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Jeopardy! crowned a surprising winner on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. After a nail-biting finish and a rare triple stumper in Final Jeopardy, Tyler Griffith, a criminal forensic scientist from Sturgis, Michigan, clinched the win with just $799. Despite giving the wrong answer at the end, his smart bet and strategic play throughout the game gave him the edge over the others.
The Final Jeopardy! category was American History, and all three contestants got the clue wrong. Judith Friedman and Jackie Yang bet big and lost nearly everything. Tyler won because he bet cautiously, showing that smart betting can matter more than knowing the final answer.
Jeopardy! has long been praised for being a smart game that tests general knowledge, strategy, and reflexes. Since 1964, the syndicated quiz show has been beating the smartest people in the country with each new episode.
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Jeopardy! episode highlights May 27, 2025, Tuesday
Jeopardy round
The first six categories on Jeopardy were very interesting. They were Sometime in the Last 300 Years, Bonsai, Facts & The City, and Sometime in the Last 300 Years. There's No I, But There's 'M-E. and You Can Go With This, and You Can Go With That. Tyler Griffith got a boost early in the round when he found the Daily Double in Facts & The City.
The clue talked about a capital city in South America that was situated between two mountains, named Guadalupe and Monserrate. Tyler's score went up to $3,200 when he correctly answered What is Bogotá?
At the same time, Judith Friedman kept a steady game by giving correct but cautious answers. Jackie Yang was a little behind at the beginning, but she caught up slowly and eventually won the round. When the board was cleared, Tyler had a small lead, which meant that the next round of Double Jeopardy would be very close.
Jeopardy Round – Key points:
- Categories: Sometime in the Last 300 Years, Bonsai, Facts & The City, You Can Go With This..., Golf of America, There’s No I, But There’s “M-E”
- Daily Double 1: Tyler in “Facts & The City” – Correct response: Bogotá
- First break scores: Judith $1,800 | Tyler $2,400 | Jackie $600
- End-of-round scores: Judith $3,200 | Tyler $3,600 | Jackie $3,400
Double Jeopardy round
In the Double Jeopardy round, the competition got tougher. Historic Alaska, Literary Hodgepodge, Their First Top 40 Solo Album, Motivation, What the 20th Century Kids Were Sayin', and You Go, Sister! were the categories.
Jackie Yang got off to a good start when she hit the Daily Double in Literary Hodgepodge. She got the answer right to a question about a Dutch painting that was in a Pulitzer Prize-winning book: What is The Goldfinch? This gave her an extra $3,000 and put her in first place for a short time.
Tyler later found the second Daily Double in Historic Alaska. He answered correctly, What is the Alaska Pipeline? and his score went up to $9,600. Jackie and Tyler's fight went on, and Judith was having a hard time making progress. Tyler had a small lead at the end of the round, which put him in a good spot going into Final Jeopardy.
Double Jeopardy Round – Key Points:
- Categories: Historic Alaska, Literary Hodgepodge, Their First Top 40 Solo Album, Motivation, 20th Century Kids, You Go, Sister!
- Daily Double 2: Jackie in “Literary Hodgepodge” – Correct response: The Goldfinch (+$3,000)
- Daily Double 3: Tyler in “Historic Alaska” – Correct response: Alaska Pipeline (+$4,800)
- End-of-round scores: Tyler $11,200 | Jackie $10,800 | Judith $6,400
Final Jeopardy Round
The Final Jeopardy category was American History.
The clue read: In 1847, a decade before making national news, he was the plaintiff in a Missouri case against Irene Emerson.
The correct response was “Who was Dred Scott?”—a significant figure in pre-Civil War American legal history.
Unfortunately, all three contestants answered incorrectly, resulting in a triple stumper. Judith bet everything and dropped to $0. Jackie, in second place, wagered aggressively but lost most of her earnings, ending with $300.
Tyler, who had a slim lead going in, made a very cautious bet and lost just $10,401, finishing with $799. His small wager proved decisive, allowing him to win the game despite not knowing the correct answer. The round emphasized the importance of betting strategy and risk management in Final Jeopardy.
