Recommended Jeopardy study materials?

[tpirfan28]

How often is Potent Potables/alcohol-based categories showing up these days?

[SuperMatch93]

How often is Potent Potables/alcohol-based categories showing up these days?

Usually about 2-3 times a season.

[PYLdude]

Just from casual observation, since reading the Almanac it has upped my game.  As far as being labor intensive, it's no more labor than I would have done reading something else in the same time frame anyway.

Counter question: have you actually taken the Jeopardy! contestant exam at any point?

(really don't want to take it in this direction but I have to know)

[Bryce L.]

To the original poster: Do you have "The Jeopardy! Book" ? If not, I do. It contains several sample games of J! Note that the book was released in 1990, but the sample boards can give you a general idea of what subjects to look up. If you don't have it, PM me, and I will make scans of the games in the book for you.

[Matt Ottinger]

To the original poster: Do you have "The Jeopardy! Book" ? If not, I do. It contains several sample games of J! Note that the book was released in 1990, but the sample boards can give you a general idea of what subjects to look up. If you don't have it, PM me, and I will make scans of the games in the book for you.

Well, if studying past games is what you want to do (and that IS probably the best way to dig in), then your best bet -- by far -- is to poke around in the fan-created Jeopardy Archive.

[gameshowcrazy]

Just from casual observation, since reading the Almanac it has upped my game.  As far as being labor intensive, it's no more labor than I would have done reading something else in the same time frame anyway.

Counter question: have you actually taken the Jeopardy! contestant exam at any point?

(really don't want to take it in this direction but I have to know)

Yes, I took it in Philadelphia in 1997 (passed, but didn't get further), in Washington DC in I think 1999 or 2000, and I got to take two tests in Boston in October of 2002.

Since the incarnation of the online tests, I think I only missed one year.  My scores have gone up since reading the Almanac, and although it took until this year to pass, I've been much closer in recent years.  I have also passed 5 of the last 6 tests I have taken for Millionaire, 4 of those since reading the good book.  The Jeopardy tests are heavy on Art/Literature and that is my weakest subject of the classic 6 Trivial Pursuit subjects.  What I'm saying there is that if you were to place the Jeopardy test questions into those classic 6 categories, AL is a runaway favorite of the tests, but not this test-taker.

When watching Jeopardy at home and keeping score, my average score (straight, no betting, total score after two rounds) has gone from $14,662.79 in 05-06 to $19,859.72 this season.

I tend to retain much of what I read, and no I didn't memorize all the tables and basically meaningless stuff, but it did show me how much GM spent on advertising vs. other companies and yeah, the fact that GM is (was at the time of the 2007 almanac) the biggest spender on ads has probably come up.

One of the best things it did for me was to get me to finally memorize the presidents and most of the elements and their symbols.  While I read the parts about the countries of the world, it helped me to better remember their capitals and some history.  While I read that part I also made sure to look at the included maps and learn some rivers and other major cities in those countries plus the languages they speak and the currency they use.

Another thing I've done that has furthered my trivia game was crossword puzzles--lots of them.  I did that before I bought the Almanac.  My reason for doing it, well it got me to quit smoking after more than 20 years of lighting up!  When I went on break, I would do a crossword puzzle, or read some trivia and forget all about wanting a cigarette.  By the time I was done with the puzzle, break was over and back to work, no time to smoke.

To date, I have passed 28 game show tests and will be going for #29 next Friday (Millionaire).

[TLEberle]

To date, I have passed 28 game show tests and will be going for #29 next Friday (Millionaire).

Terrific. How many times have you gotten The Call?

[PYLdude]

Yes, I took it in Philadelphia in 1997 (passed, but didn't get further), in Washington DC in I think 1999 or 2000, and I got to take two tests in Boston in October of 2002.

Ah, cool.

Reason why I didn't quote the rest was because that was all I needed to know, but the post was interesting. That is a rather unique way to quit smoking, for the record. Kudos.

[clemon79]

To date, I have passed 28 game show tests and will be going for #29 next Friday (Millionaire).

Terrific. How many times have you gotten The Call?

Whoa there, low blow. He was asked how he could tell his Jeopardy game has improved and whether he had taken the test. No more, no less. He answered the question.

How many times have *you* gotten The Call?

[TLEberle]

To date, I have passed 28 game show tests and will be going for #29 next Friday (Millionaire).

Terrific. How many times have you gotten The Call?

Whoa there, low blow. He was asked how he could tell his Jeopardy game has improved and whether he had taken the test. No more, no less. He answered the question.

How many times have *you* gotten The Call?

Not one, but I've only ever taken three tests, passed none, but Only Connect thinks enough of me that I have five screen credits for submitting puzzles.

