Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

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badgerfellow
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Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by badgerfellow »

I've recently been reading a book called "Watching Baseball Smarter", and one of the things that strikes me is how baseball has a lot of unwritten rules. Examples include stealing the catcher's signs or baserunners walking across the pitcher's mound after a foul ball. Both are technically allowed but can and will be seen with scorn by your opponents and lead to potentially bad consequences, such as a fastball near the head in the next at bat.

This got me thinking: does Jeopardy have similar unwritten rules?
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MarkBarrett
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by MarkBarrett »

Don't contradict Alex.

Always bet 1000 on a J! round DD with a score of 200 - 800 and do not make it a true DD.

Take categories from top to bottom in order.

Don't wear a polo shirt.

Don't turn to look at an opponent who rings in first.

Don't tell a story that takes too long and goes nowhere.

Don't have a long wind up to clue selection and end each call with a please.
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MarkBarrett
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by MarkBarrett »

badgerfellow wrote: Sat May 27, 2017 4:31 pm I've recently been reading a book called "Watching Baseball Smarter", and one of the things that strikes me is how baseball has a lot of unwritten rules. Examples include stealing the catcher's signs or baserunners walking across the pitcher's mound after a foul ball. Both are technically allowed but can and will be seen with scorn by your opponents and lead to potentially bad consequences, such as a fastball near the head in the next at bat.

This got me thinking: does Jeopardy have similar unwritten rules?
For baseball books Zack Hample has a couple of other good ones about snagging a baseball and the baseball itself. For baseball unwritten rules don't miss The Baseball Codes by Turbow & Duca.
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by seaborgium »

MarkBarrett wrote: Sat May 27, 2017 4:46 pm Don't contradict Alex.

Always bet 1000 on a J! round DD with a score of 200 - 800 and do not make it a true DD.

Take categories from top to bottom in order.

Don't wear a polo shirt.

Don't turn to look at an opponent who rings in first.

Don't tell a story that takes too long and goes nowhere.

Don't have a long wind up to clue selection and end each call with a please.
Don't wager $x,500 on a DD; odd hundreds are a thing of the past.
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badgerfellow
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by badgerfellow »

MarkBarrett wrote: Sat May 27, 2017 4:50 pm
badgerfellow wrote: Sat May 27, 2017 4:31 pm I've recently been reading a book called "Watching Baseball Smarter", and one of the things that strikes me is how baseball has a lot of unwritten rules. Examples include stealing the catcher's signs or baserunners walking across the pitcher's mound after a foul ball. Both are technically allowed but can and will be seen with scorn by your opponents and lead to potentially bad consequences, such as a fastball near the head in the next at bat.

This got me thinking: does Jeopardy have similar unwritten rules?
For baseball books Zack Hample has a couple of other good ones about snagging a baseball and the baseball itself. For baseball unwritten rules don't miss The Baseball Codes by Turbow & Duca.
Thanks for the recommendations!
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by davey »

If your opponent skips the top clue to start a category and you take control, don't go back up to the top, where the DD will never be!
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by floridagator »

MarkBarrett wrote: Sat May 27, 2017 4:46 pm
Don't tell a story that takes too long and goes nowhere.
Like the time I caught the ferry to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for m'shoe. So I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. "Gimme five bees for a quarter," you'd say. Now where were we... oh yeah. The important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. I didn't have any white onions, because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones.
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by Armandillo »

Don't mention political leanings. :D
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by MinnesotaMyron »

If there's already a guy at the podiums, take the podium farthest away from him. Don't make eye contact, and don't look at his buzzer.
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by This Is Kirk! »

MarkBarrett wrote: Sat May 27, 2017 4:46 pm Don't tell a story that takes too long and goes nowhere.
This is the worst. Maybe this one needs to be officially codified. :)
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by cthulhu »

"End each call with a please" - I hate this, especially since it seems that fewer boards are being completed this season; it wastes time. I'd also prefer contestants shorten long category names for the same reason.
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by opusthepenguin »

