Teddys on Jeopardy!

Okay, let me address table game tournament strategy quickly. In tournaments you are not trying to beat the dealer, but trying to beat the other players. It is imperative to size your bets to have the greatest chance to win. For this reason, position is extremely important, the later to act the better. On the last hand all kinds of crazy things can, should, and will happen. You'll see players double on anything, for example hard 19, if it is their only shot to win, because there are often max bet rules.

In craps tournaments it is often correct to make hop bets if you're way behind, because it is the only way to catch up. You have to remember that if the goal is to finish first at the table, finishing $1 behind first is no better than finishing with $0.

A good book to read about casino tournament strategy is Casino Tournament Strategy by Stanford Wong. He also has software for playing blackjack tournaments.

I might add that a major reason Ken Jennings did so well on Jeopardy was he was very clever with the Daily Doubles and Final Jeopardy. He understood the goal was not to maximize your money at the end of the show but to beat the other two people on the stage.

Quote: Wizard

I might add that a major reason Ken Jennings did so well on Jeopardy was he was very clever with the Daily Doubles and Final Jeopardy. He understood the goal was not to maximize your money at the end of the show but to beat the other two people on the stage.

I wish I understood that when I was on the show. I've gone over my last game so many times. I bet big on a daily double and lost. My opponent was a strong player and I figured a needed a big cushion going into final jeopardy to beat him. It pretty much crippled me for the rest of the game. I actually got more questions right than my opponent, but he knew the final jeopardy answer and I didn't. In the end, he just beat me.

Teddy can we get a link to a youtube of you on Jeopardy?

Quote: bigfoot66

Teddy can we get a link to a youtube of you on Jeopardy?

No, Sony Pictures is pretty strict with their copyright. I'll see what else I can find.

Quote: JimMorrison

That was actually me.

Oh yeah? Well, did you learn your lesson after
it was beaten into you that you have to tip
security or pay the consequences? Casinos
always have your best interests in mind, but
you have to play by the rules. Its a tough love
thing... LOL!

Quote: teddys

No, Sony Pictures is pretty strict with their copyright. I'll see what else I can find.

Please do. I have enjoyed reading your blogs and you inspired me to do the Harrah's Great Race west coast version with a post about it so I would enjoy seeing you on Jeopardy...

Quote: bigfoot66

Please do. I have enjoyed reading your blogs and you inspired me to do the Harrah's Great Race west coast version with a post about it so I would enjoy seeing you on Jeopardy...

Link to my video hello bit.

Link to my player page.

Strategy, betting, you-are-a-moron-for-not-knowing-The-Beatles comments welcome.

I'm honored to have a two-time Jeopardy winner on the forum! I'm quite sure I wouldn't even be able to get past the entrance test. I'd love to hear the whole story.

For now, here were Teddy's Final Jeopardy bids:

Game 1:
Jen: $6,900
Teddy: $10,800
Matt: $14,900

Teddy bid $2599 and won.

Game 2:
Teddy: $13,200
Tom : $8,500
Katie: $2,400

Teddy bid $3800 and won.

Game 3:
Teddy: $13,000
Bob: $14,000
Leila: $8,000

Teddy bid $7001 and lost.

I'd be interested to hear your strategy behind each bid.

Quote: Wizard

I'm honored to have a two-time Jeopardy winner on the forum! I'm quite sure I wouldn't even be able to get past the entrance test. I'd love to hear the whole story.

You should host a Vegas version of Cash Cab. If you win then the Bovada girls take you into a fancy club and you get a private table for an hour. The questions would be gambling, Vegas history, and Spanish Word of the Day.

Quote: pacomartin

If you win then the Bovada girls take you into a fancy club and you get a private table for an hour.

And if you lose you get two hours :)

Quote: Nareed

And if you lose you get two hours :)

;)

Actually though I think Vegas Cash Cab + The Wizard is the perfect combo. Great idea Paco.

