Featured J!Buzz

With her 18th consecutive win on Thursday, Mattea Roach continues to make Jeopardy! history. 

“I am still playing every game like I’m just so lucky to be here,” Mattea said. “This has so far exceeded my wildest imaginings.”

The 23-year-old super-champion, who has become the show’s most successful Canadian player, is now in sixth place for highest winnings during regular-season play with a total of $438,183.

“I don’t even know how to process how much this has changed my life,” Mattea said. “Knowing that I've won this much money, like, I'm literally thinking, oh my gosh, can I buy a house like ten years sooner than I thought?”

Throughout her streak, Mattea has responded correctly to over 500 clues, which averages out to roughly 28 correct responses per game. 

“I just kind of think, okay, what can I control?” Mattea asked. “I can't control the clues. I can't control the categories. I can't control how fast the other players buzz in. But I can control my own thinking when I see a clue and whether I'm going to engage in a thought process that's like freaking out, and oh my gosh, this is stressful. Or, how can I figure it out?”

While staying calm, cool, and collected has proven to be a successful strategy for Mattea, so has wagering wisely. During Mattea’s seventh and 17th games, she placed $1 wagers during Final Jeopardy! to avoid having to go into a tiebreaker. 

“I figure bet a dollar, if we're both right, I win,” Mattea said. “If we're both wrong, I also win. And you know, if the other player gets it right, I get it wrong and I end up losing, well then, the best player won that day.”

It remains to be seen how far Mattea will go, but the 18-day champion said she will keep “playing to win.”