Jeopardy! contestant with ‘intense’ demeanor and new buzzer style nabs big first win despite debate delaying show

Jeopardy! fans who could shuffle around their Tuesday night schedules were in for a bold new champ with a never-before-seen buzzer technique.

Will Weiss, who went for a cross-armed stance all game, faced one-day champ Adam Reiffen and Mary Catherine French.

Jeopardy!

Jeopardy!

Jeopardy!

Viewers were eager to see if returning champ Adam could turn his Season 41 premiere win into a hot streak.

But the naval officer in uniform was upstaged by Will, who instantly made a splash with fans.

The technical program manager from Islip, New York, stared down the clue board, ready to attack.

Fans couldn’t ignore his seriousness or how tightly he clenched his wrists in a crossed stance while buzzing in, one might say, in the style of a drummer.

During the interviews, Will also got into a tussle with Ken Jennings , revealing he nearly played against the host while on his record run in 2004.

When asked how he thought he would have done, he plainly said he “would have been competitive” against Ken .

Noting he ultimately decided to compete under the host instead of against him, Ken joked, “And now you dont hate me as much!”

“I never hated you, Ken,” Will replied. “It was a healthy and just ‘woah’ level respect.”

Ken put up his hand, looking to move on as the newcomer indeed came in hot.

BIG WIN

While the buzzer technique was new and undoubtedly distinct – and his chat with Ken not the most lighthearted – it wound up paying off.

After the Jeopardy! round Adam (missing the first Daily Double) trailed with $3,000, Mary Catherine had $5,400, and Will $5,000.

In the Double Jeopardy! round, Adam missed the remaining Daily Doubles, and Ken remarked how Will had pulled “way in front.”

Will emerged with a runaway lead of $17,000, while Adam had $6,600 and Mary Catherine $4,600.

Jeopardy! 2025 Tournament of Champions

Jeopardy!'s next Tournament of Champions will take place this winter, midway through Season 41 (exact airdate TBA) and it's shaping up to be another showstopper. Here's who is officially eligible so far:

• Adriana Harmeyer (15 wins and $349,600 total)
• Isaac Hirsch (nine wins and $215,390)
• Survivor alum Drew Basile (seven wins and $129,601)
• Alison Betts (5 wins and $121,500)
• Dr. Amy Hummel (5 wins and $100,994)
• Lisa Ann Walter (winner of Celebrity Jeopardy! 2024)
• Grant DeYoung (four wins and $81,203)
• Amar Kakirde (four wins and $55,899)

The prize for winning the ToC is $250,000 and a coveted slot in Jeopardy! Masters.

Jeopardy.com notes: “All 4-time and over winning players starting from 04/10/24 will be eligible for a future Tournament of Champions.”

“Presence on this list does NOT guarantee an invitation to compete. Other eligibility rules apply and final selection is up to the producers’ sole discretion.”

Ken joked in a call back: “Looks like I was lucky not to have to play you in 2004,” as the contestant sternly glanced ahead.

The SIGNS & SYMBOLS final clue was: “Via a diplomatic conference in 2005, a diamond was added to supplement these 2 symbols, thought by some to have religious meaning.”

No one came up with “Red Cross and Red Crescent?” but it was no matter; Will dropped $3,000 to win $14,000, maintaining his serious look as he was crowned champ.

‘GANGNAM BUZZER STYLE’

Fans took to social media to celebrate Will’s win and share their thoughts on his “intensity” and the new buzzer style.

“I love when someone takes an innovative but smart approach to buzzing technique,” one Redditor wrote in the Jeopardy! Subreddit. “And Will’s crossed wrists is a unique twist on Fritz Holznagel’s advice to provide support to your buzzing arm to prevent your whole arm from moving.”

“I love Will’s intensity. He reminds me of Jeff Goldblum. (Though he should feel free to drop a couple of ahahahas every now and then),” wrote another.

“Came here to say this too… that his look really reminded me of Jeff Goldblum! He played very well,” wrote a third.

“Petition to call Will’s buzzer technique ‘Gangnam Style’,” wrote a fourth.

Will will go for his second win on Wednesday night against two new challengers.

DEBATE WOES

Fans in the Reddit thread also lamented how the presidential debate impacted some game show fans.

Because the ABC throwdown airs at 9 p.m. Eastern, some markets were not impacted, but many affiliates were.

Users pointed out that for many, Jeopardy! would air at 11:00 p.m., Wheel of Fortune at 11:30 p.m.

“RIP to everyone who’s gonna miss the show tonight because of the Presidential Debate. Set your DVR’s; the electronic programming guide should catch it on the later airing,” one advised. “We don’t like preemptions.”

Fans can check their local cable listings here and those without a cable subscription can tune in via YouTube TV or Hulu+ Live TV .

GET CLUED IN ON SEASON 41

Jeopardy! has risen from its summer slumber with the premiere of Season 41.

Season 41 will last 11 months and air every weeknight (even holidays) until Friday, July 25, 2025.

While Jeopardy! isn’t getting the head-spinning overhaul happening with WoF; many changes have already taken place.

Sam Buttrey was announced as the new co-host of the Inside Jeopardy! podcast , abruptly replacing Buzzy Cohen.

Sam was announced as the new co-host on Monday and Buzzy will seemingly no longer co-host the weekly insider show.

Meanwhile, Ken is hosting all of Season 41; for the first time, he will be the game show’s sole official host.

The former champion hosted the entire previous season, but Mayim Bialik was still technically an official co-host.

After a lengthy hiatus, the actress was dismissed from the syndicated series in December 2023.

Her exit from the entire franchise was confirmed when producers erased the last traces of her from their website.

That said, Mayim shared she wasn’t opposed to returning in a bombshell statement on Tuesday.

“I’m definitely still a fan of the show and very honored that I was nominated for an Emmy for my work there,” Bialik told Fox News.

“That is something that I got to change my bio, that I was nominated for Jeopardy. So, yeah, it’s something I’m still very proud of. And yeah, we’ll see what happens this season.”

While Mayim would not be returning to the syndicated (or nightly) show, bosses have kept the door open for her on future specials and spinoffs.

Celebrity Jeopardy! Season 3 was renewed for 2025, but since no host has been named yet, there’s a distinct possibility Mayim could return.

Meanwhile, those with “tournament fatigue” can rest easy because Season 41 will emphasize new players .

Unlike the previous season, which was topsy turvy given the WGA strike, Season 41 will revert the tried-and-true format.

The season will begin with regular-style games of brand-new contestants- not tournaments.

The 2025 Tournament of Champions (preceded by the Second Chance Competition and Champions Wildcard and followed by the JIT ) will be held in winter, midway through Season 41.

In other words, for the first and last chunks of the season, or roughly two-thirds, fans will see fresh faces instead of past players.

That said, tournaments will still take up one third of the season, much more than the historical average.

Jeopardy! airs weeknights at 7 p.m. Eastern – check your local listings.

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