Jeopardy! recap for Fri., May 15 - encore of the last game of Ken's original run

Here are the contestants for this encore episode from November 30, 2004:

- David, a college student from Minnesota, is a Trebekkie;
- Nancy, a realtor from California, adopted a daugher from China; and
- Ken, a software engineer from Utah, hasn't quit his day job. Ken is a 74-day champ with winnings of $2,520,700.


Ken was in control most of the way, but mistakes on both DDs in DJ kept the game alive into FJ with Ken at $14,400 and Nancy at $10,000, while David finished in the red at -$2,800.

DD1, $800 - THE CONTEST - In 1984 Walter Mondale got his 13 electoral votes by winning D.C. & this state (Ken won $3,000 from his leading score of $4,600.)

DD2, $1,600 - PATTON PENDING - On December 26, 1944 Patton's forces relieved this town in Belgium's Ardennes; the Germans were driven out in January (Ken lost $5,400 from his total of $14,600 vs. $8,400 for Nancy.)

DD3, $1,600 - FUNNY HATS - The name of this often brimless hat, popular in the 1920s, is French for "bell", after the shape of the hat (Ken lost $4,800 from his score of $15,200 vs. $8,400 for Nancy.)

FJ - BUSINESS & INDUSTRY - Most of this firm's 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only 4 months a year

​Only Nancy was correct on FJ, adding $4,401 to win with $14,401. The best percentage play for Nancy would have been to wager less than $1,200, which would have given her the win if Ken missed without having to be correct herself.

So given Nancy's FJ bet, in order for Ken to lose this game, he had to be incorrect on both DDs in DJ as well as FJ, while Nancy had to be correct on FJ. The odds against all those things happening had to be at least in the 100-1 range.

Ken's explanation for his loss from a new introduction to the episode: "You get tired. You can't win 'em all." Then at the end, Ken said he never would have thought of tax season to come up with the correct FJ response.

Programming note: Beginning Monday, new episodes resume for four weeks, which in all likelihood will conclude the current season.

Correct Qs:
DD1 - What is Minnesota?
DD2 - What is Bastogne?
DD3 - What is a cloche?
FJ - What is H&R Block? (Ken said FedEx).