Defending Jeopardy! champion Manny Abell wasn’t doing so hot heading into Final Jeopardy last night. Abell had accrued just $1,000, trailing both Carlos Nobleza Posas and Fran Fried by a cool $11,300, and he needed a lot to break in his favor for him to make up that difference. Thanks to a panel-wide misunderstanding of Asian geography and some nimble betting work, he won.
While Posas and Fried had to risk it all to try and beat each other, Abell bet all but one of his dollars. Everyone missed the question (“It’s the only country that borders both the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf” - What is Iran?), but Abell won with his dollar. It’s only the second time that’s ever happened in Jeopardy! history, and the video below shows both Abell’s victory and the last time it happened in 1993.
Perhaps a Navy man like Abell should have a better grasp on geography, but at least he didn’t guess Tibet.