Amy Schneider’s historic ‘Jeopardy!’ win streak comes to an end at 40

Lengthy-running “Jeopardy!” champion Amy Schneider misplaced in an episode that aired Wednesday, ending the second-longest successful streak within the quiz present’s historical past.

Schneider, an engineering supervisor from Oakland, California, was defeated by Rhone Talsma, a librarian from Chicago, who raked in $29,600 within the newest recreation, besting Schneider, at $19,600.

She left the present with practically $1.4 million in winnings and had no regrets in regards to the streak’s finish.

“I bought about $1.2 million greater than my finest case state of affairs in my creativeness,” a smiling Schneider mentioned moments after the beautiful defeat.

Nearly all of Schneider’s wins had been in 2-to-1 blowouts going into Last Jeopardy, that means the ultimate questions figured solely in how a lot prize cash she would rating.

However Wednesday’s recreation was unusually shut. Schneider led Talsma by $27,600 to $17,600 heading into the final query, below the class “International locations of the World.”

The present wished to know which is the one nation that ends its English spelling with an “h” and can also be among the many world’s high 10 most populous nations.

Talsma appropriately requested, “What’s Bangladesh?” whereas Schneider got here up clean. His successful wager of $12,000 and her dropping wager of $8,000 meant a brand new champion was out of the blue topped.

“It’s actually been an honor,” Schneider mentioned. “To know that I’m one of the vital profitable individuals at a recreation I’ve beloved since I used to be a child and to know that I’m part of its historical past now, I simply don’t know tips on how to course of it.”

Talsma’s fast set off was key to his staying shut all through the sport, Schneider mentioned.

“I had thought that Rhone was going to be powerful going into it,” she mentioned in an announcement launched by the present.

“I beloved hanging out with him, we had nice dialog earlier than the taping, however I might inform that he was right here to play and that he was going to be good. I nonetheless got here very near successful, however I did really feel like possibly I used to be slipping a bit of bit. And as soon as it was clear that he was quick on the buzzer, I knew it was going to be a battle all the best way.”

For a lot of the Double Jeopardy spherical, it seemed as if Schneider would cruise to a different simple win. At one level, she was up by $24,400 to $5,800 over Talsma.

However then Talsma nailed a late Every day Double, appropriately naming the Greek goddesses of vengeance, the Furies. He doubled up from $7,800 to $15,600 and put himself in place to overhaul Schneider in Last Jeopardy.

Simply after the sport, Schneider praised Talsma for taking the massive gamble on that Every day Double.

“It’s the fitting factor to do however I’ve seen a number of contestant not have the ability to pull the set off on that,” she informed the winner.

With nothing to lose, Talsma mentioned he didn’t assume twice.

“I’m simply enjoying for enjoyable, I used to be simply going to go massive. Wow,” he mentioned.

When Talsma, sporting distinctive neon-framed glasses, took the “Jeopardy!” stage in Culver Metropolis, California, he had no thought he’d be dealing with down one of many winningest contestants within the present’s historical past. 

“I’m nonetheless in shock,” Talsma mentioned of his victory. “That is my favourite present. … I used to be so excited to be right here, and I simply wished to do my finest. I didn’t count on to be dealing with a 40-day champion, and I used to be excited to possibly see another person slay the large. I simply actually didn’t assume it was going to be me, so I’m thrilled.”

Schneider’s success was notably celebrated by the transgender neighborhood, as she grew to become the primary transgender contestant to make it to Match of Champions, which shall be performed this fall, and is now the highest-earning feminine competitor in “Jeopardy!” historical past.

Schneider’s 40-game streak is second solely to Ken Jennings’ report streak of 74 wins.

She received $1,382,800, good for No. 4 all time in common season play, trailing solely Jennings ($2.5 million), James Holzhauer ($2.4 million) and Matt Amodio ($1.5 million).

Coincidentally, Holzhauer’s run on the present was additionally ended by a Chicago bookworm as he was ousted by College of Chicago librarian Emma Boettcher in 2019.

Jennings, who splits “Jeopardy!” internet hosting duties with former “Blossom” and “Massive Bang Idea” actor Mayim Bialik, presided over Schneider’s successful streak.

“It was simply so wonderful to look at; like I couldn’t imagine what I used to be seeing,” Jennings informed Schneider on stage after the sport. “It was an honor to be right here.”