Quote: pacomartin

You should host a Vegas version of Cash Cab. If you win then the Bovada girls take you into a fancy club and you get a private table for an hour. The questions would be gambling, Vegas history, and Spanish Word of the Day.

Bovada has thought about doing something like that. I should ask them what became of it.

We did have a trivia challenge with about 10 members last year, which Doc won. When I'm in a restaurant or casino it often turns into a trivia game show. I had dinner with SONBP2 on Friday and lost $10, mostly betting against our waitress' command of trivia.

Quote: sunrise089

Actually though I think Vegas Cash Cab + The Wizard is the perfect combo. Great idea Paco.

I looked at the Discovery Channel website, and I didn't realize that he did a celebrity episode of Cash Cab in Vegas.

Cash cab is run by a comic, but the questions are relatively serious. Jaywalking is funnier. J Edgar Hoover invented the vacuum. and there was slavery in the '60s. The lost city of Atlantic City sank.

Quote: Wizard

I'm honored to have a two-time Jeopardy winner on the forum! I'm quite sure I wouldn't even be able to get past the entrance test. I'd love to hear the whole story.

Pshaw, you could pass the test. You overestimate other peoples' knowledge of trivia. Most people could care less. From your posts on the board and your experience with waitress questions, I bet you would pass easily. Try it out next time you are in L.A.

As for me, I took a day off work to do the mass tryout in my hometown. It was in a large ballroom at one of the fancier downtown hotels. The place was packed. I just remember taking the written test from questions Alex asked on a video screen in the front of the room. They weren't very hard questions. We waited around and they called out who passed, and I was one of them. They asked everyone else to leave, and the people who remained were put into groups for mock games. We did a fake interview, and they asked us what we would do with the money. I remember I said I would go on a tour of soccer stadiums in Spain. They we played a mock game. It was short, maybe 5-10 minutes with only one round. They just wanted to make sure you weren't a complete nutcase, I'm sure. Then they took down our contact info and let us go.

About a month later I got a call from Sony saying they wanted me on the show. To say I was excited was an understatement. They said to book a flight to L.A., and they would reimburse me for it. Hotels were my responsibility, but they had a deal with a Radisson nearby at I believe $85 a night. You are guaranteed $1000 for showing up even if you lose (I think it is now $2000), so if nothing else it was a free vacation.

I booked the flight and the hotel, and flew out to Sony Pictures in Culver City, California. I rented a car, and my parents came along, and well as an aunt and cousin from Phoenix. The day before I got a shave at a Russian barbershop on Fairfax, and we ate at Canter's. The night before we went out for Mexican food and I did some clothes shopping at the Nordstrom Rack on Sepulveda Blvd. I still ended up wearing mostly my own ill-fitting cheap clothes, which I am now embarrassed about, looking back.

They tape five shows a day at the studio, two days a week. The shows air much later. I think they also tape Wheel of Fortune there, but I didn't see the set. It is a regular movie backlot, with a commissary where we ate lunch. I had a really bad tuna melt. There was a green room for the contestants with a bagel and dessert spread. I think there were about 15-20 contestants there that day. We introduced ourselves, chatted, and did costume and makeup. Then we went onto the set and tried out the equipment to get familiar with it. Alex came out at the very last second, said hello, and they began filming immediately. Alex gets a card with five prompts with which to interview you about. He chooses the prompt himself, and doesn't let you know about it, which is why some people sometimes look taken aback on the show.

I watched the first four games from the audience, but I wasn't called to play until the fifth and final show of the day. My dad was freaking out that I wouldn't get on that day, and he would have to fly back. I got on, and won. They said go back home for two weeks, and fly back for the next taping day. That was fine with me, and I got some more frequent flyer miles. I came back the second time by myself. As the "returning champion" (albeit only one day), I could tell some people were sizing me up in the green room. I won the first game, lost the second, got a check from the studio, and went to In-N-Out burger. That was it (other than some tax matters) before the show aired, where there was a lot of hoopla and what not around the viewing. That was fun.

