Final Jeopardy

[monkeyboy]

Would you bet it all

What if you didn't like the category?

 

[nmmom95]

I would bet it all if I liked the category or I had no chance of winning anyway.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I would bet it all unless I had more than double the next contestant. If I ever had a shot at a gameshow, I wouldn't want to come home with a couple thousand dollars. Hit it big or come home with empty pockets.

 

[okeydokey]

Depends on the category. If it was "Rivers of the World" I would bet nothing!

 

[Jestocost]

How much I would bet would depend almost entirely on the relative sizes of the players winnings up to that point. Given that only the winner gets to keep their winnings (the other two get nominal, fixed consolation prizes), the rational strategy is to do whatever gives you the best chance of coming out on top. There are a number of scenarios where the actual category might come into play, but for the most part it's the bankroll size that would determine my betting.

In an easy example, if you have more than twice as much as the next highest amount going into Final Jeopardy it would never make sense to bet any amount that would put you at risk if the player in second doubled up. Even if you were the world's leading expert in the category it would be irrational. So, if you have $20K and the next highest player has $7.5K, you should bet no more than $4,999. That would leave you with an unbeatable bankroll of $15,001 even if you got the answer wrong.

 

[Golf4food]

It would entirely depend on the circumstances, scores, and category. I wouldn't be betting it all on "19th Century Southeast Asian Poetry", that's for sure - an actually category question I had on a Jeopardy test once.

 

[rie'smom]

I'd bet it all if I absolutely knew the correct answer.

 

[Jestocost]

I'd bet it all if I absolutely knew the correct answer.

It would be nice to have that luxury, but the bet must be made before the question is read. All you know before you make the bet is a general category.

 

[DonkeyGreatness]

You should also try to keep track of what categories the other contestants did well in and which ones they didn't. If both players struggled with a geography category and the final jeopardy is: Indonesia Topography, you may not have as big of a need to bet it all.

 

[DonkeyGreatness]

It would be nice to have that luxury, but the bet must be made before the question is read. All you know before you make the bet is a general category.

I think ries was joking..

 

[Jestocost]

I think ries was joking..

Thanks.

 

[PinballFamily]

I bet almost all of it - using DisneyBamaFan's logic - no guts, no glory! I hadn't EVER seen my category used before... "Geographic Wordplay."

I was on more than ten years ago.

But, I did get to say the words that were truly magic for me - "Alex, make it a true Daily Double."

 

[rie'smom]

I think ries was joking..

Yes!

 

[Syrreal]

But, I did get to say the words that were truly magic for me - "Alex, make it a true Daily Double."

Awesome!!!

Now, I think I could kick donkey on some Celebrity Jeopardy!

 

[PinballFamily]

Awesome!!!

Now, I think I could kick donkey on some Celebrity Jeopardy!

I'm sure you could! Right after I taped, they taped with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Martina Navratilova and some baseball player - I forget who that was. It was fun to be there for that. Kareem stood at the podium/desk where I had just been - my microphone was at his belly button! I am so short and he is SO tall. He's also very, very smart and did VERY well - Martina, sad to say, not so much!

 

[Syrreal]

Yeah, most of the celebrity Jeopardy episodes I have seen are a lot of fun, but definitely not even college tournament quality.
My only issue is that I always forget to word my answer in the form of a question.