Matt Amodio embraces 'dearest friend' Sam Buttrey before latter's elimination from 'Jeopardy! Masters'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: There was a special moment in the latest episode of 'Jeopardy! Masters' when the fans were treated to a warm embrace between two contestants vying for the big prize money of $500,000. Matt Amodio took just a beat and complimented his rival, Sam Buttrey, who he respects as his senior. Buttrey is an aged professor while Matt is still in the early days of his own career. However, this didn’t stop Matt from going all out to call and Buttrey his “dearest friend” on the show.
'Jeopardy! Masters' has a total of six contestants namely Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach, Sam Buttrey, James Holzhaeur, and Andrew He fighting for a place in the final on May 24 but as the third-week inches close, only four will move onto the semi-finals. Unfortunately, Sam Buttrey isn’t one of them. On Wednesday’s (May 17) episode, Matt Amodio came up against Mattea Roach and the humorous professor Sam Buttrey, who was in the last place. But there was an announcement that compelled Matt to express and embrace his friendship with Sam.
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Matt Amodio and Sam Buttrey: brainiacs *and* besties. #JeopardyMasters pic.twitter.com/nipZnRP43o
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) May 17, 2023
'Dearest friend I've made in all of Jeopardy'
Host Ken Jennings announced at the beginning of the match that even if Sam wins, he will not advance to the next round. The professor took the news with a smile but it was Matt, who remembered his loss to Sam in the 2022 Tournament of Champions, and still said, “There are no hard feelings on the board. Sam is the dearest friend I've made in all of Jeopardy!" he said, “So thank you so much, Sam.”
Sam was happily taken aback by this warm gesture and replied, "Aw give it up!”, as he moved towards Matt and hugged him to the sounds of thunderous applause from the crowd. Sam is out of the competition but fans watching the broadcast couldn’t get enough of Matt’s innate love and respect for Sam. “Loved the hug between Sam and Matt," one fan said while the other mentioned, “Ugh, such a wholesome moment. There need to be more hugs on jeopardy.” One fan could barely hold his tears. “Omfg MATT AND SAMS FRIENDSHIP I was not expecting to cry.” Sam is an associate professor of operations research at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and took home $100,000 after winning the Professor's Tournament in 2021.
Who are the four semi-finalists?
Sam was at the bottom of the leaderboard by the end of the night with only three points and zero wins. Amy Schneider was eliminated too after she came fifth on the leaderboard. Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach, James Holzhaeur, and Andrew He have made it to the third week of ‘Jeopardy! Masters' with the self-appointed game show villain, James, leading with 18 points and four wins. The semi-finals come out on May 22 and May 23, 2023, and the final will air on May 24, 2023.