Tonight [[Wednesday the 26th) was the third semi-final in their tournament, and the guy in the middle was that very likable teacher from New Mexico. Toward the end of the Double Jeopardy round, he hit a Daily Double when he had about a $2,600-2,800 lead.

There were only a handful of questions left and the smart thing to do would have been to wager a small amount so that he would have a better chance of still being ahead going into Final Jeopardy. Instead he wagered $5,000, missed the question, and instantly that put him about $3,000 or so behind.

He never recovered and the lady who had been trailing him ended up winning. If he had made the smaller, more sensible wager, he might have been able to maintain the lead and win the game, since they each got the final answer correct.