Featured J!Buzz

Jeopardy! Masters returns to primetime tonight on ABC at 8/7c! From format details and prizing structure to match points and tiebreakers – here’s everything you need to know about this year’s competition. 

WHAT IS JEOPARDY! MASTERS? 

Six of Jeopardy!’s highest-ranked current champions will compete for a chance to win $500,000, the Trebek Trophy, and the title of 2024 Jeopardy! Masters Champion. 

WHO ARE THE PLAYERS? Amy Schneider 

James Holzhauer 

Matt Amodio 

Mattea Roach 

Victoria Groce 

Yogesh Raut 

WHAT IS THE FORMAT? 

Over the course of nine hour-long episodes containing two half-hour games, the six champions will compete across a series of league-style games that follow the standard J! structure: Jeopardy!, Double Jeopardy! and Final Jeopardy!. 

After six episodes (12 games), the top four players will advance to the semifinals before one more player is eliminated. The championship culminates with the top three players competing in the Masters finals for the ultimate win. 

THE POINTS & PRIZE STRUCTURE 

Until the finals, players will be awarded “match points” based on their performance in each game. 

Winner – 3 Points 

Second Place – 1 Point 

Third Place – 0 Points 

Anyone who does not make it to Final Jeopardy! will automatically receive 0 “match points” for that game. Up until the finals, eliminations and prizing will be determined by cumulative ”match points,” with the finals being determined by traditional dollar value scores: a two-game “total point affair” as in other Jeopardy! tournament finals.

The prize structure is as follows: 

1st Place – $500,000 + Trebek Trophy

 2nd Place – $250,000 

3rd Place – $150,000

 4th Place – $100,000 (awarded after Semifinals)

 5th Place – $75,000 (awarded after Episode 6/Game 12) 

6th Place – $50,000 (awarded after Episode 6/Game 12) 

THE FORMAT DETAILS 

Every episode will consist of two games. 

Episode 1: Games 1 & 2 

• “Match points” (3, 1, 0) are awarded after each game.

Episodes 2-6: Games 3-12 

• The two winners of the previous episode will automatically face each other (always in the second game of the night). Their third opponent will be determined by a random draw of the remaining players who have not yet competed against the other two together. 
• At the end of Episode 6, the two players with the fewest “match points” are awarded their respective prize amounts for 5th and 6th place and are eliminated from the competition. 

Episodes 7-8: Semifinal Games 13 -16 

• The four remaining players will now face each other over four games, in every combination. “Match points” are reset before Game 13. 
• At the end of Episode 8 (Game 16), the player with the fewest cumulative “match points” from the Semifinals is awarded the 4th place prize amount and eliminated from the competition. 

Episode 9: Finals Games 17-18 

• The final three will face each other in a two-game total-point affair. 
• All “match points” reset to 0 at the start of Game 17. 

LEADERBOARD TIEBREAKERS

If any players are tied in cumulative match points, the below criteria will be used to determine their leaderboard standings:

• Number of games won. If there is still a tie… 
• Cumulative correct responses for that stage of the competition (including Final Jeopardy!). If there is still a tie…
•  Cumulative score (excluding Final Jeopardy! & Daily Double wagers). If there is still a tie… 
• Cumulative score (excluding Final Jeopardy!)