Did ‘Jeopardy!’ Opera Singer Champ Hit the High Notes Again?

Spoiler Alert

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[The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Wednesday, April 30, episode of Jeopardy!]

After an impressive game on Tuesday with 23 correct responses in the first round, Jeopardy! player Ben Ganger returned to defend his crown in game two. The game show contestant, from Goshen, Indiana, has a one-day total of $24,999.

Ganger, a data analyst, played against Jordan Stefanski, from Dunellen, New Jersey, and Roni Ackner, from Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday (April 30). He shared on Tuesday that he is part of an opera group that sings in bars.

“Our champion, Ben Ganger, had a banger of a game yesterday with 34 correct responses. That’s the second-most we’ve seen all season,” host Ken Jennings said at the beginning of the game. “And a smoking 79% buzzer accuracy. Let’s see if he can do it again today.”

The game did not start out well for Ganger as he answered a question wrong. There was then a Triple Stumper, but Ganger quickly got back on the board. But, Ackner, a product manager, gave him a run for his money in the first round.

Ganger found the first Daily Double, though, and wagered all of his $1,400. The clue was, “First published in 1830, the text laid out the foundations of a new faith begun that same year.” “What is The Book of Mormon?” he answered, which doubled him up to $2,800.

By the end of the round, the reigning champion didn’t quite live up to his first game but still answered 18 questions correctly and only two incorrectly. This gave him a total of $10,000. Stefanski, a psychiatric nurse, had $1,400. Ackner was just above him with $1,600.

Double Jeopardy saw eight Triple Stumpers. However, the round turned around when Ackner found the first DD. With $2,800, she wagered it all. The clue read, “Referring to part of her habit, it means to become a nun.” “What is to take the black?” Ackner answered incorrectly. The correct answer was to take the veil. She dropped down to $0, putting her in third place.

Ganger found the second DD. He had $12,800 in his bank, and he wagered $2,500. “This 2008 novel by Liu Cixin follows physicist Ye Wenjie & Wang Miao, a nanotech researcher, across 2 different timelines,” was the clue. “What is The Three-Body Problem?” Ganger answered correctly, giving him $15,800.

By the end of the round, Ganger had a runaway lead with $16, 100. Ackner moved up to second with $1,600. Stefanski only had $1,000. The category for Final Jeopardy was “Business and Television.”

The clue read, “This TV show that debuted in 1960 licensed its name 8 years later to a children’s health product that’s still around today.” Stefanski answered correctly with “What are The Flintstones?” He wagered $0, keeping him at $1,000. Ackner answered Sesame Street, which was wrong. After wagering $0, she stayed at $1,600. Ganger also answered The Flintstones. He wagered $716, giving him a final total of $16,816. He has a two-day total of $41,815.

Ganger will be back on Thursday, May 1, for his third game against two new opponents. In total, he had 27 correct responses, which was a bit less than his first game, in which fans called him a “machine.”

“Some surprising triple stumpers today, but glad Ben pulled off another win,” a Reddit user said.

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