Daily analysis, Monday, January 6

I hope you all had a great weekend. Let’s get down to business!

This game confused me a bit. I was so caught up in the early Sarah-Eric brawl that I completely missed Mary whizzing past!

Sarah Olson: 5,400
Eric Brach: 12,600
Mary Manhardt: 18,800

The Final Jeopardy! category: BROADWAY ACTRESSES

First, it’s worth pointing out that Sarah is out of it. Her total is less than the difference between first and second (6,200). She can only win on an egregious blunder from Mary.

Beyond that, we’ve got some choices to make.
Mary should wager 6,400 to cover Eric.

Eric should wager no more than 200 so as not to fall below Mary if she misses.

Now, hold on a second. This looks suspiciously like the situation I covered in several of my Guide to Game Theory entries. (Start from the top, if you please.)

For short, if neither player can make a wager under Rule #3, each has an option. In this case, it’s a ‘small’ wager or a ‘large’ wager.

It all depends on how confident each is with the category – and how confident each thinks the other will be with the category.

Neither had confidence, and Mary knew it. She made the right decision. Brilliant!

The Final Jeopardy! clue for January 6, 2014:

The Final Jeopardy! category: BROADWAY ACTRESSES
SHE ORIGINATED 2 FAMOUS BROADWAY ROLES: ONE LATER PLAYED ON FILM BY MARILYN MONROE, ANOTHER BY BARBRA STREISAND

Correct response: Who is Carol Channing?