‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Ben Ganger Speaks Out After Losing Controversial Game
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Ben Ganger’s impressive five-game winning streak ended on Tuesday’s (May 6) Jeopardy!, and he’s now speaking out about his experience on the show, including the behind-the-scenes details on that controversial Daily Double ruling.
The data analyst from Goshen, Indiana, who also sings with the South Bend Lyric Opera, entered Tuesday’s game with a five-day total of $105,915 and a guaranteed spot in the 2026 Tournament of Champions. However, he was unable to make it six in a row.
Despite the unfortunate loss, Ganger spoke highly of his time on the iconic game show. “Being on the Alex Trebek Stage was the ride of a lifetime and I’m happy to get to talk about it now,” he wrote on the Jeopardy! Reddit forum following Tuesday’s episode.
He continued, “Getting to go felt like such a moonshot in the first place, so I tried to keep my goals centered on answering one clue at a time, rather than winning or losing. I think that mindset served me well!”
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Ganger also explained why he looked “tired” in his later episodes, revealing that after taping four episodes on Wednesday, March 5, he flew home for a dress rehearsal of the Giacomo Puccini opera Tosca.
“We had [Tosca] shows Saturday and Sunday, and I actually ditched the Sunday show at intermission (with the stage manager’s approval) to make it back to LA at 11PM Sunday night. I made it to the studio at 7AM Monday morning,” he said. “So if anyone thought I seemed tired, you were right!”
He added that “this was my choice,” noting, “Jeopardy staff offered to reschedule me later in March or to not have me return Monday, and I emphatically declined both of those offers. I got to have a week bursting at the seams with things I love and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Ganger also made it clear his “tired” story wasn’t meant as “a slight against the people I played this week, nor were my strong performances last week a slight against those players. You can only play the board in front of you and the people next to you, and I got a sharp reminder of what the other side of that feels like on today’s episode.”
Tuesday’s game saw host Ken Jennings make a controversial ruling when it came to a clue about a specific type of gun. The Daily Double clue read, “Covering a lot of ground, Mozambique’s flag features an open book, a hoe, and this weapon invented in the 1940s.”
Ganger’s opponent, Keegan Olson, answered, “What is a machine gun?” Jennings asked him to be more specific, and he said, “What is a Kalashnikov?” This was deemed incorrect, with Jennings explaining, “I’m afraid we needed the specific weapon, Keegan. It’s an AK-47.”
Many viewers thought this ruling was harsh, with one Reddit user writing, “I think not accepting Kalashnikov for DD2 was a really poor ruling.”
“Strongly agree. The AK-47 is commonly called a ‘Kalashnikov,’” responded another.
Ganger shared his insights on this controversial ruling, revealing that “production stopped down while this was double checked by the judges pretty much right after Keegan answered.”
“Compliance came on after a few minutes (I think?) and explained the ruling, which was that they were looking for a specific model and the Kalashnikov company makes models other than the AK-47,” he added. “Ken also explained that per the rules, he was not allowed to give two ‘can you be more specifics.’”
Ganger had high praise for Olson, though, writing, “For what it’s worth, I thought Keegan was an incredibly strong competitor who was ready with a handshake for me and Sarah [Gillis] afterwards. I hope he gets the SCC nod and I’ll be cheering him on when he does.”
He also complimented Gillis, who ended up winning the episode, saying, “A huge congratulations to Sarah, she played the smartest game on stage and was justly rewarded for it.”
Ganger will return to the Alex Trebek stage next year for the TOC, and he’s already preparing. “See you all early next year, I’m gonna be in a study corner between now and then making flashcards,” he quipped.
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