For what it's worth, I don't bring the show up much because I am modest and don't want to come off as arrogant. It is useful in the occasional job interview, and the odd person is impressed by it.

Quote:

For now, here were Teddy's Final Jeopardy bids:

Game 1:
Jen: $6,900
Teddy: $10,800
Matt: $14,900

Teddy bid $2599 and won.

I got some coaching from experienced players and viewers before I went on the show. Betting strategy is not that hard, but a surprising number of contestants neglect it. There are only a couple rules of thumb to learn. For example, if you are more than double the second place player's score, there is no way you should lose. Just bet enough so you don't drop below their doubled score if they get the question right. I won't bore you with more, but there is also something called the two-thirds rule and the crush which provide a guidelines for what you should wager in other situations.

In this particular game, they actually named a wagering strategy after me. (I know some of the guys behind the site). I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew I had to bet enough to pass Matt if he bet $0, so I wagered $3800. (A little more than I needed. Why? I don't know). The question was about a flying character from children's literature. The first thing that came to mind was Peter Pan, so that's what I wrote. Jen got it right, but she didn't bet enough to pass me. Shockingly, Matt said The Little Prince, which was wrong, so I advanced. If Jen had bet all her money, she would have beat me. However, they say women are more cautious wagerers on the show, which I agree with. That helped me here.

Quote:

Game 2:
Teddy: $13,200
Tom : $8,500
Katie: $2,400

Teddy bid $3800 and won.

This was an relatively easy win. The third player, Katie, was an alternate and not very good. Tom got all the daily doubles and missed them all, which certainly helped me. Here, I had a comfortable lead by the final round. My wager was decided for me; I had to wager enough to cover Tom's doubled score. The final questions was right in my wheelhouse, about Middle Eastern history. The two other players missed the question, and I got it right, so that was nice extra money bonus in addition to the game win.

Quote:

Game 3:
Teddy: $13,000
Bob: $14,000
Leila: $8,000

Teddy bid $7001 and lost.

In this game I faced two strong opponents: A lawyer and a reference librarian. I did well and had a small lead late in the game, when I got the second daily double. I knew my opponents were strong and I wanted a big cushion going into final jeopardy, so I decided to bet big. I always hate it when players make puny daily double wagers on the show. I feel they are mostly thinking about the value of the money, and not game strategy. So I made a wager of $6,000 which was a little more than 1/3rd of my score at the time. The question asked about what country President Polk sent James Slidell to buy land from. I knew it was Mexico, but I couldn't remember if they were independent from Spain at that point. I said Spain, which was wrong. (Nareed and Paco, you may lambaste me now). So that was a $12,000 negative swing, which definitely hurt.

Fortunately, I rebounded and came into final jeopardy only $1000 behind Bob. The question was about 17th century English Literature. I just had no clue about the answer. Bob got it right, I didn't, so he won. Interestingly, even if I had gotten the daily double right, I still would have lost if everything else remained the same. I often wonder if getting that question right would have just put the kibosh on my opponents' morale right there. Probably not. So, Mexico and Alexander Pope were my downfall, but the fact is I just lost that game. People who watched it said it was one of the better and more exciting games they saw.

Quote: teddys

P The question asked about what country President Polk sent James Slidell to make a peace offering to. I knew it was Mexico, but I couldn't remember if they were independent from Spain at that point. I said Spain, which was wrong. (Nareed and Paco, you may lambaste me now).

I couldn't have place Polk's presidency any closer than "the XIX Century," but I know the war with Spain happened near the close of the XIX, so... But I wouldn't have known it was Mexico, either.

What I can't believe is neither of you guessed "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" ;)

There are a ton of Jeopardy clips on Youtube.
I'm sure you would be OK if you posted a 5min
clip from one of your shows.

Thanks for the story! You should have mentioned you were on Jeopardy over dinner when you were here.

I've heard some people say that pass the test you have to know at least 90% of the answers on a typical show. I'm nowhere near that high. My knowledge base is not well rounded. I know a great deal about particular things, but am very weak in categories well-liked on Jeopardy. For example, I'm pretty bad in European history, literature, poetry, ballet, etc..

