Full Breakdown
Jeopardy! Episode May 18, 2026: Tristan Williams Wins $30,000
5/19/2026, 10:07:02 PM
Episode Overview
The syndicated quiz show *Jeopardy!* aired on May 18, 2026, featuring three contestants—Tristan Williams, Amy Dewey, and Thomas Trovato. The board contained twelve “triple stumpers,” the most challenging clues that eliminate a contestant’s chance to answer if answered incorrectly. The twelve triple stumpers impacted each contestant’s ability to answer clues. After progressing through the standard rounds, the competition culminated in a Final Jeopardy! round that determined the episode’s champion.
Contestant Profiles
- Tristan Williams participated and secured first place, earning $30,000 for the night. He entered Final Jeopardy! with $22,400, the highest of the three.
- Amy Dewey placed second, finishing with $4,400. She entered Final Jeopardy! with $4,400.
- Thomas Trovato came in third, collecting $1,217 after the final round. He entered Final Jeopardy! with $1,200.
All three contestants competed in the same episode under identical board conditions.
Game Mechanics and Scores
Final Jeopardy! wagers and outcomes were as follows:
- Tristan Williams began the final round with $22,400 and wagered $7,600, resulting in a $30,000 total.
- Amy Dewey started with $4,400 and chose a $0 wager, leaving her total unchanged.
- Thomas Trovato entered with $1,200 and wagered $17, ending with $1,217.
Williams’s wager was the largest of the three, while Dewey’s zero wager preserved her score, and Trovato’s minimal wager reflected a conservative approach. The episode’s twelve triple stumpers contributed to the overall difficulty, though specific clue categories were not disclosed.
Season 42 Context
This broadcast formed part of *Jeopardy!*’s 42nd season. The next episode is slated for Tuesday. Tristan Williams will return as champion to face two new challengers.
Top All-Time Winners
The recap listed the five highest-earning contestants in the show’s history:
- Ken Jennings – 74 wins, $2,520,700
- Amy Schneider – 40 wins, $1,382,800
- Matt Amodio – 38 wins, $1,518,601
- James Holzhauer – 32 wins, $2,462,216
- Mattea Roach – 23 wins, $560,983
These figures provide a benchmark for evaluating the scale of individual episode earnings such as Williams’s $30,000 prize.
Why It Matters
Williams’s $30,000 win illustrates the prize amount awarded to a champion for a single episode. Compared with the multi-million totals amassed by the all-time leaders, the episode’s payout underscores the incremental nature of earnings on *Jeopardy!* and the potential for contestants to increase their totals over multiple appearances. The $30,000 prize is a modest fraction of Ken Jennings’s $2,520,700 total, and even the lowest all-time winner, Mattea Roach, earned more than eighteen times this episode’s top prize.
Official Note
The episode summary was generated automatically through a partnership between *Jeopardy!* and USA TODAY. The accompanying disclaimer reads: “This ‘Jeopardy!’ recap was generated automatically using information from ‘Jeopardy!’ through a partnership with USA TODAY. You can send feedback to this form.” The disclaimer invites viewers to submit feedback via a linked form. No additional commentary from the network or production team was provided.
