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Who won 'Jeopardy!' tonight? Dan Laine attempts a comeback as it all boils down to the wagers

Dan Laine faced off against AJ Maroney from Boston and Katelyn Mueller-McLean from San Francisco

The previous episode of 'Jeopardy!' saw Dan Laine take over from six-day champion Peter McFerrin in a dramatic fashion. Laine kick-started his run during Wednesday's episode as he faced off against AJ Maroney from Boston, Massachusetts, and Katelyn Mueller-McLean from San Francisco. All three contestants put their best foot forward, and right until the 'Final Jeopardy' round, the win was up for grabs. Ultimately, wagers became the make-or-break factor in crowning this episode's winner.

Laine did not start with a bang and found himself dead last, just after a few clues. Mueller-McLean was leading the pack with $1,600 until clue number six. The seventh clue was buzzed in by Maroney, who opened his account by answering it correctly. In the very next clue, he also found a Daily Double. Though he only had $600, as per the rules of the game, he could wager up to $1,000, and did so. This DD was from the category 'Greek Mythology,' and its clue read,  “This god tried to give a gift to humans, but the spring he made produced salt water, his natural element.” Maroney answered with “Who is Poseidon?” which was deemed correct. This tied him with Mueller-McLean. 

Maroney and Mueller-McLean tussled for the top position throughout, with the former edging the latter out by the time the first break arrived. Maroney was at the top with $3,200, while Mueller-McLean followed with $2,000. At this point, Laine had just $600. His total further dwindled as the game went on, and he ended the first round with $400. Maroney maintained his lead and went into the 'Double Jeopardy' round with $5,200, with Mueller-McLean following with $2,200 in her kitty. Laine, though, did not give up and staged a comeback of sorts in the second round. Mueller-McLean also helped in this pursuit by answering a few clues incorrectly. 

By clue number 11, Laine was in second place with $2,800. Maroney, though, continued to reign at the top with $4,400. He got the opportunity to widen the lead when he came across a DD on clue number 12. The beverage manager decided to wager $2,000 against this DD from the category 'That’s 2 Hours of My Life…' whose clue read, “A one-man show about this man who defended Leopold & Loeb, among others, is titled ‘A Passion for Justice.'” The correct answer was "Who is Clarence Darrow," but Maroney's incorrect response made him drop down to $2,400, and Laine gained the lead. 

Laine, however, could not maintain the lead, and a string of incorrect answers pushed him down to $400. He got the opportunity to flip his fortunes when the last DD fell in his lap on clue number 24. According to the rules of the game, Laine could bet up to $2,000, and he did so on the last DD. This one was from the category, 'News Agencies,' and its clue read, “Meaning ‘the island,’ this news network is based in Doha, Qatar.” Laine answered with “What is Al Jazeera?” and was thus left with $2,400. He was still in third position, though, with Maroney taking the top spot and Mueller-McLean finding herself in second place. Laine managed to claw up to second place by the end of the round with $3,600. Maroney was still at the top with $4,400, while Mueller-McLean found herself at the bottom with $3,400. By this point, there had been 19 triple stumpers in the episode. These standings meant that the game could still go anyone's way, depending on what unfolded in 'Final Jeopardy.'

This episode's FJ was from the category, 'Heading North,' and its clue read, “If you want to visit the world’s northernmost town, know that most flights are 3 hours to or from this national capital.” The round also turned out to be a triple stumper, as none of the contestants responded with "What is Oslo?" Laine ended with $2,793 after wagering $807, and Maroney finished with $1,599 after betting $2,801. However, it wasn't Laine who walked away as the winner but Mueller-McLean, who bet nothing and ended at $3,400. The winner took to Reddit to explain the logic behind her move. “This was such a close game, and it really could have gone to any one of us in the end. I know I’m biased, but this was a tough board,” she shared. “Once it was time for FJ, the wagering was tripping me out. Even though I did practice a wagering strategy during my prep, I was not ready for such a close three-way game scenario. That 5-minute time limit goes by quicker than you’d expect. I didn’t necessarily want to bet against myself, but in the end, I figured that I had no hope of winning unless both AJ and Dan were incorrect, so I bet $0." Mueller-McLean will return on Thursday to defend her title.