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Who won Jeopardy! tonight? April 18, 2025, Friday

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Tonight, Friday, April 18, 2025, Liam Starnes won the episode of Jeopardy! today. During an exciting and closely fought game, he beat two other skilled competitors to become the winner.

Liam won the game with a score of $32,401 after answering the Final Jeopardy question correctly.

Liam Starnes beat the other players in tonight's game in both Jeopardy and Double Jeopardy rounds. Although he played well the whole game, it was the last question where he used a perfect strategy to get ahead and win. He will be defending his title on Monday, which marks the start of his reign as the new Jeopardy! champion.

Also, Rachael Gray and Steven Hoying did really well, but Liam's strong Final Jeopardy answer was the one that won it all.

The American TV quiz show Jeopardy! continues to draw people in with its tough questions and high-stakes competition. The contestants have to answer trivia questions about a wide range of topics, from history to pop culture.

There are three rounds of the show: Jeopardy, Double Jeopardy, and Final Jeopardy. This adds a strategic element to the game, making it more than just a test of knowledge. As the years have gone by, Jeopardy! has become an iconic part of American TV, with many memorable moments and winners. The contestants were once again very competitive in tonight's episode.

Jeopardy! episode highlights – April 18, 2025, Friday

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Jeopardy round

The Jeopardy round featured a mix of categories, including Our Top Story Tonight, Food Brands, Roughly Turn of the Century Music, “G” In The Middle, Stand, and The Liver. Rachael Gray started strong with five correct answers, taking the early lead.

By the end of the first 15 clues, the scores were:

Rachael Gray stayed ahead the whole round with 10 correct answers and 0 wrong ones. Liam Starnes did well too, with 7 right answers and 0 wrong ones. Steven Hoying did even better, with 8 right answers and 1 wrong one.

Here are the scores after the Jeopardy! round:

Double Jeopardy round

In the Double Jeopardy round, the categories included Around the Pacific, Prepositions in Book Titles, The Arts, Notable Women, Movie Locales, and 6-Letter Vocab.

Early on, Liam Starnes dominated the round. He got the first six clues, including a $6,000 Daily Double that made his score go up a lot. Rachael Gray got the third Daily Double, but she was careful with her bet and left $3,800 on the table. The round was over, and Liam had won $3,400 more than Rachael. Steven came in third.

Statistics after the Double Jeopardy round:

Scores after Double Jeopardy:

Final Jeopardy round

The Final Jeopardy! category was Presidential Nominees.

The clue read: "The year the Democratic nominee gave his 'Cross of Gold' speech, the GOP nominee was this man who backed the gold standard."
The correct response was: Who is William McKinley?

Steven and Liam both got the answer right. Steven bet $6,000, which brought his total to $19,800. Liam bet $12,801, which brought his total to $32,401 and made him the new champion. Rachael, on the other hand, gave the wrong answer, bet $12,000. She won $4,200.

Contestants of the episode

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Liam Starnes

The episode of Jeopardy! tonight featured an impressive amount of knowledge and strategic thinking from Barrington, Illinois's undergraduate student Liam Starnes. Liam brought his competitive quiz skills to the stage as a member of the University of Chicago's quiz bowl team.

Throughout the game, he played steadily, and in Double Jeopardy, where he won a $6,000 Daily Double, he showed a lot of control. He won because of his strong answer in the Final Jeopardy round, where he bet confidently and correctly answered the presidential nominee clue.

Liam won a total of $32,401 and is now the champion. In the next episode, he will defend his title. Both the crowd and the host were impressed by his strategic approach and solid gameplay.

Rachael Gray

A graduate student from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, named Rachael Gray, showed a lot of knowledge and toughness during the game. Even though Rachael was new to Jeopardy!, she did well against tough opponents. She did especially well on the Jeopardy round, where she quickly took the lead by getting five questions right.

Rachael kept doing well in the Double Jeopardy round, and her score stayed close to Liam's. But because she gave the wrong answer on Final Jeopardy, she lost the game and lost $4,200.

Even though she didn't win, Rachael was a strong contender thanks to her strong performance and sound strategy. Her intelligence was also very clear throughout the game.

Steven Hoying

Steven Hoying, a lawyer from Hilliard, Ohio, was the defending champion going into tonight's episode of Jeopardy! after doing well in the last game. Steven showed how smart he is and how much he knows throughout the game. He worked hard to find the Daily Double clues, but it was hard for him to bet in the Double Jeopardy round.

Also read: Today's Final Jeopardy answer: Thursday, April 17, 2025

Even though he did well, including giving the right answer in Final Jeopardy, he couldn't catch up to Liam Starnes' lead. Steven won third place with $19,800 at the end of the game. His background in law and ability to quickly recall facts helped him stay in the game, but Liam's smart betting and correct final answer were what won him the game in the end.

How Jeopardy! differs from regular game shows

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One thing that makes Jeopardy! different from other game shows is that it focuses on both general knowledge and strategic thinking. The contestants are given clues that lead to the answers, and they have to answer in the form of a question.

Also read: Who won Jeopardy! tonight? April 17, 2025, Thursday

Jeopardy! also has Daily Doubles and Final Jeopardy, where contestants have to bet some of their winnings. This makes the game more strategic and risky. This format makes Jeopardy! different from other quiz shows that only use a simple question-and-answer format.

Jeopardy! game recap – Friday, April 18, 2025

Jeopardy round

Scores after 15 clues:

Statistics at First break (15 clues in):

Player Interviews:

Daily Double:

End of Jeopardy round scores:

Double Jeopardy round

Key moments:

End of Double Jeopardy scores:

Final Jeopardy round

Scores going in:

Final Jeopardy responses:

Winner: Liam

Tonight's episode of Jeopardy! was intriguing and had a lot of good questions. Liam Starnes won and became the new champion. Between his strategy in the Final Jeopardy round and his good play throughout the game, they helped him win.

Also read: Today's Final Jeopardy answer: Friday, April 18, 2025

Rachael Gray and Steven Hoying were also very good, but Liam's smart betting was what sealed the deal. Due to its unique format and focus on strategy, trivia, and taking risks, Jeopardy! is still a popular and well-known game show. Liam will be back on Monday to defend his title, and fans can expect more exciting episodes.

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