[gameshowcrazy]

To date, I have passed 28 game show tests and will be going for #29 next Friday (Millionaire).

Terrific. How many times have you gotten The Call?

Whoa there, low blow. He was asked how he could tell his Jeopardy game has improved and whether he had taken the test. No more, no less. He answered the question.

How many times have *you* gotten The Call?

Don't worry Clemon, I can take it, I'm used to a large number of posters on this board being that way, which is why I don't jump into too many of these threads.  Just another case of a wimp hiding behind a keyboard.

anywho...no I have never received "The Call", but I am realistic about it.  Millionaire only has in my estimate 150 shows a year, maybe 3 contestants per show, so that's about 450 slots available for all those people who do pass the test.  Jeopardy has maybe 45 weeks of programming times two new contestants per show times 5 shows per week, so that's also 450 slots per year for all the people that pass that test (as I've said, usually not me).  I do realize that even after passing the tests, getting on the show is about as possible as winning the lottery.  Add to the odds against factor that I'm in my late 30s and white, well I'm a dime a dozen to them.  If I was  a black woman of any age the contestant coordinators would be tripping over themselves to put me on the show.  I'm OK with the reality of what goes on in television, but I see no reason to give up on something I love doing.

[TLEberle]

Just another case of a wimp hiding behind a keyboard.

I humbly beg your pardon. Sir. I was not aware that we're not allowed to reply to your posts. I'll write that down for the future.

I'm OK with the reality of what goes on in television, but I see no reason to give up on something I love doing.

And here's the question I have about this: I understand that the combination of not scoring high enough, not being what the coordinators are looking for and not having the skills for the show means that I don't put myself out there to try out for the shows. What's fun about undergoing a process that isn't going to end the way you want?

[Matt Ottinger]

I do realize that even after passing the tests, getting on the show is about as possible as winning the lottery.

My Numbers Have Meanings sequel is going full steam.

"Unlikely" does not equal "about as possible as winning the lottery".  In this case, not even remotely close.  If you're one of the fortunate few who pass the test, my guess is that your odds are in the neighborhood of 5 to 1 or maybe 10 to 1 of being selected.  And even if it was 100 to 1, or 1000 to 1 (how many people are you thinking pass the test each year anyway?) that still wouldn't come close to a number you'd compare with lottery odds.

I'll leave your racist, sexist comments to stand on their own merits.

[MyronMMeyer]

If you can't pass the test with the knowledge you already have, you won't do well on the show.  Better to focus on having an attractive personality. Take the test and let the chips fall where they may.

Lots of advice in this thread, but I think this is really the best one for your purposes. If you've already passed the online test, you have the knowledge set to pass it again. I don't know if it's really possible to "fail" the second test, and everything I've read indicates that everyone at the live audition gets to play the mock game/gets a brief interview, regardless of how the second test goes. I suppose that the second, "live" test is simply to weed out cheaters and kill some time/set the mood. (I don't actually know this. Unfortunately, the official Jeopardy Message Board is down right now, so it's harder to find out.)

The key word is "audition". At this point, the Jeopardy Powers That Be have assembled for themselves a room full of people who have the knowledge to play the game. Now they are trying to cast a television show. Be yourself, but go at it with the goal of showing them why they should put you on TV, on their TV show specifically. (My theater and radio experience was especially helpful for me in this regard.) Start thinking up 5 interesting things about yourself to write down, and practice what you are going to say when they ask you to tell them a little something about yourself, and what you are going to do with the money. It doesn't need to be super-cutesy, but you should be able to speak confidently/clearly. Pay attention and follow their instructions, and you should do just fine.

Speaking as one of the many white guys who've made it on the show, it's not such a disadvantage. A crappy attitude is a disadvantage. Go in there to have fun and play the game. That's the kind of player they want, regardless of any other demographic.

Finally, if you really want a book to practice with in the weeks before your audition, I'd recommend the "Trivial Pursuit Word Search" book, newly released and probably available at your local big box bookseller. It's got 50 general knowledge quizzes in a variety of subjects, presented in a format which is very compatible with learning/practicing for Jeopardy.

Have fun, and good luck!

-Myron M. Meyer
(Jeopardy, 2002)

[mcsittel]

I recommend Steven Ferrill's "The Cultural Literacy Trivia Guide".  Plenty of lists, including Shakespeare.  Spent a few weeks perusing it and at least half a dozen questions in my J! qualifying test were things I remembered reading in the book that I had specifically memorized.  More recently, while not helping me directly, I recall other newly-memorized facts showed up on fellow contestants' Millionaire questions during our taping dates.

I would also throw in reading the newspaper every day (yes, I know some of young'uns don't know why we still read that relic) and/or news sites online to be familiar with current events, if only to remember names in the news.

World Almanac is also a great source, as mentioned earlier.