Eli Selzer’s impressive game falls short in Final round of Jeopardy!

Jeopardy! aired its December 2, 2025, episode with three contestants: Libby Jones, Eli Selzer, and Anne Martyn.

Selzer stayed strong throughout the game and kept his score close to Jones, the returning champion. Selzer entered the match with steady progress across the Jeopardy! and Double Jeopardy! rounds, answering clues across several categories and keeping the point spread small.

Jones, who grew up in Springboro, gained ground in Double Jeopardy! after finding and answering both Daily Doubles.

One clue asked for the first Black soloist to sing at the Metropolitan Opera in 1955, and Jones answered Marian Anderson.

The other clue was the gaps between the rings of Saturn, and Jones answered Rings of Saturn. These moments increased her total and placed Selzer slightly behind heading into the final round.

At the end of Double Jeopardy!, Jones led with $25,200 while Selzer held $23,000. Martyn had $2,200. In Final Jeopardy!, the category was Celebrities.

The clue referred to an Ivy League graduate known as the “face of the 1980s,” and all three players answered Brooke Shields.

Selzer wagered $2,201 and ended with $25,201. Jones wagered $20,801 and finished with $46,001, winning the game. Selzer placed second after a close match.

Selzer’s steady play and key shifts in the game of Jeopardy!

The episode moved through the board in a steady way, with Selzer giving correct answers that kept him close to the top of the scores.

Jones and Selzer stayed within a few thousand points of each other through most of the game. Martyn added to her score when possible, but the top two players remained the focus of the point race.

Six clues across both rounds went unanswered. These missed clues kept the scores steady and prevented any major shift early in the game.

In Double Jeopardy!, Jones found the first Daily Double. After she answered it correctly, she doubled her score from $5,400 to $10,800.

Later, she found the second Daily Double and added $2,000 more.

These two clues moved her ahead of Selzer, though Selzer remained close enough to stay competitive for the final round.

During the interview portion, Jones shared a story about her college friends and said, “We’re the Weenies,” explaining how the nickname came from summer gatherings.

Her interview added a personal moment before the final part of the game. With only a small gap between their totals, Selzer and Jones entered Final Jeopardy! prepared for a round that would determine the final order.

Final Jeopardy! outcome and reactions after the game

Final Jeopardy! gave Selzer a chance to move ahead of Jones, since their scores differed by only $2,200. The clue described an actress and author who was an Ivy League graduate and a former Vogue cover figure.

Selzer answered Brooke Shields, which matched the correct response. His wager of $2,201 brought his final score to $25,201. Jones also answered correctly and wagered $20,801, which moved her to $46,001 and secured her second win. Martyn answered correctly as well and stayed at $2,200 with a $0 wager.

At the end of the show, host Ken Jennings responded to Jones’ two-day total of $70,802 and said, “How about that! That’s a lot of money and she’ll be back tomorrow.”

Selzer’s run placed him second, showing strong play across both rounds and a correct response in the final clue.

Jones also shared more about her group of college friends during the interview and noted, “We’re the Weenies,” describing their long-running tradition.

Jones will return on the next episode to face Sarah Murphy of Hamilton, Ontario, and Ron Lalonde of Pittsburgh. Jeopardy! continues on WDTN Channel 2 and streams on Hulu.
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