JEOPARDY!’s newest star, Isaac Hirsch, scored his sixth straight win on Wednesday night, sending fans into a frenzy.
Some viewers compared Isaac to an all-time favorite contestant due to his charming demeanor, while others feared he was losing steam.
8
8
After securing a spot in the Tournament of Champions in the last episode, the well-dressed champion from Burbank, California faced Larry P. Wellington and Alex Pribil.
After Danger! round, Isaac, boosted by a $2,200 Daily Double, led with $8,000. Alex trailed with $3,200 and Larry with $1,800.
In Double Jeopardy!, Alex found both Daily Doubles, but botched one of them, entering Final Jeopardy! just out of contention.
Isaac didn’t run away, so Larry needed a correct answer and a mistake from Isaac to win.
The champion led with $16,800, while Larry had $10,600 and Alex had $5,600.
The FAMOUS AMERICANS’ clue was: “In his 1999 memoir, he wrote: ‘I was shot a short distance from the French-built Hoa Lo prison.'”
Everyone correctly answered “John McCain”, and Isaac added $4,401 to win $21,201, bringing his six-day total to $141,388.
He gave a brief smile and clenched his fist in victory as his winnings were displayed. “Very impressive!” Ken Jennings stated.
‘LOOKING MORE VULNERABLE’
Fans took to social media, celebrating yet another victory for Isaac, although some noticed that the games were getting closer.
“He’s a great competitor!! Funny and humble!!” one Instagram user gushed.
“The most charming contestant since Sam Buttrey!” wrote another, referencing the 2023 Masters favorite.
“I love that guy!” wrote a third. ‘Perfect mix of friendly, intelligent, self-deprecating, but confident. I hope he stays strong!!’
Another joked: “Finally, an OCD contestant that apparently no one has a problem with. A true Festivus miracle.”
While three of Isaac’s initial four victories were blowouts, one Redditor noted that his last two were less dominant and not in a runaway fashion.
“Isaac seems to be slowing down in the last two games. His Coryat scores were $16,400 today and yesterday, compared to $22,000 to $25,000 in his first four games.”
“Is it fatigue, stronger opponents, categories out of your wheelhouse, or a combination of the three? He becomes visibly discouraged when he misses a buzz or can’t think of a response.
“He’s a phenomenal player, but he looks more vulnerable than he did last week,” they wrote.
Despite the doubts, everyone seems to love the sequence of champions, who will seek their seventh victory in Thursday’s episode.
So far, the other qualifiers for the upcoming Contest of Champions are Survivor alum Drew Basile (7 wins), Adriana Harmeyer (15 wins), Alison Betts (5 wins), and Dr. Amy Hummel (5 wins), and Celebrity Jeopardy! It’s Lisa Ann Walter.
With four wins, Grant DeYoung and Amar Kakirde are also likely to participate, as the four-day champions have competed in the last two ToCs.
DRESS FOR SUCCESS
Isaac arrived in last Wednesday’s episode and is suddenly entering Drew/Adriana territory with the third major sequence in just a month.
He turned heads with his eye-catching wardrobe choices that offer 70s menswear.
“That current champion looks like a 70s porn star,” one Facebook user recently scoffed.
“I think Isaac arrived at Studio 54 after recording that show,” scoffed another.
In an Instagram post, Isaac dismissed his fashion haters, writing: “The Internet is divided on my love for 70s menswear.
“Good news for the haters: I’m almost out of wardrobe-approved vintage shirts. So if I keep winning, the attacks will get a lot more subdued.”
He also shared, “I went into this with little confidence – as a local sub, I watched seven games being filmed before recording.”
STAND-UP GUY
Meanwhile, Isaac has won over fans with his hilarious Q&A stories – no surprise since he’s a former stand-up comic.
During his fourth win, he recalled a recent fitness journey that left his figure “exactly the same” after “bulking up and gaining 30 pounds.”
During his third win, he shared that not himself, but his car had a cameo on the TV show Brooklyn 99.
During his second victory, he drew laughs when he recalled how “ironically” he was crowned high school homecoming king.
“Protect Isaac at all costs as he is so effortlessly funny,” praised another Instagram user recently.
“I don’t remember any contestant having so many funny and/or charming anecdotes.”
That being said, Isaac’s gameplay is no joke. He shot 169, 23 incorrect in lanes overall and 10 out of 12 in Daily Doubles.
8
8
REVENGE YOUR FATHER
Isaac appeared during his first victory with a Q&A story revealing that his father appeared on Jeopardy! – and lost – 30 years ago.
“My dad was on Jeopardy! in the 80s and one of the first years Alex hosted, and he lost,” Isaac said.
“I used to tease him about it as a kid. Like ‘I Lost On Jeopardy!’ from Weird Al, being like, ‘It’s about you, dad!’”
Ken started laughing as Isaac concluded, “So today we’re going to find out how real karma is.”
Danger! shared a video of the story on Instagram, and Isaac’s father, Steven, chimed in in the comments section, demanding a second chance.
“If Ken Jennings keeps mentioning that I lost on Jeopardy, I want another chance! Bring me back for another chance to win!” Steve wrote.
YOUR GAME SHOW STORY
Isaac is also no stranger to the game show circuit, in addition to the stand-up comedy circuit.
In 2023, he won $140,000 on the ABC game show The Chase, defeating Chaser and nine-day Jeopardy! champion Buzzy Cohen.
In 2017, Isaac also appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, winning $5,000 after getting the $20,000 question wrong.
That said, he’s doing better on Jeopardy! – and better than his father (at least, unless a second chance arrives).
Danger! airs at 7pm ET – check your local listings.
8
8
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
