FAMED Jeopardy! contestant Sam Kavanaugh has shared that winning the show’s Tournament of Champions hinges on a game-changing tactic.
Sam knows a thing or $250,000 about the game show’s most coveted contest, as he won the ToC in 2021.
Sam Kavanaugh is seen here winning the 2021 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions[/caption]
He said the ToC – hosted by Ken Jennings – has evolved to be about Daily Doubles[/caption]
Jeopardy! Season 41 is fast approaching more regular-play episodes and new players fighting to qualify for the 2025 ToC.
The annual throwdown of four-plus-day winners from the previous year will not kick off the new season.
Instead, it’s been pushed to mid-winter to ensure enough qualifiers.
As fans see more big winners and potential show stars emerge, Sam shared how regular and tournament play are different.
He told The U.S. Sun that the only way to win the tournament is to give in to Daily Double hunting and going all-in, whether players (or viewers) like it or not.
Bouncing around the board (Aka the Forrest Bounce) has become en-vogue recently, and Sam argues it’s now inevitable in tournaments.
“The great thing about that is it’s fixable,” Sam said on any player’s lack of Daily Double aggression.
He shared that all qualifiers should use their downtime between their initial runs and the ToC to practice gutsy wagering.
“As long as you kind of analyze it and have other people to help you practice. Literally, help you practice and do it out loud. Because that’s hard to do even if you know you’re supposed to do it.”
He explained that fearless wagering is a more straightforward instinct to learn than amassing a broad knowledge base.
“It’s a lot easier to fix poor wagering than it is to fix ‘I don’t know anything about Shakespeare.’ Because that’s one thing, not a universe of things,” Sam continued.
As far as who he thinks will win the next ToC, Sam put his money on Adriana Harmeyer, who went on a 15-day, $349,600 winning streak in Season 40, the longest and highest-earning of the season.
Adriana had a traditional style unlike every recent super-champion in the post-James Holzhauer era; she played top-down and refused to hunt for Daily Doubles.
Jeopardy! 2025 Tournament of Champions
Jeopardy!’s next Tournament of Champions will take place this winter, midway through Season 41 (exact airdate TBA) and it’s shaping up to be another showstopper. Here’s who is officially eligible so far:
- Adriana Harmeyer (15 wins and $349,600 total)
- Isaac Hirsch (nine wins and $215,390)
- Survivor alum Drew Basile (seven wins and $129,601)
- Alison Betts (5 wins and $121,500)
- Dr. Amy Hummel (5 wins and $100,994)
- Lisa Ann Walter (winner of Celebrity Jeopardy! 2024)
- Grant DeYoung (four wins and $81,203)
- Amar Kakirde (four wins and $55,899)
The prize for winning the ToC is $250,000 and a coveted slot in Jeopardy! Masters.
Jeopardy.com notes: “All 4-time and over winning players starting from 04/10/24 will be eligible for a future Tournament of Champions.”
“Presence on this list does NOT guarantee an invitation to compete. Other eligibility rules apply and final selection is up to the producers’ sole discretion.”
While this old-school method distinguished her from fellow big winners, Sam shared it doesn’t pay off in new-school tournament play.
“I trust she can come back a little stronger on it, but don’t doubt her – she’s an excellent player. I think she can pull it off.”
Sam used Victoria Groce as an example of someone who went to great lengths to study show strategy and return ready for her Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament and Masters triumphs.
“I helped her practice, and she didn’t know Jeopardy! as well, but she obviously knew everything else really well.
“Her great benefit is she prepares harder than anybody. She thinks about how she learns and approaches the game to a really granular detail.
“That can be something that can be emulated by anybody.”
‘IT’S NOT REAL MONEY’
Sam has competed three times on the show, including a five-day winning streak in 2019, his ToC, and most recently, the 2024 JIT.
Like James or, most recently, Victoria, Sam is known for extreme Daily Double grit.
He recalled a humorous teaching moment in which his now-fiancee’s family became concerned by how he competed.
“My now-fiancee’s family met me around the time my first episodes were airing. One of them pulled my fiance aside and said ‘Watch out he’s a bit of a gambler.’”
“Just because I was wagering big on Daily Doubles. And it was like, ‘No no, no, it’s not real money; he’s doing it the right way.’”
‘CIRCUMSTANCES ALIGNED’
Sam also explained that the stars aligned for his ToC despite it being perhaps the most challenging in history to tape.
His ToC was guest-hosted by Buzzy Cohen and took place two years after the previous one, the first without the late Alex Trebek.
“Winning the ToC, that was the goal. That was always the top,” he shared.
“And it was kind of a unique [experience]. It was deep Covid. We weren’t sure it wasn’t going to happen; it was delayed a number of times.”
“There were a lot of unique circumstances that aligned that allowed me to do as well as I did.
Sam, a substitute teacher, “got laid off – there was no in-person teaching.”
“Before that ToC, I had listened to Buzzy’s book on preparation and that was an inspiration for me.
“We didn’t find out [who was hosting] until we arrived. Actually, I was in the bathroom at the time,” he hilariously recalled. “I felt a sense of relief with that. I knew he’d be prepared.”
“No one compares to Alex. I’m really fortunate I’ve got to play with him, but Buzzy’s specific goal was to, as best as he could, imitate the way Alex would host it.
This also means Sam has played under three hosts: Alex, Buzzy, and Ken Jennings.
“Ken is growing in his own direction, which I think is really good,” he added.
Jeopardy! Season 41 premieres Monday, September 9; check your local listings.
Sam Kavanaugh backed Adriana Harmeyer to win the next ToC but admitted she’d have to be a ‘little stronger’ on Daily Doubles[/caption]
Sam Kavanaugh seen during his initial five-day Jeopardy! run[/caption]
Sam Kavanaugh with his Vegas-style Tournament of Champions belt made by the previous winner, James Holzhauer[/caption]
