NYC Bartender Slays on Jeopardy

Image: Jeopardy!

Bartending can often be equal parts beverages and performance. Solid drinks are a must, but it doesn’t hurt a drink slinger to know a few odd bits of information to help kindle the conversation with clients. When it comes to the long-running television game show Jeopardy!, those same odd bits of information are proving essential, as one New York City bartender is showing the nation.

Over the past eight episodes of America’s most Daytime Emmy-winning show, 38-year-old Austin Tyler Rogers has been showing viewers how the game should be played. Not only has he already won $306,900—making him the fifth most winningest regular season player of the show’s history—he has managed to do it with pizzazz. With a bushy beard, hip suits and joyously amusing hand motions, he has wagered his way to victory, throwing some side-eye at the Eagles along the way.

How did he amass all his trivia knowledge? Turns out some of it involves patterns:

“I watched countless back episodes of Jeopardy! [...] and I began to see the Jeopardy! “Easter eggs” – repeated motifs. Like, I saw two episodes [from different decades] and they both said, “Blah, blah, blah, Romanian playwright.” Each time both contestants rang in and said, “Who is Ionesco?” I still have no idea who Ionesco is, but if I’m ever confronted with “Romanian playwright,” I know the intended answer.”

He’s no Sean Connery, but the internet has fallen in love with Rogers nonetheless, and has been chatting about him on Twitter with the hashtag #austinonjeopardy. Will he go on to break Ken Jennings’ record of 75 appearances? He’s got a long way to go, but we’ll all have to stay tuned to find out.

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