Jeopardy!: Did Champion Rian Robertson Break Season 43 Curse?

So far on Season 43 of Jeopardy!, none of the contestants have won more than two games on the game show. Many have made it to three games, but have no won them. Did the reigning champion, Rian Robertson, break that curse

(The exception to this rule was Matthew Riggle. While he technically won four games, only two of them were during Season 43. The other two games were the last two of Season 42. He tried to win five games to qualify for the TOC, but came up short in the end.)

So did the reigning champion, Rian Robertson, break that curse on the latest episode?

Robertson, a software engineer from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, played his third game with a total of $25,901, against Erika Niemi, from Flagstaff, Arizona, and Jason Vincze, from New York, New York, on October 5. Warning: Spoilers for the Monday, October 5, episode of Jeopardy! ahead!

Niemi, an aspiring actuary, found the Daily Double on clue 14. She had the lead with $4,200 and wagered all of her money.

The clue in “A Capital Idea” read, “This national capital is on the Red River, inland from the South China Sea.” “What is… Phnom Penh?” she answered incorrectly.

The correct response was one country over in Vietnam — Hanoi. Niemi dropped to $0, putting her in third place.

Robertson took the lead at the end of the round with $3,800. Niemi was in second place with $2,400. Vincze, a bar owner, had $400.

In Double Jeopardy, Robertson found the first DD on clue five. He had a bigger lead with $9,800. Niemi still trailed in second place with $2,400.

Robertson wagered $6,200 in “Religion.” The clue was “The majority of the followers of this religion live in the Indian state of Punjab.”

“What is Sikhism?” he answered correctly. This gave him $16,000.

Niemi then correctly answered clue six, leading her to find the last DD on clue seven. She had $3,600 and wagered all of her money.

The clue in “‘C’ In Science” read, “Developed in your adrenal glands, it’s your body’s main stress hormone.” “What is cortisol?” she answered correctly, giving her $7,200.

By the end of the round, Robertson had a huge lead with $28,800. Niemi had $6,400. Vincze was not able to participate in Final Jeopardy because he had -$400.

The Final Jeopardy category was “American History & Geography.” The clue read, “In 2026, an annual 1,966-mile re-ride between these 2 cities took place June 15-25, passing through Lake Tahoe on the 24th.”

The game show contestants did not get the correct response. Niemi’s response was “What is San Francisco and Chicago?” she was wrong and dropped to $5 after wagering $6,395.

Robertson’s response of “What are Santa Fe and L.A.?” was also incorrect. He wagered $15,00, giving him $13,800. The correct response was St. Joseph and Sacramento.

With that, Robertson did break the season curse and will return for his fourth game on Tuesday. He had a three-day total of $39,701.

Jeopardy!, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu and Peacock