Quote: Wizard

I know a great deal about particular things, but am very weak in categories well-liked on Jeopardy. For example, I'm pretty bad in European history, literature, poetry, ballet, etc..

I sigh when the category is current tv, that blows to have to be up to date on that. And I am always a bit miffed when a question seems like a free ad for some sponsor.

Quote: Wizard

I've heard some people say that pass the test you have to know at least 90% of the answers on a typical show. I'm nowhere near that high. My knowledge base is not well rounded. I know a great deal about particular things, but am very weak in categories well-liked on Jeopardy. For example, I'm pretty bad in European history, literature, poetry, ballet, etc..

I admit I don't watch the show much so I don't know what they ask about. Knowledge of geography will serve you well. Foreign languages like Spanish are always good. Presidents, Shakespeare and food are also really popular. Most of the stuff is general knowledge that you will know if you pay attention in life. I've even seen a gambling category or two. What do you have to lose by trying out? By the way, that is how Ken Jennings got on the show, he drove down from Salt Lake to LA to try out (he actually thought his driving partner had a better chance than he did).

(As an aside, a college friend got on the show not long after I did, and won $122,000, which was a record at the time. But I did beat him in a geography challenge once :))

Quote: Wizard

For example, I'm pretty bad in European history, literature, poetry, ballet, etc..

Back when I watched the show and sort of kept score, I tended to get killed on categories like TV, movies, poetry and literature.

I heard something about an online qualification test. It isn't available now, but I'll keep checking back.

Meanwhile, I took this practice test. I tried to enforce the 15-second rule on myself. Out of 50 questions I'm somewhat embarrassed to say I got exactly half right. I'm pretty mad at myself over a couple of them. I won't say which, in case anybody else wants to try it.

I welcome other to try and honestly report how you did. Try to stick to the suggested time limit per question.


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Warning, the test is discussed after this post. If you want to take it on a fair playing field, stop and do it now.

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19. I had a bunch of "on the tip of my tongue" answers but I wouldn't have beaten anyone to the buzzer on them. Going over the list again I ended up with 26 right, 7 wrong, 17 unanswered.

I got 22 wrong and here they are:

What is FREELANCE?
WHO IS SCHEHERAZADE
WHO IS CATE BLANCHETT
WHAT IS THE MATTERHORN
WHO IS JAMES MADISON
WHAT IS JUPITER?
WHO IS LEBRON JAMES
WHO IS ANTONIO VIVALDI
WHAT IS PURGATORY? (ACCEPTABLE: PURGATORIO
WHAT IS CALIFORNIUM
WHAT IS ROCKY ROAD
WHAT ARE THE ELGIN MARBLES
WHO IS MISS HAVISHAM
WHAT IS LIBERIA
WHO IS PATRICIA CORNWELL?
WHAT ARE MARIA? (ACCEPTABLE: MARE
WHAT IS A SINGLE JINGLE
WHAT IS PROMPT
WHAT IS BAKED
WHAT IS NEW GUINEA
WHO IS BEYONCE (KNOWLES)

Quote: Wizard

Out of 50 questions I'm somewhat embarrassed to say I got exactly half right.

Me too! exactly 25!.

I'm not embarrassed, though :)

Quote:

I'm pretty mad at myself over a couple of them.

Par for the course. There are some questions I should have gotten right and didn't. there are others where I tried a guess and got it right. it evens out.

19 questions "aced", 16 I could answer, but not soon enough, 2 got wrong (Mozart and Islands), 13 didn't even bother trying.

Quote: odiousgambit

I sigh when the category is current tv, that blows to have to be up to date on that. And I am always a bit miffed when a question seems like a free ad for some sponsor.

2 to 1 it's a Sony Pictures project they're big on cross plugging their products

I'm very eager to see how Teddy does.

Quote: Wizard

I'm very eager to see how Teddy does.

