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Jeopardy! Masters returned on Tuesday night, May 20, with two new quarterfinal matchups that saw six elite contestants vying for a place in the semifinals. In the first game, last season’s champion Victoria Groce competed against 2011 Tournament of Champions winner Roger Craig and current points leader Yogesh Raut, who had remained undefeated this season.
At the conclusion of Final Jeopardy, host Ken Jennings confirmed the results by telling her,
"You finish in first place, Victoria Gross,"
After she correctly answered a question from the 'Book Titles' category. The episode centered on the players’ ability to respond to the clue, “The journey in the title of this 1878 novel is from Paris to ‘the vast tract of unenclosed wild known as Egdon Heath.’” All three contestants got the response right: “What is Return of the Native?”
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Groce ends Raut’s streak in a high-stakes Jeopardy! Masters quarterfinal
The first Jeopardy! Masters game of the evening opened with a strong performance from Yogesh Raut, who doubled up on the game’s first Daily Double and led the pack after the opening round with 6,200 points. Victoria Groce remained close behind with 5,800, while Roger Craig ended the round in third with 3,000.
Jennings noted the tight competition as the game transitioned into the Double Jeopardy round. Groce gained momentum and dominated the second round by answering 21 clues correctly and securing a Daily Double.
This lifted her to the top spot with 15,800 points heading into Final Jeopardy, though her lead was not large enough for a guaranteed win. Raut stood at 9,000, while Craig had 5,200. Ken Jennings introduced the final clue in the category 'Book Titles,' stating to the contestants:
“For our first Final Jeopardy! of the evening, Book Titles is the category, and this is the clue. ‘The journey in the title of this 1878 novel is from Paris to ‘the vast tract of unenclosed wild known as Egdon Heath.’’ 30 seconds. Good luck.”
All three players submitted the correct response: “What is Return of the Native?” Jennings reviewed Craig’s answer first:
“Roger Craig came into Final with 5,200 points. Did he come up with the right book title? He wrote ‘What is Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy?’ Well done. That is correct.”
Craig had wagered nearly everything, doubling to 10,399.
Jennings confirmed that Yogesh was the third to lock in his answer and correctly identified Return of the Native, bringing his total to 13,600 after a 4,600 wager. He then turned to Victoria Groce, noting her strong lead before Final Jeopardy.
She also gave the correct response and even managed to write a personal message—"Hi Nora"—alongside it. Jennings acknowledged her quick thinking, crediting her experience in crossword competitions for her fast writing. Groce had wagered 2,201, bringing her final score to 18,001. Jennings concluded,
"Three match points for you for the win. Yogesh, for finishing in second place, one match point.”
The result marked Raut’s first loss in this season of Jeopardy! Masters, though he maintained his lead in the overall standings with the additional point. Craig, with a final score of 10,399, did not earn any points in the game.
What else happened on Jeopardy! Masters episode
The second Jeopardy! Masters game of the evening featured Matt Amodio, who entered the quarterfinals as the only player without a win, facing Juveria Zaheer and Isaac Hirsch. Zaheer, a Second Chance winner, started strong with the first Daily Double and led the field after round one with 5,800. Amodio followed with 2,400, while Hirsch had 1,800.
Zaheer maintained her lead through most of the Double Jeopardy round, but Amodio capitalized on two Daily Doubles to close the gap. Heading into Final Jeopardy, Zaheer held 19,800 points, Amodio was close behind at 18,000, and Hirsch trailed with 4,990. The final clue read:
“This group formed in 1770, first to defend land grants in New England; later, it would assert independence for its region.”
Only Amodio gave the correct response: “Who are the Green Mountain Boys?” He wagered 3,000, finishing with 21,000 points and winning his first game of Jeopardy! Masters, collecting three match points. Zaheer dropped to second with 13,599, earning one match point. Hirsch ended with 4,990 and no points.
Fans can stream Jeopardy! Masters on Hulu.
