JEOPARDY! champion Amy Hummel stayed afloat on Monday with $85,794 total after a challenger made a gutwrenching mistake that cost him the game.
The Wisconsin ER doctor faced Ferdinand Percentie, who had a hefty lead heading into Final Jeopardy, and Kirsten Lundquist.
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Amy is the second streaker since regular play resumed earlier this month after an onslaught of tournaments, followingAlison Betts.
After the Jeopardy! round she and the day trader from Altamonte Springs, Florida, were tied at $3400, Kristen at $0.
In Double Jeopardy!, Ferdinand stole the show, acing both Daily Doubles for $4000 and $5000 and it looked like it was game over for Amy.
Going into Final Jeopardy!, Ferdinand led with $21,600, Amy had $13,800, and Kirsten had $800.
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Final Jeopardy! under Nicknames read, "Surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku has been called this 2-word name that describes any dominant person or expert."
Kirsten nailed it with "Big Kahuna," while Amy did as well, almost going all-in to snatch the lead.
But the water got choppy for Ferdinand, who, despite his strong performance, stumbled on the final question with "Major Domo," dropping him to second place.
The crowd fell silent, and Amy looked bewildered, having won with $27,599 and an impressive four-day total.
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FANS FEEL FOR FERDINAND
Social media erupted with reactions, celebrating Amy's victory while feeling for Ferdinand's unexpected downfall.
As fans debated the game's outcome, some argued Ferdinand deserved a shot at redemption as he may have "overthought" the clue.
"Ferdinand definitely needs to be considered for Second Chance. Also congrats on the 4th win Amy," one Redditor wrote.
"Dang, really feel for Ferdinand, great game by him," wrote another.
"Being slightly more aggressive on his DD wagering would likely have saved him the FJ variability, but v easy to say in hindsight," wrote a third.
"With 22 correct responses, I think the producers should not ignore Ferdinand as a potential Second Chance Contest player at next year's post season tournaments. Maybe it is too early to tell if Ferdinand is a Juveria-like caliber?" wrote a fourth.
A fifth wrote, "Probably one of the more clearcut examples of an FJ being too obvious for its own good. Seems like an FJ that's very easy to overthink, and I suspect that's what happened here."
Amy will face two new challengers tomorrow night to try and win her fifth game, as many as Alison won just two weeks ago.
If so, Amy will be the third official qualifier for the next Tournament of Champions (although she'll likely already qualify) along with Alison and Celebrity Jeopardy!'s Lisa Ann Walter.
WINNING STORY
While Ferdinand didn't win, he may have won best anecdote in memory.
His grandmother inspired the hitJimmy Buffettsong “Cheeseburger in Paradise.”
He said his family comes from a small island in the Bahamas, Harbor Island, and “According to family lore, Jimmy Buffett came to the hotel/restaurant my grandma founded and [he] had a cheeseburger there. That was his inspiration to write Cheeseburger in Paradise.”
Ken was wowed, telling him, “Your grandmother’s cheeseburgers were so good that he wrote a hit song about them. That is amazing. I love that.”
JEOPARDY! DOCTOR
Dr. Hummel is an emergency medicine physician in Madison, Wisconsin, according toUS News Health.
Her job in which she works at "eight" different hospitals, may explain why she's so bizarrely "calm" on stage, as even Ken pointed out.
She received her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and has been in practice for nearly five years.
Her specialty is emergency medicine which entails having to, "rapidly assess and treat patients with catastrophic injuries."
"Common reasons to visit emergency rooms include heart attack, drug overdose, shock, burns and massive bleeding."
She competes slowly, which has left some boards incomplete (including a game with four unread clues, for shame!)
This gameplay style has bothered fans, even if it works for her.
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Fans are also not shy in saying Amy looks a lot like Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Jeopardy! airs at 7 p.m. ET. - check your local listings.
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