After 152 tournament episodes, ‘Jeopardy!’ is (finally) returning to the regular game

The inaugural “Jeopardy!” Invitational Tournament is officially over — marking the end of eight months of “Jeopardy!” tournaments (152 episodes) and the return of new players, The Ringer reported.

On Tuesday, Victoria Groce beat fellow “Jeopardy!” greats Amy Schneider and Andrew He to earn the fifth of six spots in the upcoming Masters tournament, along with a $100,000 grand prize.

Here’s a look back at the tournament — and the clues that stumped all three contestants.

Who competed in the ‘Jeopardy!’ Invitational Tournament finals?

• Amy Schneider, a Season 38 40-game champion, 2022 Tournament of Champions winner and “Jeopardy!” Masters fifth-place finisher. (Note: Schneider is second behind only Ken Jennings for most “Jeopardy!” games won. She also sits at No. 4 for highest winnings in regular season play, and No. 5 for all-time “Jeopardy!” winnings, per the Leaderboard of Legends).

• Andrew He, a Season 38 five-game champion, 2022 Tournament of Champions first runner-up and 2023 “Jeopardy!” Masters fourth-place finisher.

• Victoria Groce, a Season 22 one-game champion and current participant on ABC’s “The Chase.”

Amy Schneider and Andrew He had a lot of “Jeopardy!” history together, having competed against each other in the 2022 Tournament of Champions (which Schneider won) and in the inaugural Masters tournament (where He placed above Schneider). Factoring in Groce, the “Jeopardy!” champ who defeated 19-game winner David Madden in 2005 and is a competitor on the trivia show “The Chase,” the final series of the Invitational Tournament was a competitive one.

‘Jeopardy!’ Invitational Tournament finals recaps

April 9, Game 3 winner: Victoria Groce

Due to the contestants missing all three Daily Doubles, Game 3 was the closest game of the tournament: Going into the final round, Groce had $11,400; He had $10,000; and Schneider had $7,200, per the website The Jeopardy Fan.

And all three contestants correctly answered the Final Jeopardy clue, which fell under the category Bodies of Water: “The smallest inland sea in the world, it’s completely within the territory of a single country and connects two other larger seas.”

The answer: The sea of Marmara.

Groce’s wager of $8,601 gave her the tournament win, the $100,000 grand prize and a spot in the upcoming “Jeopardy!” Masters tournament.

Per “Jeopardy!” archives, the following clues stumped all three contestants during the game (answers are at the very bottom of the article):

1. Van life: “It’s the monetary term for an unofficial shuttle often serving urban transit deserts.”

2. Looks like we’re in business: “William W. of this last name founded his eponymous ‘for the ones who get it done’ industrial supply company in Chicago in 1927.”

3. Ancient history: “Cultivation of this fruit dates back at least to the very pre-Columbian Mokaya people and it stood for the 14th month on the Maya calendar.”

4. Reboots and remakes: “‘Heaven Can Wait’ was a remake of this 1941 film.”

April 8, Game 2 winner: Victoria Groce

Thanks to large Daily Double wagers, both Groce and Schneider had large totals going into the Final Jeopardy round: Groce had $37,600 and Schneider had $26,000, per “Jeopardy!” archives.

All three players got the Final Jeopardy clue correct: “A peasant who became the king of Phrygia created this intricate problem that was solved in 333 B.C.”

Groce’s correct response — the Gordian Knot — allowed her to maintain her lead and secure a win in the tournament.

Now, Groce and Schneider are tied with one victory each.

Per “Jeopardy!” archives, the following six clues stumped all three contestants (answers are at the very bottom of the article):

1. Slanguage: “An update of ‘taking care of’ this is ‘standing on’ this, which Drake helped popularize.”

2. Pop culture is springing all over: “The only movie to pair Fred Astaire and Judy Garland is this holiday classic.”

3. Slanguage: “This four-letter slang word for excellent actually goes back to the 1960s; some say its first letter stands for ‘pretty.’”

4. Pop culture is springing all over: “Asked to describe a perfect date, a pageant contestant in this film says, ‘April 25 because it’s not too hot, not too cold.’”

5. Parenting: “A tough question for parents; Dr. Ellen Libby wrote a book on the issue and says it can rotate from kid to kid, if that’s any help.”

6. It pleased the Lord: “As the year 2001 neared, Lord Falconer was happy when Tony Blair put him in charge of the huge structure then called this.”

April 5, Game 1 winner: Amy Schneider

Groce led for most of the game, and thanks to a $13,000 Daily Double wager, she came close to locking her victory ahead of the Final Jeopardy round. But Schneider’s $15,000 finish prevented it from being a runaway game (Groce had $29,600), according to “Jeopardy!” archives.

It all came down to the final clue: “The formation of the Brownell Committee out of concern over U.S. communications intelligence led to the 1952 creation of this body.”

Schneider was the only player to come up with the correct response: the NSA. Wagering all of her $15,000, she finished the game with $30,000 and secured her first victory in the tournament.

Per “Jeopardy!” archives, the following six clues stumped all three contestants (answers are at the very bottom of the article).

1. What are you wearing?: “Kinda like an apron, this garment is named for how it was once affixed to a dress.”

2. 20th-century lasts: “The 1998 Lada Niva was the last model started using this; U.S. carmakers abandoned it after a 1908 injury led to a fatality.”

3. On the map: “On a peninsula of the same name, this town in southern Italy is known for limoncello and its great views of the Bay of Naples.”

4. In this economy?!: “Dostoyevsky gave up on the French utopian this type of economy, becoming more reactionary.”

5. Horror music: “Putting Out The Fire With Gasoline” is from the theme song to this beastly film starring Nastassja Kinski.”

6. 20th-century lasts: “The last holder of this title was Alexei aka Alexis, seen here.”

When will the ‘Jeopardy!’ Masters tournament air?

Per Deadline, the second “Jeopardy!” Masters tournament is expected to air this spring, although a release date has not yet been announced. The show will air on ABC and be available for streaming the following day on Hulu.

“Jeopardy!” hasn’t yet revealed an official roster of competitors for the upcoming tournament. But Yogesh Raut, who won the the recent Tournament of Champions, has secured his place in the competition, the Deseret News previously reported.

As finalists in the first Masters tournament, James Holzhauer, Mattea Roach and Matt Amodio all qualify to participate in the upcoming tournament, per Whattowatch.com.

And based on the outcome of the Invitational Tournament, Groce has also earned a spot in the Masters tournament.

Game 1 answers: 1. pinafore; 2. a hand crank; 3. Sorrento; 4. socialism; 5. “Cat People”; 6. the tsarevich (the crown prince)

Game 2 answers: 1. business; 2. “Easter Parade”; 3. phat; 4. “Miss Congeniality”; 5. Who is your favorite child?; 6. the Millennium Dome

Game 3 answers: 1. dollar vans; 2. Grainger; 3. the avocado; 4. ”Here Comes Mr. Jordan.”