You should post the ones you got wrong like I did.
I just copied and pasted them into notebook as
I went along. I'm not embarrassed about them
because I honestly didn't know the answers.

Here are the ones I got wrong:

IN 1903, WITH PRESIDENTIAL PERMISSION, MORRIS MICHTOM BEGAN MARKETING THESE TOYS
This is hard, maybe a final jeopardy type question.
THIS TERM FOR A PERSON WHO WORKS FOR VARIOUS EMPLOYERS COMES FROM KNIGHTS WHO SOLD THEIR SKILLS
No clue
THIS 14,700-FOOT PEAK IN THE SWISS ALPS IS FAMOUS FOR ITS SHAPE & THE DANGER OF ASCENDING IT
Said Mont Blanc
AN ARM BONE, OR AN ADJECTIVE MEANING "FUNNY"
Couldn't think of it.
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAS THIS MANY MEMBERS
Can never remember
SMALLER THAN ONLY GREENLAND, IT'S THE WORLD'S SECOND-LARGEST ISLAND
Said Borneo. And I pride myself on knowing geography :(

Quote: EvenBob

You should post the ones you got wrong like I did.
I just copied and pasted them into notebook as
I went along. I'm not embarrassed about them
because I honestly didn't know the answers.

Questions the Wizard got wrong or didn't answer:

KRISHNA & RAMA ARE BOTH CONSIDERED AVATARS OF THIS HINDU GOD
THIS SCOTTISH- BORN CHEF IS KNOWN FOR HIS TV RANTS AT WEAKER RESTAURATEURS
TOPSY & SIMON LEGREE ARE BOTH CHARACTERS IN THIS BESTSELLING NOVEL
JOHN THE BAPTIST'S MINISTRY TOOK PLACE IN THE REGION AROUND THIS RIVER
IN 1903, WITH PRESIDENTIAL PERMISSION, MORRIS MICHTOM BEGAN MARKETING THESE TOYS
REGARDING THIS DEVICE, ARCHIMEDES SAID, "GIVE ME A PLACE TO STAND ON, AND I WILL MOVE THE EARTH"
HE WAS PRESIDENT DURING THE WAR OF 1812
AN ARM BONE, OR AN ADJECTIVE MEANING "FUNNY"
BUSH AT WAR, "PLAN OF ATTACK" & "STATE OF DENIAL" ARE BOOKS BY THIS FAMED JOURNALIST
IT'S THE SMALLEST & EASTERNMOST OF THE GREAT LAKES
LOGICALLY, IT'S THE MIDDLE BOOK OF DANTE'S "DIVINE COMEDY"
SCULPTURES THAT ONCE ADORNED THE PARTHENON ARE KNOWN AS THESE, AFTER A BRITISH LORD
THE "YOUNG PRETENDER" TO THE BRITISH THRONE IN THE 1740s WAS ALSO KNOWN AS BONNIE PRINCE THIS
THIS FRENCHMAN LENT HIS NAME TO AN EARLY FORM OF PHOTOGRAPHY
A NO. 1 BESTSELLER IN 2008 WAS THIS FEMALE MYSTERY AUTHOR'S "SCARPETTA"
LATIN TERM FOR THE MOON'S "SEAS"; THE LARGEST IS ABOUT 750 MILES WIDE
BORN A SLAVE, SHE HELPED FREE OTHERS & WAS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN ON A U.S. POSTAGE STAMP
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAS THIS MANY MEMBERS
THE INTESTINAL TRACT OF THESE INSECTS, AKA WHITE ANTS, CAN BREAK DOWN CELLULOSE
KAREN BLIXEN WROTE "OUT OF AFRICA" UNDER THIS NAME
THIS SINGER RENAMED HERSELF "SASHA FIERCE" FOR A 2008 DOUBLE ALBUM

Quote: teddys

Here are the ones I got wrong:

Well, I'm very impressed you only got six wrong. It also saves me the time of taking a real Jeopardy test, which I'm sure I would fail. I could see getting 30 out of 50 on a good day, but I'll never get anywhere close to 44.

