‘Once again, the ‘Jeopardy’ champion!’: Boise man keeps winning on famous TV game show
Editor’s note: On Wednesday night’s show, Josh Saak’s winning streak came to an end. Below is the original story about his three-day run of victories.
A Boise man is making noise — and bank — on “Jeopardy.”
After piling up a three-day total of $66,405 in winnings, Josh Saak will compete on a fourth episode that airs at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 21, on Channel 2.
Since making his debut Friday on the long-running game show, Saak, 44, hasn’t been tested seriously by his competitors. Although he got the “Final Jeopardy” question wrong during his first appearance, he’d already built a solid lead. His conservative bet of $3,205 still left him with $18,395 — and the win. Then on Monday, Saak had another major monetary advantage heading into the final round. He nailed the final question, finishing with $28,405 that day.
Even for a man on a roll, Tuesday’s “Final Jeopardy” clue was no gimme: “The code name for a historic meeting at this city was Argonaut, after the heroes who searched for the Golden Fleece on the Black Sea.”
While the other two contestants bet zero and everything, Saak played it smart and safe. With another nice lead, he wagered $2,005 out of $17,600, and nailed the question, “What is Yalta?” — bringing his show total to $19,605.
The guy was, well, money.
“Once again,” guest host Robin Roberts declared, “the ‘Jeopardy’ champion!’
“And your three-day total is $66,405,” she added, while Saak shook his head in seeming disbelief.
A traffic engineer, Saak is no stranger to competition. He’s done a Hawaii Ironman Triathlon. He played bass in the Meridian Symphony Orchestra. He’s been trying to get on “Jeopardy” for a decade, according to KBOI.
But there’s only so much preparation he could do.
“When you watch the show a lot, you pick up on certain things, the things that they ask you,” Saak told KBOI. “You can’t know everything and you really can’t prepare that much in advance, because you don’t know exactly when you’re gonna get called.”
How far does Saak take the winning streak? Idaho viewers will have to tune in to find out.
“Jeopardy”-obsessed website thejeopardyfan.com likes his chances. “Josh has bet conservatively on the final Daily Double in all three games and has ended up just missing a runaway three times,” the site says. “This might provide the small opening that either Matt or Elizabeth would need to end Josh’s streak. If Josh can keep going, though, he’s definitely showed that he’s a Tournament of Champions-level player.”
Win or lose?
“It was just so much fun,” Saak told KBOI. “It was truly one of the top experiences of my life.”
This story was originally published July 21, 2021 at 12:33 PM.