Daily analysis, November 28

I hope you got to spend some of today with loved ones! And what better way to celebrate family than to crowd around the television for half an hour?

John overcame a large deficit in the last few clues of Double Jeopardy! to take the lead. This included a weak $300 wager on an $800 Daily Double, which he nailed. And here I was thinking he might go for it all! Ah, well.

John Kyle Grady: 12,100
Whitney Magendie: 1,800
Steven Durham: 10,800

Whitney should be out of the running. Let’s take a look at the optimal wagers:

John should wager 9,500 to cover Steven.

Steven should wager no more than 7,200 so as not to fall below Whitney, should she double up. On the other end, he should wager at least 2,600 to cover an “unsafe” wager by John.

Steven can further restrict his maximum wager to 4,600. I explain why in the video.

Whitney needs help – but to have a shot against John, she’ll need to wager at least 800. She might as well wager everything.

COME ON YOU GUYS. One of you doesn’t want to win; the other is actively seeking to lose!

The Final Jeopardy! clue for today:

20th CENTURY NAMES
IN 1942 WINSTON CHURCHILL SAID, “I CAN HANDLE THIS PEASANT”; HISTORIANS AREN’T SURE THINGS TURNED OUT THAT WAY

Correct response: Who is Joseph Stalin?