MinnesotaMyron wrote: Sat May 27, 2017 11:00 pm If there's already a guy at the podiums, take the podium farthest away from him. Don't make eye contact, and don't look at his buzzer.
:lol:
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by Magna »

If you clues don't go your way, try to have a reasonably positive outlook anyway. After the first moment's disappointment, try to brush it off and don't scowl or look mournful. It's uncomfortable to watch someone who's clearly unhappy. (I've seen that on a couple of other game shows, and it makes audiences squirm.) Most contestants seem to be doing a good job with this. Or if they're not, maybe the editors are helping them out with some judicious cutting.
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by Wheatley »

Don't fiddle with the lapel mic
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by TenPoundHammer »

* Writing "Who is Kebert Xela?" does not actually work, so don't try it.

* Just because you can hit the buzzer with your tongue does not mean you should.

* You cannot wager a negative amount in Final Jeopardy!, get it wrong, and gain money.

* If you're doing badly, you can not get another contestant to tag-team for you.

* Johnny Gilbert will not give you the secret of his immortality.
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by Fleeboy »

My BOTD video submission (which few people, MarkBarrett among them, has ever seen), featured clips of me violating these unwritten rules:

1. Do not Anglicize the pronunciation of French words ("Bonhomme Richard," in this case)
2. Respect the writers by calling the categories by their correct names ("Tim, Tam, Tommy" rather than "Tim, Tom, Tammy")
3. Do not interrupt the host, even when his parenthetical comments are slowing the game down.
4. If you're still around for Final Jeopardy!, write SOMETHING down.
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by TenPoundHammer »

Fleeboy wrote: Sun May 28, 2017 10:55 am 2. Respect the writers by calling the categories by their correct names ("Tim, Tam, Tommy" rather than "Tim, Tom, Tammy")
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Fleeboy wrote: Sun May 28, 2017 10:55 am4. If you're still around for Final Jeopardy!, write SOMETHING down.
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PowerofHoodoo
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by PowerofHoodoo »

My pet peeve is contestants who repeatedly choose clues in a video category early in the round. Clear the board, people!
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by alietr »

PowerofHoodoo wrote: Mon May 29, 2017 2:45 pm My pet peeve is contestants who repeatedly choose clues in a video category early in the round. Clear the board, people!
Um, but if the board is going to be cleared, those clues would have to be chosen eventually, so it doesn't matter when they are chosen.
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Re: Unwritten Rules of Jeopardy

Post by Maven »

alietr wrote: Tue May 30, 2017 9:07 am
PowerofHoodoo wrote: Mon May 29, 2017 2:45 pm My pet peeve is contestants who repeatedly choose clues in a video category early in the round. Clear the board, people!
Um, but if the board is going to be cleared, those clues would have to be chosen eventually, so it doesn't matter when they are chosen.
I forget where, exactly, I read this and whether or not it was in correlation with Prisoner Of Trebekistan (which, whether or not my life path takes me in the direction of ever actually being on the J! stage, I do need to read one day eventually), but sometime ago, I read some random article about 'The Rules To Play J! The Best Way' or some similar mish-mash that an apparent 'cardinal rule' is to leave the video category for last because the video category is often the slowest one to be revealed. I agree AND disagree with that at the same time...if I were playing, I'd for the most part treat the video category the same as all other categories in terms of how much it rocks my socks AND how I much I feel I know it more Johnny-on-the-spot than the other two contestants. If the delivery of the video category's narrator is a little slow for my liking, then I might, MIGHT relegate it to last...but that depends royally upon how comfortable I am with the subject.

Interestingly, I recall the same article proclaiming another good playing rule to be that you save your favorite/wheelhouse categories for last. And I understand that from a Daily Double standpoint, but otherwise, I'm not sure I agree with that too...especially as one who would much rather clear out her favorites than have them left versus the non-preferred subjects if the board ends up unfortunately unfinished.

But to each their own when it comes to personal method of madness in tackling the almighty J!, just as long there is no rudeness unto Alex and/or fellow contestants, nor any slowness in picking categories.
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