Quote: teddys

IN 1903, WITH PRESIDENTIAL PERMISSION, MORRIS MICHTOM BEGAN MARKETING THESE TOYS

I said "Lincoln logs." When I saw the answer I kicked myself.

Quote: teddys

This is hard, maybe a final jeopardy type question.
THIS TERM FOR A PERSON WHO WORKS FOR VARIOUS EMPLOYERS COMES FROM KNIGHTS WHO SOLD THEIR SKILLS
No clue

Yeah! I got one you didn't. Nyah! Maybe I knew it because it is a word I say quite a bit in my walk of life.

Quote: teddys

THIS 14,700-FOOT PEAK IN THE SWISS ALPS IS FAMOUS FOR ITS SHAPE & THE DANGER OF ASCENDING IT
Said Mont Blanc

Got that one too. You probably over-thought it.

Quote: teddys

AN ARM BONE, OR AN ADJECTIVE MEANING "FUNNY"
Couldn't think of it.

I didn't even tender a guess on that one. If you gave me a few hours I probably would have figured it out.

Quote: teddys

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAS THIS MANY MEMBERS
Can never remember

That is one of the two I'm mad at myself over. I consider politics to be one of my strong suits. I missed this one by 3.

Quote: teddys

SMALLER THAN ONLY GREENLAND, IT'S THE WORLD'S SECOND-LARGEST ISLAND
Said Borneo. And I pride myself on knowing geography :(

I said Australia. I thought Australia was bigger than Greenland, but said it anyway. I'm still not sure at what point a land mass is so big it is no longer and "island." In my opinion, not a very good question.

Quote: Wizard

JOHN THE BAPTIST'S MINISTRY TOOK PLACE IN THE REGION AROUND THIS RIVER

There's only one river in Israel worth mentioning. Of course I've been there twice, and studied Israeli geography in school...

Quote:

AN ARM BONE, OR AN ADJECTIVE MEANING "FUNNY"

Missed that one, too. Say "arm bones" and I think of the answers ins Spanish! I didn't see how either "húmero" or "radio" fit.

Quote:

LOGICALLY, IT'S THE MIDDLE BOOK OF DANTE'S "DIVINE COMEDY"

I never read "The Divine Comedy," but I thought the work was common knowledge

Quote:

SCULPTURES THAT ONCE ADORNED THE PARTHENON ARE KNOWN AS THESE, AFTER A BRITISH LORD

Tip of the tongue! They are mentioned in an SF book I finished re-reading earlier this week!

Quote:

THIS FRENCHMAN LENT HIS NAME TO AN EARLY FORM OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Again, I thought this was common knowledge.

Quote:

LATIN TERM FOR THE MOON'S "SEAS"; THE LARGEST IS ABOUT 750 MILES WIDE

Ah, any fan of hard SF knows this!

Quote:

BORN A SLAVE, SHE HELPED FREE OTHERS & WAS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN ON A U.S. POSTAGE STAMP

Got it in a guess

Quote:

THE INTESTINAL TRACT OF THESE INSECTS, AKA WHITE ANTS, CAN BREAK DOWN CELLULOSE

I didn't even need to think of this one. Only one well-known insect eats wood.

Takes all kinds, I guess.

I didn't record my answers, so, well, there's nothing to be done now. if I retook the test, odds are I'd get many more right.

Quote: Wizard

Questions the Wizard got wrong or didn't answer:

KRISHNA & RAMA ARE BOTH CONSIDERED AVATARS OF THIS HINDU GOD

I love Hinduism, so I knew this one.

TOPSY & SIMON LEGREE ARE BOTH CHARACTERS IN THIS BESTSELLING NOVEL

I knew Legree was from the book.

JOHN THE BAPTIST'S MINISTRY TOOK PLACE IN THE REGION AROUND THIS RIVER

I guessed Jordan cause its the only river I
know in that area.

IN 1903, WITH PRESIDENTIAL PERMISSION, MORRIS MICHTOM BEGAN MARKETING THESE TOYS

Huge fan of Teddy Roosevelt.

