With 6 wins and counting, Green Bay 'Jeopardy!' champ Ben Chan is turning into a runaway hit
Stop us if you’ve heard this before ... “Ben, you are in the lead but still a lot of game to play.”
That was “Jeopardy!” host Mayim Bialik early on in Wednesday’s game, before reigning champ Ben Chan did what he always does — quickly picks up speed in the Double Jeopardy! round, runs away with it and racks up another win.
It was win No. 6 for the St. Norbert College professor from Green Bay. He was up on the other two contestants by $23,005 when it was time for Final Jeopardy! He wagered only $795, which extended his winnings for the game to an even $25,000. His six-day total now stands at $182,000.
All that and he made “Jeopardy!” history, too.
On Tuesday, he became the first player since 2001 to win his first five games in runaway fashion, according to online site The Jeopardy! Fan. A runaway in the "Jeopardy!" universe is when a contestant is so far out ahead there’s no way for the next closest contestant to catch them, even if they were to wager their entire earnings for Final Jeopardy!
On Wednesday, Chan became the first player ever to win their first six games in runaways, according to a Substack "Jeopardy!" blog Chan quoted in a tweet.
"Will Ben.... secure another runaway in Wednesday’s game?
Should he do so, he’ll become the first ever player to win their first six games in runaways"!
https://t.co/ronJPU5Xjv— Ben Chan (@JeopardyBenBen) May 17, 2023
During the contestant chat, Bialik asked Chan, who has qualified to return in the Tournament of Champions later this year, how he’s feeling about that and how he plans to spend his winnings.
“It feels amazing. I’m very excited to play with a lot of the people I’ve been watching on TV,” Chan said. “My spouse Alaina and I have two very needy dogs. I think with this money we can travel to many of our good friends around the country and spring for accommodations that will take care of us and our dogs together.”
In an interview with the Green Bay Press-Gazette earlier this month, Chan said his two rescue dogs, Ruthie and Chester, have been getting more bully sticks as treats, thanks to his winnings.
Kendra Meinert is an entertainment and feature writer at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at 920-431-8347 or kmeinert@greenbay.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KendraMeinert.
SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM: Our subscribers make this coverage possible. Click to see the Green Bay Press Gazette's special offers at greenbaypressgazette.com/subscribe and download our app on the App Store or Google Play.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay 'Jeopardy!' champ Ben Chan becomes runaway hit with 6th win
