The game show’s fans commended the contestant on her clever win
“Jeopardy!” fans were stunned by some strategic gameplay that took a third-place contestant all the way to the big win during the Final Jeopardy round.
Those who tuned into the popular game show on Wednesday watched contestant Melis Sahin-Collins pull out a massive come-from-behind victory despite going into the final round behind by $12,200.
According to Yahoo Entertainment, Sahin-Collins’ competitors Joon Spurney and Tim Everhart each had the same lead going into the Final Jeopardy round, in which contestants wager their winnings on a single question.
The category from the evening was “European Landmarks” and the clue was “Of the principal architects working on it from the mid-1500s to the 1980s, like Pierre Lescot and Hector Lefuel, none were foreigners.”
The question proved to be difficult for all three contestants, with none providing the correct answer — The Louvre Museum. However, what really made viewers’ jaws drop was the fact that, despite not getting the question correct either, Sahin-Collins managed to pull off the win with an intelligent and strategic wager.
→ Swipe to see more articles
While her opponents bet everything they had, she played it safe and wagered $0. As a result, she ended the game with $2,000, the same amount as the second-place contestant, but still earning herself the win.
It didn’t take long before viewers took to social media to commend her on the clever bid.
“Yeah sex is cool, but have you ever seen a 3rd place #Jeopardy contestant win by using strategic betting in Final Jeopardy?” one user joked on Twitter.
“#Jeopardy I’m always yelling at 3rd place player to bet ZERO in final Jeopardy. FINALLY!” another wrote.
“I loved tonight‘s @Jeopardy!” a third user wrote. “I didn’t understand the Final Jeopardy clue at all, but I’m so glad the lady won.”
“How many times has the second place finisher ended with an equal or greater payout than the winner after Final Jeopardy? I’ve never seen that until today,” someone else added.
“I’m absolutely shocked more people don’t play final jeopardy like she did. That should always be the way the third place person plays it if they’re not in a position to actually win with their wager,” someone else wrote.
In addition to the viewers, the win surprised guest host Mike Richards, who is currently the latest star to assume hosting duties as the show continues to search for a permanent replacement for Alex Trebek.
“Not the way you expected to win but you get to play again,” Richards told the contestant. “Congratulations. Wow! What a game.”
