Jeopardy (1978 rules)

[Bob Zager]

After stumbling across a photo from the 1978 version of Jeopardy (here's the link:  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...sPageName=WDVW), I wondered how Ken Jennings would've done if the show were formatted that way now.  Among some things to consider are:

--At that time, you could ring in anytime after the answer was revealed.

--Only the two high scoring players of J!, competed in DJ!

--No FJ! round; the player ahead at the end of DJ! played Super Jeopardy! for bonus money, starting at $5,000 on first victory, and increasing $2,500 each subsequent win.

Because there was a five-day limit on that series, too, the highest potential winnings in SJ! alone would've been $50,000.  But with the help of my calculator, I figured that if there was no limit, and Ken played SJ! the same number of times (74 times), his winnings in SJ! alone could've been $7,122,500, considering if he succeeded each time!

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Bob Zager\' date=\'Dec 14 2004, 07:41 PM\']After stumbling across a photo from the 1978 version of Jeopardy I wondered how Ken Jennings would've done if the show were formatted that way now.  Among some things to consider are:

--At that time, you could ring in anytime after the answer was revealed.

--Only the two high scoring players of J!, competed in DJ!

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He wouldn't have made it to 74 wins, as he was in third place at the end of the J! round once near the end of his run.

[Bob Zager]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 14 2004, 07:56 PM\']

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He wouldn't have made it to 74 wins, as he was in third place at the end of the J! round once near the end of his run.

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I didn't really think of that, but at the same time, wasn't co-founder Matt Ottinger ahead of Ken at the end of J! when he played?

[WhammyPower]

[quote name=\'Bob Zager\' date=\'Dec 14 2004, 08:05 PM\'][quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 14 2004, 07:56 PM\']
He wouldn't have made it to 74 wins, as he was in third place at the end of the J! round once near the end of his run.

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I didn't really think of that, but at the same time, wasn't co-founder Matt Ottinger ahead of Ken at the end of J! when he played?

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Indeed he was, but Ken, alas, was still only in second place.

[Robert Hutchinson]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 14 2004, 07:56 PM\']He wouldn't have made it to 74 wins, as he was in third place at the end of the J! round once near the end of his run.

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He might not have made it even that far. In a situation where the third-place player is eliminated early, more third-place players would take bigger risks to try to get out of that position.

Also, he would've been about 4 years old, and therefore the cutest Jeopardy! champion ever.

[Bob Zager]

[quote name=\'WhammyPower\' date=\'Dec 14 2004, 08:23 PM\'][quote name=\'Bob Zager\' date=\'Dec 14 2004, 08:05 PM\'][quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 14 2004, 07:56 PM\']
He wouldn't have made it to 74 wins, as he was in third place at the end of the J! round once near the end of his run.

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I didn't really think of that, but at the same time, wasn't co-founder Matt Ottinger ahead of Ken at the end of J! when he played?

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Indeed he was, but Ken, alas, was still only in second place.

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That's true, but if those rules applied today, maybe it could've been to Ken's advantage, since he would've gotten to select FIRST in DJ!

[Chief-O]

[quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' date=\'Dec 14 2004, 08:26 PM\']Also, he would've been about 4 years old, and therefore the cutest Jeopardy! champion ever.

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What is.....LINE OF THE DAY!!!

Considering the "last place contestant gets eliminated at end of J! round" rule, I'd say his streak would have been shorter. How much shorter, I couldn't tell you.