It’s not your imagination: The streak of “crisis” is getting longer.
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Toronto-based visual artist Ray Lalonde, who has won 11 games and counting, is the latest in a new generation of trivia titans to take up residence on the Alex Trebek Stage.
After Thursday’s game, Lalonde had collected US$311,500.
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Consider also 24-year-old Canadian “Jeopardy” phenom Mattia Roach, who earlier this year won 23 straight games, giving her the fifth-longest streak in the show’s history.
The two are only 16 contestants in the show’s history with a winning streak of at least 10 games, said Andy Saunders, a Guelph, Ontario-based blogger for “The Jeopardy! Fans.”
Seven of those 16 appeared on the show in 2021 or 2022, including Amy Schneider and Matt Amodio, who hold the second and third longest streaks ever.
Saunders has a theory as to why.
“The show lowered its barrier to entry,” he said.
Near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the show’s producers began allowing potential contestants to audition at any time, rather than only being able to take entrance exams on certain days of the year.
Saunders said that the second round of auditions for those who pass the preliminary test are now conducted via video call, rather than requiring the quiz show to travel to a major metropolitan center to try out in person. Is performed.
Saunders said, “There were a lot of people out there who were great at ‘Jeopardy’ and they just needed that extra nudge to keep trying, which made it a little easier for them.”
A spokeswoman for “Jeopardy” did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether the number of applicants has increased in recent years, but Saunders said she has eliminated some other possible explanations.
The show’s clues don’t seem any harder, he said, and so-called super-champions use a variety of strategies, so it’s not their style of play that’s giving them an edge.
But whatever the explanation, Saunders said he enjoys long streaks.
“I love to see great players perform well,” he said.
Not only does it give you something to root for, but you also get to analyze the game in a slightly different way, Saunders said.
“You can definitely say with long streaks that some players are good in some categories and not so much in others.”
It seems to be working for the show, he said: “The ratings are still going up whenever there’s a long streak.”