REGARDING THIS DEVICE, ARCHIMEDES SAID, "GIVE ME A PLACE TO STAND ON, AND I WILL MOVE THE EARTH"

Have no idea why I know this.

BUSH AT WAR, "PLAN OF ATTACK" & "STATE OF DENIAL" ARE BOOKS BY THIS FAMED JOURNALIST

Guessed Woodward.

IT'S THE SMALLEST & EASTERNMOST OF THE GREAT LAKES

I live in the middle of the Great Lakes

THIS FRENCHMAN LENT HIS NAME TO AN EARLY FORM OF PHOTOGRAPHY

I used to collect cameras.

BORN A SLAVE, SHE HELPED FREE OTHERS & WAS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN ON A U.S. POSTAGE STAMP

My son collected stamps.

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAS THIS MANY MEMBERS

I knew this and have no idea why.

THE INTESTINAL TRACT OF THESE INSECTS, AKA WHITE ANTS, CAN BREAK DOWN CELLULOSE

Just saw a special on termites last week.

KAREN BLIXEN WROTE "OUT OF AFRICA" UNDER THIS NAME

I read Out Of Africa. Great book.

You got a lot right that I got wrong, probably for
the same reasons. We know what we know for
various reasons.

Quote: teddys

Here are the ones I got wrong::(

You got 6 wrong? Who the heck are you, dude.

Will you be my friend?

Quote: EvenBob

You got 6 wrong? Who the heck are you, dude.

Will you be my friend?

Your answers remind me of "Slumdog Millionaire" -- actually, the book it was based on was pretty good. Tells a story of how he knew each questions. Cute book.

Eh, I know a bit of trivia. Useless hobby--kinda like gambling :)

JOHN THE BAPTIST'S MINISTRY TOOK PLACE IN THE REGION AROUND THIS RIVER

I guessed the Galilee, just because I thought there was a Lake Galilee, and lakes are generally fed by rivers. Surprisingly, I consider myself pretty good on the bible, so I'm not happy I wasn't even close on that one.

REGARDING THIS DEVICE, ARCHIMEDES SAID, "GIVE ME A PLACE TO STAND ON, AND I WILL MOVE THE EARTH"

I over-thought this one, and kept thinking about geometry.

BUSH AT WAR, "PLAN OF ATTACK" & "STATE OF DENIAL" ARE BOOKS BY THIS FAMED JOURNALIST

I should have got this one. It was one the tip of my tongue.

IT'S THE SMALLEST & EASTERNMOST OF THE GREAT LAKES

The is the the I'm the most mad at myself over. US geography is one of my strong points. I mixed up Lakes Ontario and Erie.

THIS FRENCHMAN LENT HIS NAME TO AN EARLY FORM OF PHOTOGRAPHY

I had no clue.

BORN A SLAVE, SHE HELPED FREE OTHERS & WAS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN ON A U.S. POSTAGE STAMP

I guessed Susan B. Anthony. To be honest, I have a hard time keeping my civil rights leaders straight. Same with Florence Nightengale and Clara Barton, I'm always mixing them up.

THE INTESTINAL TRACT OF THESE INSECTS, AKA WHITE ANTS, CAN BREAK DOWN CELLULOSE

I should have got that. I said a maggot.

KAREN BLIXEN WROTE "OUT OF AFRICA" UNDER THIS NAME

No clue.

Quote: Wizard

A good book to read about casino tournament strategy is Casino Tournament Strategy by Stanford Wong.

What a title! (LOL)

Quote: Wizard

REGARDING THIS DEVICE, ARCHIMEDES SAID, "GIVE ME A PLACE TO STAND ON, AND I WILL MOVE THE EARTH"

I over-thought this one, and kept thinking about geometry.

I remembered a cartoon with the earth
lifted up by a lever.

Quote: Wizard

BUSH AT WAR, "PLAN OF ATTACK" & "STATE OF DENIAL" ARE BOOKS BY THIS FAMED JOURNALIST

I should have got this one. It was one the tip of my tongue.

