Jeopardy! contestants are usually concentrated on the game itself—that is, learning trivia and practicing their buzzer technique. However, one former player has shared his tips for a good time on the game show, including what contestants should do after they lose a game.
Former Contestant Calls Green Room ‘A Blast’
David Maes, a Chicago attorney, competed on Jeopardy! earlier this month. He came in second to Troy Meyer, who is currently on a six-day winning streak. In a Reddit thread recapping the episode he was on, Maes discussed his experience on the game show and provided an interesting tip for other Jeopardy! players: staying in the show’s green room.
“I highly recommend staying in the green room (aka the Wheel of Fortune stage) after your game,” Maes wrote. “Watching, commenting, and cheering on live games with fellow contestants was a blast.”
Maes and his fellow players might have gotten to hang out on the Wheel of Fortune stage, but another Jeopardy! contestant shared that she was put somewhere else. Jennifer Quail appeared in episodes in 2019 and 2021 and has previously talked about her time on Jeopardy! on Reddit.
“They let you hang out in the green room after playing instead of the audience side now? Fun!” Quail replied to Maes’ comment. “I stayed, and sat in the audience the rest of the day. It helped with the letdown for sure, plus it was kind of fun to just watch with no pressure.”
Maes wrote back, saying that the players were given a choice between “going to the audience (where you sit politely) or going back to the green room (where you get to shout out answers to triple stumpers and Final Jeopardy with new friends).”
He also wrote about how much he loved his time on the show in his initial post. “It was a lot of fun to finally be a part of the Jeopardy community!” he told fans.
Maes discussed his competitors, saying Kristina Zimmerman “was one of the first people [he] got to meet” on the show and that reigning champion Troy Meyer “is even more likable in person than he already appears on screen.”
It sounds like Maes’ time on Jeopardy! was full of new friendships and cool experiences. Maes’ Reddit post shows just how much fun players have on the game show, whether they win or lose.