James Holzhauer May Not Have Been On Jeopardy Masters, But Yogesh Raut Revealed The Advice And Priceless Compliment He Got From The Former Champ
This tale may reveal plot twists for the third season of ‘Jeopardy! Masters’. If you haven’t finished watching it yet, you can stream the entire series on Hulu with a subscription.
2025 has marked the conclusion of tournament season for my favorite quiz show, Jeopardy!, according to the latest TV lineup. It’s me, your fellow movie buff and trivia enthusiast, excitedly reporting that Yogesh Raut emerged victorious in the Jeopardy! Masters, outsmarting last year’s champion Victoria Groce and runner-up Juveria Zaheer to take home the Season 3 trophy (and a whopping $500,000)!
Although James Holzhauer wasn’t a competitor this time, his name was still on my mind as I reminisced about the words of wisdom and flattering comments he offered during our previous encounters.
Over the course of three different seasons, the champions of Jeopardy! Masters have been varied, with James Holzhauer, Victoria Groce, and Yogesh Raut – all finalists from Season 2 – taking home the title. Following the end of the most recent season, Raut has taken to Facebook to share detailed insights about his journey, and he reminisced that an unforgettable moment from last year was completed this time around:
One memorable instance from last year’s tournament happened when James was requested to strike a pose at his podium, indicating his (third-place) score, and he responded, ‘No.’ Nearby, I questioned, ‘Aren’t you allowed to do that?’ The photography team erupted in laughter. Later on, when they timidly asked for the same pose from me, I obliged.
That’s exactly the sort of reaction I would predict from someone who has been a formidable foe to Ken Jennings on Jeopardy!
At that point, James shared some valuable advice that I haven’t fully implemented yet – “You should learn to assert yourself more, since you’ve become a significant player in the production” – and humbly concluded, “That’s the sole suggestion I can offer regarding your performance.
remarkably kind words indeed from James Holzhauer, given his past efforts to potentially ban Yogesh Raut from Jeopardy! permanently.
Raut might admit that he hasn’t completely followed Holzhauer’s suggestion about using his influence, but he did refer to Holzhauer when posing for pictures following the conclusion of this year’s Masters, stating: “I acknowledged him as the champion.
This round, I followed each requirement they set for me diligently… up until they wanted me to kiss the trophy. At that point, I politely invoked the “James Holzhauer clause” and they immediately understood my reference.
James Hozhauer decided to take a break during this tournament season, allowing Brad Rutter to step into the spotlight on Jeopardy! Masters. Notably, Hozhauer, one of Jeopardy!’s most successful contestants, has left an indelible mark on the game. Yogesh Raut reminisced about another occasion when Hozhauer’s name was mentioned. Recalling a legendary burn in the 2020 Greatest of All Time Tournament, Raut commented on the Jeopardy! Masters two-game final.
When the scores of Game 1 were erased, I swiftly recognized an opportunity to add a humorous twist to the James Holzhauer quote by exclaiming, “Looks like my score’s still leading!” However, in that instant, it dawned on me that such a remark could potentially be misunderstood as a criticism of Juveria [whose score after Game 1 was also 0], so I chose to remain quiet.
It’s clear that Yogesh Raut was thoughtful about Juveria Zaheer’s feelings during that instance, and considering their apparent closeness, it makes sense why he wouldn’t want his joke to be misconstrued by Jeopardy! fans as a jab at his friend. But he went on to say:
Shortly following that instant, it became clear to me that Juveria wouldn’t misconstrue my remark. A quick glance reveals me addressing her and beginning to speak just as the match commenced; in essence, I was expressing, ‘Look, my score is still leading!’
I indeed revisited the instance when he was speaking, and true to form, as Ken Jennings was about to reveal the Game 2 categories for “Jeopardy!”, Yogesh Raut exchanged words with Juveria Zaheer, gestured towards what seemed like the scoreboard, and subsequently chuckled.
Even though we didn’t catch the joke in that moment, it’s still great that it ended up being accidentally recorded for us to enjoy later on.
As a movie buff eagerly anticipating the next chapter, I can’t help but wonder if James Holzhauer will grace the Alex Trebek Stage once more. With Yogesh Raut, Victoria Groce, and Juveria Zaheer being granted an automatic invitation to Masters Season 4, I find myself hoping that these titans of Jeopardy! will square off against each other once again.
Read More
2025-06-13 16:38