It being Caleb Groen‘s 13th Jeopardy! game and having it on a Monday was a double whammy for the champion. He hit hot water during his game. Did he win?
While there is not an exact explanation for why multi-day champions typically lose on a Monday, it seems to be a common occurrence. When it started to happen to multiple players, it was dubbed the “Monday Curse,” according to Distractify. Only a few players have beaten it, including Amy Schneider.
Groen, from Thousand Oaks, California, entered the game with a 12-day total of $346,968. On July 20, the law and policy student played against Sam Ryan, from Kansas City, Missouri, and Tatiana Chichilla, from Mill Hall, Pennsylvania. Warning: Spoilers for the July 20 episode of Jeopardy! ahead!
Ryan, a regulatory consultant, pulled into the lead on clue four. He found the Daily Double on clue five with $1,400 in his bank. Groen had $1,000.
In “Tipples in Lit,” he wagered all of his money. The clue read, “The title of this Kurt Vonnegut novel doesn’t mean a Wheaties slogan — it’s how a cocktail waitress in the book refers to martinis.”
“What is the Breakfast of Champions?” he answered correctly. This gave him $2,800. Ryan maintained the lead with $6,800 when the show hit its first break.
By the end of the round, Ryan had $9,200. Groen was in second place with $5,400. Chichilla, a genetic counselor, had $1,800.
Chichilla found the first DD of Double Jeopardy on clue one. She wagered $1,500 in “18th Century Europe.” The clue was “1714 saw the birth of this royal house in Britain when George I succeeded to the crown.”
“What is Hanover?” she answered correctly. This gave her $3,300.
The rest of the round was up and down for Chichilla. She had answered a lot of clues in a row correctly, taking second place, but then she dropped back down to third when she got some wrong. Then, Groen and Ryan tried to go back and forth for the lead.
Ryan found the last DD on clue 19. He had $16,400 and wagered $6,400 in “Pop Culture Anagrams.”
The clue read, “‘Torchwood‘, an anagram of & spin-off from this BBC show, added ‘Children of Earth’ as a subtitle for season 3.” “What is Doctor Who?” he answered correctly. This gave him a wider lead with $22,800.
At the end of the round, Ryan had $24,000. Groen ended with $11,400. Chichilla was in third place with $6,400.
The category for Final Jeopardy was “Annual Event.” The clue was “It celebrated its 40th edition in 2026; the first one featured Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Jimmy Carl Black.” It was a Triple Stumper with none of the game show contestants guessing South by Southwest.
Chichilla answered “What.” She wagered $6,900, leaving her with $0. Groen wrote, “What is congrats, Sam?” He wagered $3,000, giving him $8,400.
Ryan’s response was, “What is Wrestlemania?” He wagered $1,000, making his final total $23,000. He will return on Tuesday for his second game. Groen’s streak may be over, but he will be back for the Tournament of Champions.
“Caleb is done, but I loved him so much,” a Reddit user said.
“I love him too! I was an alternate for the previous week’s games, and he was so kind, gracious, and approachable. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of contestants to appear with,” Ryan replied.
Jeopardy!, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Peacock and Hulu
