| Jerome Vered | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | Jerome Vered |
| Born: | March 13, 1958 |
| Known for: | Biggest Jeopardy! money winner of season 8 in regular-season play Biggest one-game winning record from 1992 to 2002 ($34,000) |
Jerome Vered (born March 13, 1958) is a Studio City, California writer, publicly known for his record-setting success as a contestant on the U.S. television game show Jeopardy!
Biography[]
Jeopardy![]
Vered graduated from Harvard College and the USC School of Cinema-Television. He took the Jeopardy test four times (in 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990) before being called to the show as an alternate in March 1991. He was not used in any of that day's tapings, but he did return the next year, and became a five-day champion, with winnings totaling $96,801, second to Frank Spangenberg's $102,597. During that run, he shattered the one-day record for dollar winnings, earning $34,000 in one episode.
After his five-day run, Vered returned for the 1992 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, finishing in third place and winning $7,500.
In the 2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions, Vered won five games to advance to a three-game final match against fellow Jeopardy! record-setters Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. Vered finished in third place, earning $250,000 giving him total winnings during the UTOC of $389,801. Of the three finalists, he was the only one not to get a bye in the tournament, as Rutter got a bye into the second round and Jennings got a bye into the finals.
Vered again appeared on Jeopardy! on February 7, 2014 as a contestant in the Battle of the Decades tournament. He faced Tom Cubbage and Bob Verini in a "1980s bracket" game, failed to advance to the next round, winning $5,000 when he finished second to Cubbage. Currently, Vered is currently the tenth highest-winning contestant in Jeopardy! history, having won a total of $499,102 across his original five wins, the 1992 Tournament of Champions, 2005's Ultimate Tournament of Champions, and 2014's Battle of the Decades.
Other Show[]
Although Vered is best known for his Jeopardy! prowess, he has also dominated in other quiz-show formats, including Win Ben Stein's Money, during which he recorded the first-ever sweep, and became the first to take home the full $5,000 of Ben Stein's money. He would later become a researcher on the show's staff. Vered's game show winnings thus total $504,102.
In 2009, Vered was used as a Phone-a-Friend lifeline on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, when Ken Basin, from Los Angeles, CA, called him for help on his $500,000 question on the final episode of the 10th Anniversary run. Ken would later go on to become the first contestant in the U.S. version of Millionaire to get the $1 million question wrong.
In 2009, Vered became the first American to crack the top 10 at a World Quizzing Championship with an eighth-place finish.
In 2017, he competed in a Los Angeles citywide pub tournament as part of Team of Enchantment (along with Brian Fodera, Matthew Frost, Pam Mueller, Brad Rutter and Hans von Walter), taking home his share of a $10,000 prize.
Jeopardy! Run[]
Regular Play[]
| Game No. | Air Date | Final score | Cumulative Winnings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 18, 1992 | $24,000 | $24,000 | Game in which 62 correct responses were given (with 5 rebounds). |
| 2 | May 19, 1992 | $16,401 | $40,401 | Jerome's first nonrunaway game. |
| 3 | May 20, 1992 | $7,000 | $47,401 | Jerome's second and final nonrunaway game in regular season play. |
| 4 | May 21, 1992 | $34,000 | $81,401 | Jerome sets a new single-day cash winnings record of $34,000. |
| 5 | May 22, 1992 | $15,400 | $96,801 |
Tournament of Champions[]
In the second quarterfinal game, he faced off against Steve Newman and Bruce Simmons. Throughout the first two rounds, he came up with 29/31 correct responses (including 1/1 Daily Double). He and Bruce got Final correct. Jerome advanced to the semifinals. Bruce's $12,200 was enough to advance as wildcard, while Steve's $0 ($3,000) was not enough, taking home $1,000.
In the second semifinal game, he faced off against Robert Slaven and Leonard Schmidt. Throughout the first two rounds, he came up with 27/29 correct responses (including 2/2 Daily Doubles). He and Robert got Final correct. Jerome advanced to the finals. Robert and Leonard received $5,000.
In the finals, he faced off against Leszek Pawlowicz and Bruce Simmons. Throughout the finals, he came up with 40/47 correct responses (including 0/1 Daily Double). He and Bruce got 0/2 Final Jeopardy correct, but after losing to Leszek, he received $7,500 for second runner-up.
Ultimate Tournament of Champions[]
In the fourteenth game of round one, he faced off against Jim Scott and Michelle Clum. Throughout the first two rounds, he came up with 25/26 correct responses (including 1/2 Daily Doubles). Everyone got Final correct. Jerome advanced to round two. Jim and Michelle received $5,000.
In the seventh game of round two, he faced off against Leah Greenwald and Sean Ryan. Throughout the first two rounds, he came up with 26/26 correct responses. Everyone got Final correct. Jerome advanced to the quarterfinals. Lean and Sean received $10,000.
In the sixth quarterfinal game, he faced off against Dan Melia and Michael Daunt. Throughout the first two rounds, he came up with 20/20 correct responses (including 3/3 Daily Doubles). Everyone got Final correct. Jerome advanced to the semifinals. Melia and Daunt received $15,000.
In the first half of the semifinals, he faced off against Frank Spangenberg and Pam Mueller. Throughout the semifinals, he came up with 40/48 correct responses (including 2/2 Daily Doubles). He was the only player who got Final correct in both games and advanced to the finals. Spangenberg received $30,000 and Pam received $20,000.
In the finals, he faced off against Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings. Throughout the finals, he came up with a combined 34/41 correct responses (including 2/2 Daily Doubles). He and Ken got 1/3 Final Jeopardy correct, but after losing to Rutter (in a runaway game), he received $250,000 for finishing in third place.
Battle of the Decades[]
In the fifth game of the 1980s week, he faced off against Tom Cubbage and Bob Verini. Throughout the first two rounds, he came up with 16/22 correct responses (including 0/2 Daily Doubles). He and Cubbage got Final correct, but after losing to Cubbage (in a come from behind win), he and Verini received $5,000.
Trivia[]
- Among the first appearance winners, he is the challenger with the 3rd highest Coryat Score ever ($16,400 - pre-doubled)[1].
- So far, like Ken Jennings, he's the only one to achieve a Coryat Score of over $30,000 (including pre-doubled) twice in 5 games[2].
- Even though he finished 3rd in the UToC, beating out numerous competitors, there is a side that is buried in the interest in Brad at the time. After that, there were participants who broke various records, such as champions with 10 or more wins in a row. Still, he's a champion worthy of high praise, given that he finished third out of 145 contenders.
References[]
- ↑ 2nd place is Chris Fleitas’s $33,000, and 1st place is Wes Ulm’s $36,000 (x2).
- ↑ There are many people who have achieved a $30,000+ Coryat Score more than 2 times, but it is not easy to achieve more than 2 in 5 games.