The exact opposite of a perfect game of JEOPARDY!.

Conditions:

  • The contestant must be the one to select the first category.
  • The opponents may ring in to answer before and after the contestant, but...
  • If one or both opponents answer a question before the contestant, or before the second daily double in Double JEOPARDY! has been found, their answer must be wrong.
  • All daily doubles must be located at the very top of each board.
  • The contestant must answer all questions incorrectly.

Unlike in a perfect game of JEOPARDY!, the time at which the contestant finds the Daily Doubles does not matter. He will not have anything to wager, but will be dumb enough to borrow the largest amount on the board.

JEOPARDY!
              6 x -500 = -3,000
              6 x -400 = -2,400
              6 x -300 = -1,800
              6 x -200 = -1,200
            + 5 x -100 =   -500   
                         ======
                    Sum: -8,900
           Daily double:   -500
                         ======
                         -9,400

Double JEOPARDY!
           6 x -1,000 =  -6,000
           6 x   -800 =  -4,800
           6 x   -600 =  -3,600
           6 x   -400 =  -2,400
         + 4 x   -200 =    -800
                        =======
Double JEOPARDY! sum:   -17,600
Money from JEOPARDY!:    -9,400
                        =======
           Total sum:   -27,000
   Two daily doubles:    -2,000
                       ========
                       -$29,000

At this point the contestant would be forced to leave the game, having no money to wager in Final JEOPARDY!, but fortunately not having to pay back any of the loss.

It is possible for the opponents to make it to the final with plenty of money to wager, and still let the big loser go home with all negative $29,000. All they have to do is to sleep through JEOPARDY!, wake up in Double JEOPARDY! after our loser has found the second Daily Double on that board, let the loser make his incorrect guess for every question, and then answer correctly. (The reason this has to be after the last Daily Double is found is that the person who was correct last picks the category, and will get the Daily Doubles.)

Needless to say, the above scenario requires not only utter stupidity, but a lot of bad luck. It is unlikely to occur in any game, but it is a bit less unlikely in Celebrity JEOPARDY!


I have just been told by Orange Julius that they have doubled the money for every question in the game, so make that -$58,000. I am assuming this is with the impending threat of having to change names to Who Wants to be a Bum? given the relative disadvantage of playing JEOPARDY! rather than another popular game show, which will remain without a name here. I'm assuming this is valid for the U.S. version of the show. YMMV, I know mine does.