Liam Starnes Defeats Reigning Champion on Jeopardy!

Why this matters: Starnes's success demonstrates the impact of strategic wagering and broad knowledge on Jeopardy!, highlighting the show's enduring appeal and competitive nature. His wins provide entertainment and inspire viewers with his trivia prowess.

On Friday, April 18th, Liam Starnes faced off against Steve Hoying and Rachael Gray. The game remained tight, with all three contestants answering a Daily Double correctly. In the end, Starnes wagered $12,801 on the final question about a GOP nominee who backed the gold standard, answering correctly with "Who is [William] McKinley?" This brought his total to $32,401, defeating Hoying.

Returning on Monday, April 21st, Starnes competed against Maja Vlajnic and Bob Callen. The Final Jeopardy! category was “The Western Hemisphere,” with the clue: “This country has 2 capitals, is bounded by 5 other countries & has 37 official languages.” Starnes and Vlajnic answered correctly with “What is Bolivia?”, with Starnes wagering $7,611 to win with a total of $20,401.

Liam Starnes's performance highlights the importance of knowledge, quick thinking, and strategic betting on Jeopardy!. His back-to-back wins have made him a contestant to watch.

Liam Starnes is an undergraduate student from Barrington, Illinois, and a two-day Jeopardy! champion.

The category was "The Western Hemisphere," and the clue was: “This country has 2 capitals, is bounded by 5 other countries & has 37 official languages.” The correct answer was Bolivia.

As of April 21, 2025, Liam Starnes has won a total of $52,802.

What did you think of Liam's performance on Jeopardy!? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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