Streaks of Futility: Final Jeopardy! edition
Sometime last week, I got the feeling a long time had passed since we’d seen a triple-get in Final Jeopardy! – a clue for which all three players give a correct response. When I ran the stats, I was shocked to learn it had not happened since January 14.
Perhaps it was dumb luck that the display on my MacBook Pro crapped out over the weekend before I could put together a post; on Monday, the streak came to an end after 32 games, including the two-week Teachers Tournament.
| Week of | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | |||||||||||||||
| 12 Jan 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 Jan 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 26 Jan 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 02 Feb 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 09 Feb 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 Feb 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 Feb 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 02 Mar 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||
In a previous By the Numbers installment, I analyzed the frequency of right-wrong combinations in Final Jeopardy!. In regular play between December 1, 2004 and January 2, 2015, around 19% of Final clues saw three successful responses.
Assuming that any given FJ combination will be randomly selected, the probability of any 32-game stretch having zero triple-gets is about 0.14%, or around once in 750 games. Fittingly, 32 games tied the longest streak in the post-KJ era.
32 games
Although we had just one three-game winner in our recently-ended streak (not counting the Teachers Tournament), a dearth of triple-gets does not mean no one goes on a tear.
Stefan Goodreau (responses darkened) won his five games at the beginning of this span, going 4/6 on Final.
The week of July 13 was Kids Week; there were also two Celebrity games, in lighter colors.
| Week of | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | |||||||||||||||
| 13 Jul 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 Jul 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 Sep 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 Sep 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 Sep 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 05 Oct 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 Oct 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 Oct 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||
29 games
The first two weeks were from the Tournament of Champions won by Celeste DiNucci.
Lisa Klink (darker) won 5 games starting on November 26. She was 3/6 on Final.
| Week of | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | |||||||||||||||
| 05 Nov 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 Nov 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 Nov 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 26 Nov 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 03 Dec 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 Dec 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 Dec 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
23 games
Jason Zollinger, who won 6 games, won his first game on the commencing triple-get. Another Celebrity game was held January 21, and the College Championship rounded out the streak the weeks of February 1 and 8.
| Week of | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | |||||||||||||||
| 11 Jan 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 Jan 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 Jan 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 01 Feb 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 08 Feb 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 Feb 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||
21 games
Dan Pawson’s third game is the first on this list. Overall in his original run, Dan was 5/10 in Final.
| Week of | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | |||||||||||||||
| 31 Dec 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 07 Jan 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 Jan 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 Jan 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 Jan 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||
update: 24games(12/18/17~1/18/18)
update: 25 games(11/13/15~12/17/15)
update:
the longest known non triple-get in the show’s history(36 games): 10/23/02~12/25/02
the longest known non triple-get in the show’s history from KJ era(34 games):
3/31/17~5/30/17
Alan lin won 6 games starting on April 24. He was 5/7 on Final.
update:
10/17/19 is the first game with a triple-get Final Jeopardy since 7/23/19, ending a streak of 31 games.(Jason Zuffranieri , who won 19 games, won his third game on the commencing triple-get.)