Tuesday, October 20, 2015
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We’re counting down the days until the Tournament of Champions – will Michael Bilow and Elliot Yates hold on to their spots?
Challenger Robert leapfrogged our champ on the last clue. For the first time in what feels like forever, all three players are well in contention heading into Final:
|
Dean Meyer |
Robert Arrowood |
Alison Saunders |
| 12,000 | 13,000 | 7,200 |
Tonight’s Final Jeopardy! category is:
| 20TH CENTURY NOVELS |
In the video, I take this scenario apart.
First-order calculations
Dean is right on Robert’s heels, so he’ll have to go big. That gives his opponents plenty of wiggle room on the downside. But Dean needs just 2,400 to lock out Alison.
| Dean |
Robert |
Alison | |||
| 12,000 | 13,000 | 7,200 | |||
| FIRST-ORDER | SECOND-ORDER | COVER ZERO | |||
| min | max | min | max | min | max |
| 2,400 | 10,000 | 11,000 | 2,400 | 5,200 | |
| 1,400 | |||||
Second-order calculations
Robert should stick with that lockout wager; Dean’s too close. I also don’t like the 400 wager from Dean, but it’s possible.
| Dean |
Robert |
Alison | |||
| 12,000 | 13,000 | 7,200 | |||
| FIRST-ORDER | SECOND-ORDER | COVER ZERO | |||
| min | max | min | max | min | max |
| 2,400 | 8,000 | 11,000 | 2,400 | 5,200 | |
| 400 | 1,400 | ||||
Zero wagers
Score differences:
Robert and Dean: 1,000
Robert and Alison: 5,800
Dean and Alison: 4,800
| Dean |
Robert |
Alison | |||
| 12,000 | 13,000 | 7,200 | |||
| FIRST-ORDER | SECOND-ORDER | COVER ZERO | |||
| min | max | min | max | min | max |
| 2,400 | 4,800 | 11,000 | 11,600 | 4,800 | 5,200 |
| 400 | 1,400 | ||||
Note that Robert’s 11,600 maximum is to protect him in case Alison goes for 5,801 (covering him by a dollar).
What actually happened
| Dean | Rob | Alison | |||
| 12,000 | 13,000 | 7,200 | |||
| 12,000 | 12,500 | 7,100 | |||
| 24,000 | 25,500 | 14,300 | |||
| min | max | min | max | min | max |
| 2,401 | 4,799 | 11,001 | 11,599 | 4,801 | 5,199 |
| 401 | 1,401 | ||||
Well, it’s looking like Valentine’s Day with those grades, but you probably guessed I’m hardly in love with these wagers. Had all three players missed, Robert would have won with just $500!
The Final Jeopardy! clue
| 20TH CENTURY NOVELS |
| A LINE FROM THIS 1995 NOVEL IS “THE INFANT GLISTENED A SCANDALOUS SHADE OF PALE EMERALD” |
[spoiler]What is Wicked by Gregory Maguire?[/spoiler]
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