Liam Starnes‘ spectacular six-game profitable streak got here to an finish on Monday’s (April 28) Jeopardy!, and he’s now opening up about his time on the present, together with his self-doubts heading into the recording.
The 20-year-old undergraduate pupil from Barrington, Illinois, developed fairly a fanbase over his seven appearances due to his unbelievable trivia data and uncanny resemblance to Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons). Nevertheless, all good issues should come to an finish.
Regardless of dominating the primary half of Monday’s recreation, Starnes misplaced the episode in Closing Jeopardy after answering incorrectly. In the meantime, his opponent, Erin Morin, a digital pre-press specialist from Aldie, Virginia, responded accurately and wagered every part to double up and swipe the win.
Taking to the Jeopardy! Reddit discussion board after Monday’s episode, Starnes stated, “Now that my run (and midterm season) is over, I needed to inform your complete story of my time on Jeopardy.”
He went on to disclose he’s liked watching Jeopardy! since he was in center college, and when he acquired the decision to be on the present, he initially “thought it was a rip-off.”
“As soon as it sank in that this was actually occurring, I knew I wanted to search out the proper steadiness: ought to I examine as a lot as I might, filling in my weaknesses but additionally including a number of additional strain? Or do I ignore all ideas about profitable and shedding and faux like I’m simply flying out to LA and taking part in a recreation on the Jeopardy stage for enjoyable?” Starnes added.
“I in all probability would have studied a bit extra if I might do it over once more, however general I feel I dealt with the pre-taping course of nicely,” he continued.
Nevertheless, Starnes took a knock to his confidence earlier than the taping started, explaining, “simply three days earlier than my first taping, I performed horribly at a serious school quizbowl match, and I couldn’t assist feeling like that was a nasty omen of what was to come back.”
Issues went from dangerous to worse when he acquired to Los Angeles; as Starnes shared, “When tape day lastly got here, I acquired completely destroyed within the rehearsal video games. My desires of turning into the subsequent nice Jeopardy! star and making the TOC went out the window, and the considered profitable one recreation appeared like a near-impossible feat. ”
Starnes acquired a fortunate break when he wasn’t picked for the morning rounds, that means he had an opportunity to “get his head in Jeopardy mode” whereas watching the opposite contestants’ video games.
“Earlier than I knew it, it was my flip, and I very nervously stumbled out of the inexperienced room onto the stage,” he continued, noting how he “acquired off to a tough begin” however “slowly however certainly, identical to in a big-time quizbowl match, it began to really feel like I used to be half of the sport, not simply somebody taking part in it.”
After nailing a giant wager on a Every day Double, Starnes acquired one among his “finest classes” in Closing Jeopardy with Presidential Elections, giving him his first win. “I used to be really a Jeopardy champion!” he wrote.
He returned to LA per week later and “did a lot better within the rehearsal recreation.” His success continued, although there have been some shut calls alongside the way in which, however “abruptly, the Match of Champions was as soon as once more a purpose inside attain.”
“I’m nonetheless in disbelief at how I used to be in a position to beat Abigail in recreation 4 (after telling myself a number of occasions throughout the recreation that I had already misplaced and may simply settle for it), however one way or the other I made it to the all-important lunch break because the reigning champion,” Starnes added.
Starnes ultimately received his fifth recreation, guaranteeing himself a spot within the subsequent TOC. “Every time I finally misplaced, my time on America’s biggest recreation present would not finish proper then and there,” he stated, talking of his newfound confidence.
Nevertheless, this confidence would ultimately change into his undoing. He defined, “Regardless of combating fatigue, I received recreation 6 in a runaway and returned to the lodge with my profitable streak nonetheless intact. That night time, I had my finest night time of sleep in who is aware of how lengthy, and got here to the studio in by far the perfect form of my three taping days. My spot within the TOC was sealed, the nerves had gone away, and I might simply go on the market and have enjoyable.”
Starnes stated he obtained a “frostier reception” from his fellow contestants after they came upon what number of video games he’d received. But, he said, “I felt as assured as I ever had, and I began the day with what needed to have been my finest recreation out of the seven I had performed. Listening to the gang gasp after you make a giant True Every day Double wager is an unbelievable feeling.”
Sadly for Starnes, his spectacular run got here to an finish when he couldn’t work out the Closing Jeopardy clue. “I suppose that’s the irony of Jeopardy: you may be utterly outplayed and nonetheless pull out a win, however it’s also possible to play amazingly and lose,” he shared.
He stated that he wasn’t certain “whether or not to really feel glad about my six-game run or unhappy that it didn’t go on longer” till watching it again on TV.
“I noticed there was hardly any motive to really feel disillusioned a couple of six-day profitable streak,” Starnes said. “It’s been wonderful seeing all of the help over the previous ten days from household, mates, and fellow Jeopardy followers. I’m being acknowledged increasingly round Hyde Park, which nonetheless feels a bit odd however makes my coronary heart heat each time somebody congratulates me on my success.”
He went on to shout out his fellow contestants in addition to the Jeopardy crew, “particularly to Mitch, the audio technician who was in a position to calm me down earlier than every recreation.”
Starnes additionally shared his secret pre-meal prep, shouting out “El Torito in Marina Del Rey, which was my night-before meal for each taping weeks and will likely be once more once I come again for the TOC. Perhaps I shouldn’t damage my aggressive benefit by revealing this secret, however the Mexican meals there’s wonderful.”