HIDDEN MESSAGE?
Jeopardy! champ Isaac Hirsch nabs 7th victory as fans spot ‘dead giveaway’ from show he’ll continue winning streak
Plus, learn all about the current big winner
JEOPARDY! contestant Isaac Hirsch nabbed an astounding seventh win on Thursday night as fans spotted a sign he'll be the show's next super-champion.
The Burbank, California champ faced Liz McKenna from South Plainfield, New Jersey, and Robert Voyles from Lindenhurst, New York.
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After two non-runaways, some fans were worried about the sharp-dressed Isaac losing his edge.
Those fears were quelled after the Jeopardy! round, with Isaac in front with $6,400 (and a Daily Double), Robert with $1,000, and Liz with $0.
In Double Jeopardy!, Liz found the remaining Daily Doubles, gaining $2000 and losing the same amount on the other.
Isaac, meanwhile, had 27 correct responses overall and seven incorrect, cruising to a runaway with $18,400, Robert $5,800 and $1,200 for Liz.
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Ken Jennings presented Final Jeopardy under the category "Countries of The World."
It read, "Until 1991 this country, named for a river, had a capital whose name means “lakes” in Portuguese.
For those who missed it due to Joe Biden's address, only Isaac was correct with "Nigeria," capping off an impressive win (minus the seven misses).
He added $1,600 to finish with $20,000 and a seven-day total of $161,388.
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SIGN OF 'SUPER-CHAMPION?'
Fans took to Reddit, where many honed in on the pattern of the final category, "Countries of The World."
Many pointed out that this category is a good omen, as it only appears when players go on big winning streaks.
"COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD's last five FJ appearances were today, the ToC, Stephen Webb's run, Ray Lalonde's run, and Cris Pannullo's run!" one fan wrote.
"I know it’s completely random, but it now feels like a running joke to throw COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD in as an FJ! category whenever a super champion is playing," wrote another.
Other fans quipped that positive connotations aside, the category name is hilariously redundant.
Jeopardy's Isaac Hirsch dishes producers' 'explicit' rules as fans think players told to 'avoid adding flair to answers'
"I've always wondered why the category is called COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD instead of just COUNTRIES. I think we can assume they're part of the world without being told that," wrote a third.
A fourth explained the specificity was, "So you won't expect a country not of this world."
"Jeopardy is ahead of its time; soon we will have additional countries on other planets; they’re just covering the bases….very smart for the reruns in 2087," snarked a fifth.
Other fans speculated that Isaac may now be the frontrunner for the next Tournament of Champions, given how well he's playing.
So far, the other qualifiers are Survivor alum Drew Basile (7 wins), Adriana Harmeyer (15 wins), Alison Betts (5 wins) and Dr. Amy Hummel (5 wins), and Celebrity Jeopardy!'s Lisa Ann Walter.
With four wins, Grant DeYoung and Amar Kakirde will also likely join in.
DRESSED FOR SUCCESS
Isaac arrived on last Wednesday's episode and is suddenly getting into Drew/Adriana territory with the third major streak in just a month.
He's notably turned heads with his flashy wardrobe choices that give '70s menswear.
"That current champion looks like a 70s p*rn star," one Facebook user recently snarked.
"I’m guessing Isaac hit Studio 54 after that show’s taping," mocked another.
In an Instagram post, Isaac shut down his fashion haters, writing, "The Internet is divided on my love of 70s menswear.
"Good news for the haters: I am almost out of vintage shirts approved by wardrobe. So if I keep winning, the fits are going to get a lot more subdued."
He also shared, "I went into this with actually pretty low confidence - as a local alternate, I watched seven games get filmed before I taped."
STAND-UP GUY
Meanwhile, Isaac has won over fans with his hilarious Q&A stories - no surprise since he's a former stand-up comic.
During his fourth win, he recalled a recent fitness journey that left his figure "exactly the same" after "bulking up and gaining 30 pounds."
During his third win, he shared that not himself but his car had a cameo on the TV show Brooklyn 99.
During win two, he drew laughs by recalling how he "ironically" was crowned high school homecoming king.
"Protect Isaac at all costs how is he so effortlessly funny," another Instagram user recently praised.
"I don't recall any contestant having such a run of funny and/or charming anecdotes."
That said, Isaac's gameplay is no joke. He's gone 197 correct, 30 incorrect on clues overall, 11/13 on Daily Doubles, and 5/7 on Final Jeopardy- all very good stats.
AVENGING HIS FATHER
Isaac came in hot during his first win with a Q&A story revealing that his dad appeared on Jeopardy! - and lost - 30 years ago.
“My dad was on Jeopardy! in the ’80s and one of the first years Alex hosted, and he lost,” said Isaac.
“I used to tease him about it as a kid. Like Weird Al’s ‘I Lost On Jeopardy!,” being like, ‘It’s about you, Dad!'”
Ken burst out laughing as Isaac concluded, "So today, we get to find out how real karma is."
Jeopardy! shared an Instagram video of the story, and Isaac's dad, Steven, buzzed into the comments section, demanding a second chance.
“If Ken Jennings is going to keep mentioning that I lost on Jeopardy, I want another chance! Bring me back for another shot at winning!," Steve wrote.
HIS GAME SHOW HISTORY
Isaac is also no stranger to the game show circuit, aside from the stand-up comedy circuit.
In 2023, he won $140,000 on the ABC game show The Chase, defeating Chaser and nine-day Jeopardy! champion Buzzy Cohen.
In 2017, Isaac also appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, winning $5,000 after botching the $20,000 question.
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Jeopardy! Host Timeline
Jeopardy! has had a tumultuous history regarding hosts after the death of the iconic Alex Trebek in 2020. Here are all of the hosts since the game show's inception in 1964.
Art Fleming - 1964 to 1975, he was the original host of the daytime version of Jeopardy! on NBC.
Alex Trebek - 1984 to 2020, the late, great Alex hosted Jeopardy!'s modern iteration for 36 years until his death from pancreatic cancer.
Guest hosts - 2020 to 2021, Jeopardy! tested out a series of guest hosts for week or two-week stints, including Anderson Cooper, LaVar Burton, and Aaron Rodgers.
Mike Richards - 2021, he was named host for one week before resigning amid controversy. He was the show's executive producer at the time.
Mayim Bialik - 2021 to 2023, when Mike was announced as the show’s new host, Mayim was chosen to host tournaments and primetime specials.
Mayim and Ken Jennings - 2022 to 2023, 74-time champion Ken (the longest-winning contestant ever) joined Mayim as a guest host and they split hosting duties.
Ken Jennings - 2023 to present. Last December, Mayim announced on Instagram that she would "no longer" host Jeopardy! after a lengthy hiatus, having stood with the writer's strike, and Ken was named sole host.
Ken now helms all editions of Jeopardy! including Celebrity Jeopardy!, the nightly show, and other primetime specials like Masters.
Isaac will go for his eighth win on Friday's episode, giving him the second-longest winning streak all season.
Jeopardy! airs at 7 pm ET - check your local listings.
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