This year is coming to a close exactly how it began: Showering trivia legend Amy Schneider with heaps of money and praise. On November 21, the Jeopardy! alum won the show’s annual Tournament of Champions, which pits the best of the best against each other to see who’s really bestest. Schneider was the first contestant in this year’s tournament to win three games against competitors Andrew He and Sam Buttrey, earning the grand prize of $250,000. Schneider will be adding this to the $1.3 million she already racked up by becoming the second-longest streak-holder in Jeopardy! history, winning 40 consecutive games.
“I feel amazing,” Schneider stated. “Earlier in the finals, I had this sudden moment of seeing myself and being like, ‘I’m on stage in the Tournament of Champions finals,’ and that was crazy. And I won! It’s a great feeling.” Before this year’s Tournament began, Schneider told Vulture that her strategy was to focus harder on finding Daily Doubles. Schneider found no Doubles at all in this winning game, but she still had a slight lead over He going into Final Jeopardy! The category: Plays. The clue: “The January 12, 1864 Washington Evening Star reported on a performance of this ‘dashing comedy’ to ‘a full and delighted house.’” The correct response: Our American Cousin, which Schneider wagered big on.