I remembered he wrote Bush at War, that was it.

Quote: Wizard

IT'S THE SMALLEST & EASTERNMOST OF THE GREAT LAKES

The is the the I'm the most mad at myself over. US geography is one of my strong points. I mixed up Lakes Ontario and Erie.

I always get Erie and Ontario confused, I just
guessed right this time.

Quote: Wizard

THIS FRENCHMAN LENT HIS NAME TO AN EARLY FORM OF PHOTOGRAPHY

I had no clue.

This one was hard. I don't think 1 person in 1000 can
know what a daguerreotype is. Teddy, how did you know?

Quote: Wizard

THE INTESTINAL TRACT OF THESE INSECTS, AKA WHITE ANTS, CAN BREAK DOWN CELLULOSE

I should have got that. I said a maggot.

Years ago I heard they digest wood and
then I saw it again on TV. Without that
reminder I would have got it wrong.

edited

Quote: Wizard

Out of 50 questions I'm somewhat embarrassed to say I got exactly half right.

I managed 30. I have a habit of forgetting names of personalities, even though I've heard them a thousand times.

I can honestly say that once I looked at the answers to the 20 questions I missed, I knew that information at one time (even the island sizes), but have subsequently forgotten it. There was only one case where I looked at the answer and didn't recognize it. "SASHA FIERCE" as a renamed singer.

Jeopardy Answer: Benjamin Franklin's preferred name for the new country, preserved in the name of the capital.


Jaywalking Question: What does DC stand for in Washington DC? Answer: De Capital.


For the Wizard of Odd's televised Quiz show we will have to mix these two types of responses somehow.

A Jeopardy classic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=botdmsQilnU

Quote: pacomartin

Jeopardy Answer: Benjamin Franklin's preferred name for the new country, preserved in the name of the capital.

What's the category?

Anwyay, the only possible answer is "Columbia."

But what bird did Franklin propose as a national symbol?

Quote: Nareed

But what bird did Franklin propose as a national symbol?

Like we don't hear that question every Thanksgiving.

Quote: teddys

Here are the ones I got wrong:

IN 1903, WITH PRESIDENTIAL PERMISSION, MORRIS MICHTOM BEGAN MARKETING THESE TOYS
This is hard, maybe a final jeopardy type question.

I shoulnd't say anything, given that you beat me and everyone else in the baord all hollow, but I can't resist the irony that you didn't know the response was "Teddy Bears" ;)

Oh, as to the Knights question, I thought of "errant" and "itinerant," but they were both wrong.

Maybe 10 years ago I took the local test in Milwaukee and then advanced to the practice game in Chicago, then never heard back.

Teddy: did they ever tell you how they selected players? I recall them saying they put together a potential pool of about 4,000 players, from which around 400 actually get on the show. I thought I did well...luck of the draw, or a face made for radio, I guess.

I got an 80% on the test. Incorrect answers: Jack of all trades / never saw Benjamin Button / I might be dinged for esperanzo instead of Esperanto / didn't get Californium / ran out of time on the postal abbreviation / blanked on client privilege / Little Mermaid instead of West Side Story is a howler / didn't know Scarpetta author / said honey ant instead of termite (!) / Madagascar / Beyonce.

Quote: Nareed

I shoulnd't say anything, given that you beat me and everyone else in the baord all hollow, but I can't resist the irony that you didn't know the response was "Teddy Bears" ;)

There's a maxim that you get the questions closest to your personal connections wrong, mostly. I find this to be true.

Calder, they don't tell you how they select contestants, but someone once told me they try to balance geographically, as I was from an underserved market (as well as a very popular market for Jeopardy ratings).

Quote: teddys

There's a maxim that you get the questions closest to your personal connections wrong, mostly. I find this to be true.

It could be.

Remember a gameshow called "password"? They used celebrities to play with the contestants. Once the actor who played "Mr. Belvedere" was a guest, and he missed a clue about his character.