LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: ‘Jeopardy!’ has been a comfort for viewers for many over the years. Whether it’s for Ken Jennings or Mayim Bialik, everyone is hooked on this show. However, apart from the clue and hosts, the contestants shine through and are often remembered even years after their time on ‘Jeopardy!’ ended. One such contestant is Ben Goldstein.
Goldstein has created a different kind of history when it comes to ‘Jeopardy!’ and he will surely be remembered for it. During Thursday’s episode of ‘Jeopardy!’, Goldstein racked up one of the lowest combined totals after 5 days than any other player in the history of ‘Jeopardy!’. He hasn’t just shocked the fans and his fellow contestants, but also himself!
Who is Ben Goldstein?
Goldstein is creating history in ‘Jeopardy!’ by creating new records and has come off as a risk taker in this game show. However, apart from his time in ‘Jeopardy!’ which he will most definitely be remembered for, Goldstein is a content marketing specialist from Detroit, Michigan. On June 22, 2023, Goldstein played against Dan Meuse and Andrea Rednik Granados. After this episode, he has officially become a 5-day champion which officially qualifies him for ‘Jeopardy! Tournaments of Champions’ which will take place later this year. While this calls for celebration, Goldstein was shocked by his own numbers and wins after this 5-day streak on ‘Jeopardy!’
‘Never my intention’
While Goldstein wanted to win, he hoped it would be different, and winning this way was never his attention. After this shocking episode of ‘Jeopardy!’, Goldstein took to Twitter to explain his side of things. Goldstein wrote, "The funny thing about this "lowest-scoring multi-day champ in #Jeopardy history" stuff is that it was never my intention to be a small-ball, risk-averse player. I wanted to be like @Jeopardamy: Aggressive at first, then switching to defense-mode after getting a big lead. (1/3)”
He continued in the second tweet, “But then I went 0-for-4 on wager questions in my first two games, and needed to figure out another path. If the DD/FJ questions were going to be landmines for me, I needed to treat them that way. Hence, smaller wagers. Wagering as if I'd get the Final Qs wrong, not right. (2/3)”
He further added, “It's like @ouij was saying the other day: mental resiliency is such a big part of this game. That means shaking off setbacks in real-time, and sometimes it means shifting your strategy when you're getting your ass kicked out there. (3/3)”
Thanks to Twitter and fans of ‘Jeopardy!’, Goldstein had the opportunity to explain his side of the story because even Bialik sounded surprised when she announced the winner during the episode as she said, “Well, congratulations, by just five dollars, you are a five-day Jeopardy! champion!” History was made, maybe not on Goldstein’s terms, but it happened anyway!
