Saturday, December 19, 2020

A Horrible Final Jeopardy Wager

I'll never get over the mathematical ignorance of some people. Yesterday the scores going into Final Jeopardy were 14,400 and 12,400, with the three-time returning champion having the higher score. The player with the lower score inexplicably wagered 11,000, and lost when neither player got the question right.

The correct reasoning for the lower player would start with the assumption that the champ would bet 10,401, thereby assuring the win if both got the question right. Therefore, the only way to win would be to bet so as to win if both got the question wrong. That is, bet anywhere between 0 and 8,400. Betting 11K was a huge blunder.