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ABC aired the first episode of Jeopardy! Masters 2023 on Monday, featuring two games with the six highest-ranked champions. James Holzhauer was one of them as he played Game 2 against Mattea Roach and Sam Buttrey. During the half-hour competition, he and host Ken Jennings were seen having fun banters while recalling their Jeopardy! journey together.
During the Final Jeopardy round, James didn’t write the correct answer. Instead of that, he called out Ken as he wrote:
“Stop ducking a rematch, Ken.”
Fans found it hilarious as he took a jibe at the host.
For those unaware, James and Ken competed against each other in the 2020 Greatest of All Time tournament. James landed in second place as he lost the first position to Ken.
Twitterati reacts to James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings’ fun banter on Jeopardy! Masters
Jeopardy! Masters 2023 brought together past competitors James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings under one roof. After playing against each other in the Greatest of All Time tournament, the two never competed again.
This time, they faced each other once again but James came as a player and Ken was the host of the show. Ken recalled their 2020 tournament where he defeated the “self-described game show villain from Las Vegas, Nevada.”
In response, James said:
“I don't think this happened. I think you're imagining it.”
Ken quipped:
“You're blocking it out. That’s fine.”
Their banter didn’t end there as James chose to scribble “Stop ducking a rematch, Ken,” while answering the Final Jeopardy question. He added that autocorrect changed the “ducking” word. Responding to his jibe, Ken said:
“You know how much work I had to go to to get all the way over at this lectern and avoid having to play you again, James?”
Their fun arguments made fans laugh and they took to Twitter to share their reactions:
At the beginning of Jeopardy! Masters 2023 episode 1 game 2, Ken introduced James by saying:
“Unfortunately James Holzhauer is also with us.”
Hopefully, their fun banter will continue in the upcoming episodes as well.
When will James Holzhauer return for his next game on Jeopardy! Masters?
Jeopardy! Masters features six highest-ranked champions, including James Holzhauer, Amy Schneider, Mattea Roach, Andrew He, Matt Amodio, and Sam Buttrey.
In the first episode, Game 1 consisted of a match between Amy, Andrew (winner), and Matt, while Game 2 welcomed James (winner), Mattea, and Sam. In the second episode, Game 3 will feature Sam, Amy, and Mattea, and Game 4 will consist of James, Matt, and Andrew.
These six competitors will be placed in all combinations against each other throughout the tournament. The competition will feature seven episodes (14 games), two semi-finals, and one final. Each episode will have three rounds — Jeopardy, Double Jeopardy, and Final Jeopardy.
The official synopsis of Jeopardy! Masters reads:
“Six of Jeopardy!’s highest ranked champions will compete for a chance to win $500,000, the Trebek Trophy, and the title of 2023 Jeopardy! Masters Champion.”
Meanwhile, the players will return in episode 2 which will air on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at 8 pm ET on ABC. Viewers can watch the episode the next day on Hulu.
