“We found some interesting distinctions,” Jennings explained. “Amy’s $950,000 in earnings means she’s averaging $36,500 per game – that puts her in third-place all-time. James Holzhauer is in the lead by a mile with $75,000 per game. But Amy is right in between Matt Amodio and myself, so, historically speaking, as you know if you’ve seen her play, very much the real deal.”
Getting off to an unexpectedly slow start, Schneider ultimately picked up the pace heading into Final Jeopardy! with $25,400. However, her competitors were still in striking distance at $13,400 and $11,600, respectively.
The clue in the category of Historic Buildings: “Begun in the 1070s with stone from Caen, it was meant to dominate both a skyline and the hearts and minds of a conquered populace.” Schneider correctly answered Tower of London, comfortably wagering $2,000.
“Congratulations to you,” Jennings said. “This one you had to sweat a little bit.”
During the interview segment, she spoke of her spelling history, coming close to competing in the National Spelling Bee.
“I was two spellers away, and I was just really convinced I was gonna make it,” she said. “But the word ‘vorlage’ came up. It’s a German word.” She proceeded to define vorlage, but Jennings humorously interrupted in case it happened to be a part of the game. Merriam-Webster defines vorlage as “the position of a skier leaning forward from the ankles usually without lifting the heels from the skis.”
The Jan. 7 episode will be must-see TV as America anticipates whether or not Schneider will earn enough to become a millionaire.
She can be seen on “Jeopardy!” weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on WDTN Channel 2.
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