'Jeopardy' contestant stuns Ken Jennings with his risky wager — becomes champion by just $1

The contestant played a fantastic game despite falling behind in the early going.

PUBLISHED OCT 7, 2025

Screenshots showing Ken Jennings and the contestant on "Jeopardy!" (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Jeopardy!)

Ken Jennings has been on "Jeopardy!" long enough, first as the star player and then as the host, to know how contestants can take big risks to win. However, in a recent episode of the show, the host was left shocked by a contestant’s massive wager, as he won the round by a single dollar, even though he was not in the lead for most of the game.

The contestant in question was a man named Curtis Bogetti, who was playing against defending champion Zach Knecht and Hannah Gomez. He did not get off to the best start as Knecht took the lead in the early going after finding the Daily Double in the first clue. By the end of the round, he was in the lead with $6,200 as Bogetti held second place with $5,400. Gomez was third with $1,600.

Screenshot showing the contestants. (Image credit: YouTube | Jeopardy!) — Screenshot showing the contestants. (Image source: YouTube | Jeopardy!)

Later on, Bogetti found his Daily Double in Double Jeopardy, as per a TV Insider report, and that is where his luck changed. At this point, he had $8,600 in his purse, and he wagered it all to take the lead in the game. This was the move that shocked Jennings. “Wow! That’s a big wager,” he said. The clue in that round read, “In ‘The Song of Roland’, God makes the sun stand still so this emperor can continue a battle.”

Screenshot showing Ken Jennings. (Image credit: YouTube | Jeopardy!) — Screenshot showing Ken Jennings. (Image source: YouTube | Jeopardy!)

Bogetti wrote, “Who is Charlemagne?” That was the correct answer, and it put him in the lead with $17,200. This set him on course to becoming the show’s champion for the first time. By the time Final Jeopardy came around, Bogetti held a solid lead with $26,600. Knecht was in second place with $15,000, and Gomez occupied third place with $6,800 in the purse. The exact moment isn't available on video, but here's a clip from the episode.

Watch the video here.

The Final Jeopardy category was ‘Destinations’ and the clue read, “In 2020, the Pripyat Ferris wheel earned a cameo mention in a N.Y. Times travel essay called Why Would Anyone Want To Visit this place.” Gomez wrote, “What is Egypt?” but that was incorrect. She had wagered all she had and was left with nothing in the end. Knecht, too, had wagered all he had, but he had written, “What is Chernobyl?”

That was the correct answer, and his prize money doubled to $30,000, putting him in the lead. Bogetti had also given the correct answer, and it all came down to how much he wagered. He had put up $3,401, which got his grand total after the answer to $30,001, making him a “Jeopardy!” champion by just a single dollar.