-book, a hoe, and this weapon invented within the Nineteen Forties.”
Ganger’s opponent, Keegan Olson, answered, “What’s a machine gun?” Jennings requested him to be extra particular, and he stated, “What’s a Kalashnikov?” This was deemed incorrect, with Jennings explaining, “I’m afraid we would have liked the particular weapon, Keegan. It’s an AK-47.”
Many viewers thought this ruling was harsh, with one Reddit person writing, “I feel not accepting Kalashnikov for DD2 was a very poor ruling.”
“Strongly agree. The AK-47 is usually referred to as a ‘Kalashnikov,’” responded one other.
Ganger shared his insights on this controversial ruling, revealing that “manufacturing stopped down whereas this was double checked by the judges just about proper after Keegan answered.”
“Compliance got here on after a couple of minutes (I feel?) and defined the ruling, which was that they have been in search of a selected mannequin and the Kalashnikov firm makes fashions apart from the AK-47,” he added. “Ken additionally defined that per the foundations, he was not allowed to provide two ‘are you able to be extra specifics.’”
Ganger had excessive reward for Olson, although, writing, “For what it’s value, I believed Keegan was an extremely sturdy competitor who was prepared with a handshake for me and Sarah [Gillis] afterwards. I hope he will get the SCC nod and I’ll be cheering him on when he does.”
He additionally complimented Gillis, who ended up profitable the episode, saying, “An enormous congratulations to Sarah, she performed the neatest sport on stage and was justly rewarded for it.”
Ganger will return to the Alex Trebek stage subsequent 12 months for the TOC, and he’s already making ready. “See you all early subsequent 12 months, I’m gonna be in a research nook between at times making flashcards,” he quipped.