Nothing can last forever, including Isaac Hirsch’s dream. Danger! streak when the new fan-favorite player fumbled big time in the final round of Jeopardy!’s July 16 game.
On a nine-day winning streak, Isaac had racked up $215,390 in winnings by the time he started his 10th game, but it was a massive bet in the final round that ultimately cost him the crown. Heading into the Jeopardy! finale, Isaac had a solid $15,300 to teammate Jay Fisher’s $16,200 and Erika Stromerson’s $600.
The clue in the “People of the 1960s” category read: “He said the psychological tests he took in the California prison were ones he had designed, so he made himself look docile and unlikely to escape—then he did.” The correct answer was “Who was Timothy Leary?” Neither player got the answer right, but Isaac’s $14,000 bet put him in second place with a final score of $1,300 to Jay’s $1,799.
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Needless to say, Isaac has been knocked off his pedestal, but the player didn’t go down without a little explanation. Isaac, whose username is nogoodcarideas75, offered some explanations for the mistake that cost him the game.
“Well, then why did I bet $14,000? The short answer is that I miscalculated,” Isaac explained in the comments section. Danger!Summary of July 16, 2011. “(Although I guess it’s pretty obvious considering I spent the first minute after the game staring at my scrap paper in horror.) I was trying to subtract 14,401 from 16,200 and somehow came up with 1300 instead of 1800 as the number I was supposed to come up with if I was wrong, hence the 14,000 bet.”
To make matters worse, Isaac added, “I spent the weeks after taping watching the incorrect math while I slept. I remembered virtually nothing about most of last week’s games, but EVERYTHING about this game. All credit goes to Jay, who absolutely murdered me at the buzzer, especially in the first round.”
Isaac acknowledges that every player’s time in the game eventually ends, and continued, “This was something that was bound to happen. I was barely surviving yesterday and I was very, very tired. It’s been a fun experience seeing these things come back and I appreciate how kind people have been to me. I’ll have a lot to prove in ToC; most notably that I can do basic arithmetic.”
As mentioned above, Isaac will be appearing in the Tournament of Champions for a second chance at glory, but for now, it’s time to see if Jay, the latest champion, can have a similar impact as the games progress. Let us know what you think of Isaac’s loss in the comments section below, and don’t miss out on what comes next. Danger! keep going.
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