Final Jeopardy round – Key Points:
- Category: American History
- Clue: In 1847, a decade before making national news, he was the plaintiff in a Missouri case against Irene Emerson
- Correct Response: Who was Dred Scott?
- Judith’s Final Score: $0 (bet everything and missed)
- Jackie’s Final Score: $300 (big bet, incorrect)
- Tyler’s Final Score: $799 (minimal wager, incorrect but wins)
- Result: Tyler wins due to smart betting despite a wrong answer
Contestant Profiles
Tyler Griffith – Winner | $799
Tyler Griffith was born in Sturgis, Michigan, and now lives and works as a criminal forensic scientist in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Tyler has worked in crime labs from Alaska to New Mexico. He has a background in forensic biology and a master's degree in forensic sciences from UC Davis. He is an expert in DNA analysis, figuring out how much evidence there is, and giving testimony in court.
He has published work in the field of forensic toxicology and works closely with peers from across the country. Tyler worked hard at Jeopardy! by using good logic and betting rules. Even though he got the answer to Final Jeopardy! wrong, his safe bet of $10,401 won the game for him. He won with a modest but smart $799 bet for his steady play and smart use of the Daily Doubles.
Judith Friedman – Returning Champion | $0
JA software engineer from Los Angeles, Judith Friedman, came back as the one-day Jeopardy! champion, having won $32,001 in previous games. Judith has worked in Silicon Valley for over ten years, including ten years at Google. She graduated from Pomona College with a degree in politics.
Her work combines technology with civic values, and through the ACLU, she has helped change the law. She had a strong lead early on in this episode and stayed in the game during both the Jeopardy and Double Jeopardy rounds.
On the other hand, she bet everything on Final Jeopardy and got the historical clue wrong, giving her a final score of $0. Judith is a great and well-rounded contestant because she has an impressive background in both law and engineering.
Jackie Yang – Resident Physician | $300
Jackie Yang, a first-year resident physician at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, brought an impressive academic and creative résumé to Jeopardy!
Born and raised in Tampa Bay, Jackie majored in neuroscience and English at the University of Miami, combining clinical knowledge with editorial skills. She has conducted research at institutions like Memorial Sloan Kettering and the USF Bird Alzheimer’s Institute.
On the show, she performed exceptionally well in the Double Jeopardy round, finding a Daily Double and momentarily leading the game. Unfortunately, she made a large bet in Final Jeopardy! and answered incorrectly, finishing with just $300. Despite the outcome, Jackie stood out for her intellect, versatility, and calm presence on the buzzer.
Game statistics from tonight’s Jeopardy! episode
Jeopardy Round:
- Judith: $3,200
- Tyler: $3,600 (including DD1: +$1,600 with correct answer “What is Bogotá?”)
- Jackie: $3,400
Double Jeopardy Round:
- DD2: Jackie found it in “Literary Hodgepodge” and added +$3,000 with “What is The Goldfinch?”
- DD3: Tyler doubled his score (+$4,800) with “What is Alaska Pipeline?”
Scores before Final Jeopardy:
- Tyler: $11,200
- Jackie: $10,800
- Judith: $6,400
Final Jeopardy:
- Category: American History
- Clue: In 1847, a decade before making national news, he was the plaintiff in a Missouri case against Irene Emerson.
- Correct Response: Who was Dred Scott?
- All incorrect
Final Scores:
- Tyler: $799 (Winner)
- Jackie: $300
- Judith: $0
Tonight's episode of Jeopardy! taught us how to be smart and how unpredictable quiz games can be. Tyler Griffith's cautious move earned him a win worth $799, which isn't much money but is a huge accolade in the eyes of the competition.
His rise from third place to first place in Final Jeopardy! showed that smarts and caution often win out over bravery. Even though Judith and Jackie played well and took the right risks, it didn't pay off.
The episode kept up Jeopardy!'s tradition of combining learning with entertainment by being full of historical information and educational depth. With every game, Jeopardy! keeps testing the smartest people and reminding viewers that sometimes, the only way to win is to not lose.
