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‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Blown Away by ‘Beast’ Neilesh Answering 33 Questions Correct in ToC

Originally posted on TV Insider | Last updated Jan 30, 2025 9:52 AM ET

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the January 29 episode of Jeopardy!]

Jeopardy!‘s Tournament of Champions is already off to a hot start and has perhaps found its early front-runner in Neilesh Vinjamuri, who dominated the competition in Wednesday’s (January 29) game.

As previously reported, Vinjamuri, a three-game champion from Lionville, Pennsylvania, went up against Weckiai Rannila, a three-game champion from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Greg Jolin, a five-game champion from Raymond, New Hampshire, in Game 3 of the ToC.

Vinjamuri went into beast mode on the buzzer, answering a staggering 33 clues correctly (and only one incorrect) across the episode, securing his spot in the semifinals. In doing so, he earned himself a whole host of new fans, with many taking to social media to praise his impressive performance.

“Absolutely dominating performance. I remember Neilesh being very sharp but I don’t think anyone beats him if his next games are like this one,” wrote one user on the Jeopardy! Reddit forum.

“Neilesh was an absolute buzz-saw in this game, against good opponents. I see him going far,” said another.

“Dang, Neilesh is a beast,” another added.

One fan wrote, “Neilesh was a dang firecracker. Wicked fast, huge knowledge. If he plays like that every game, he’s a strong pick to take this thing down.”

“Neilesh was such a an absolute BEAST tonight. He was so fast, smart, and stoic,” added another.

“What an impressive game. What more could I say? Also having a lock game was not on my bingo card,” said one commenter.

“Neilesh absolutely crushed it today and I’d be super scared if I was facing him in the semifinals. That’s an insanely dominating performance against some very strong competition,” wrote another.

“Can’t believe this dude only won 3 games originally good lord,” added one viewer.

Others wondered if Vinjamuri had broken the record for most correct answers in a single game. Unfortunately for Vinjamuri, he can’t claim that record just yet, as Jeopardy! legends James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings currently hold the record with 44 correct answers in a single game.

Jennings first set the record with 44 correct responses in a game on July 23, 2004, where he also set a new single-day cash winnings record of $75,000. Holzhauer then equaled that score in a game on April 30, 2019, then matched the record again on May 3, 2019. The only other contestant to come close is super-champ Matt Amodio, who answered 43 clues correctly on July 29, 2021.

There is still a lot of tournament left to play, though, so there is always a chance for Vinjamuri or another player to break the record.

What did you think of Wednesday’s game and Vinjamuri’s impressive performance?

This article first appeared on TV Insider and was syndicated with permission.

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