What is the highest losing score on Jeopardy? History explored Thu 11 November 2021 13:23 Up

Publish date: 2024-05-17

Jeopardy sees contestants take on a series of challenges in six categories. But fans wonder what the show’s highest losing score is…

Perhaps the opposite way round to your usual game show, those taking part are given the answers first, before they supply their own questions.

Three contestants, including the previous show’s champion, compete in six categories within three rounds, which leads to more prize money.

We took a look inside the history of the American game show to find out what the highest losing score has been, and what the maximum could be.

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Jeopardy’s highest losing score

As of May 2019, the score of $53,999 was recorded as the highest losing score in Jeopardy history. It was achieved by Adam Levin, who went against James Holzhauer, and was $18 short exactly.

His opponent James finished with $54,017 after both players correctly answered the Final Jeopardy! clue.

The record was almost beaten on November 9th, 2021, when $51,999 was lost to a player with $52,001 (Dave and Andrew)

#tbt to that time I almost reached the #HighestScore on #Jeopardy.#JeopardyBeLike #RIP #AlexTrebek #HipHopTopics@JAlexanderFunny @DSeanRossComedy pic.twitter.com/D8SUb3bzuz

— Cory F*ckn Fernandez (@Cory_Fernandez) November 20, 2020
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What is the highest possible score?

The highest possible score at the end of the Final Jeopardy round is $566,400. But at the end of the first Jeopardy! round, the max is $35,600.

Then at the end of the Double Jeopardy! round, the highest amount that can be scored is $283,200.

The most single game winnings that has ever been won is $131,127, by James, achieved on April 17th, 2019.

@Jeopardy @buzzerblog was that the highest second place score ever on tonight’s episode? #Jeopardy

— Ben Aerow (@BennyBaseball78) November 11, 2021
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History of Jeopardy explored

After Adam Levin set the record for second place winnings, there have been some successes and losses across the board.

A contestant with one of the biggest losses was Stephanie Hull, who hit negative $6,800 during her appearance on March 12, 2015.

But in July 2021, contestant Patrick Pearce set a new record, and ended the game with a score of -$7,400.

James, otherwise known as one of the best Jeopardy players in history, set the new one-day game record of $131,127 on the April 17, 2019, episode.

Since his time competing on the show, he has got 23% of the maximum possible score, and set the top 10 single game records.

He joins the Jeopardy! Hall of Fame, as well as Brad Rutter, who has won the most all-time winnings ever so far, at $4,938,436.

That record belongs to Adam Levin, who got $53,999 against James Holzhauer's $54,017.

— Alan Morgan (@lettersndigits) November 11, 2021
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