‘Jeopardy!’: Eric Ahasic Calls Daily Doubles an ‘Integral Part’ of His Winning Strategy

Add meteorologist Eric Ahasic to the list of consecutive winners on Jeopardy! this season. Following in the footsteps of Matt Amodio, Amy Schneider, Mattea Roach, and Ryan Long, Ahasic just clinched his sixth game and is on his way to the 2022 Tournament of Champions. The Minnesota resident tends to make big wagers on Daily Doubles and considers the strategy a necessity in order stay on a winning streak.

Eric Ahasic is headed for ‘Jeopardy!’s’ Tournament of Champions

Ahasic defeated Philadelphia native Long on June 6, bringing the rideshare driver’s 16-game winning streak to an end. Now headed into his seventh consecutive game, Ahasic expressed his goal of continuing his victory run.

“I think that anyone who comes on this show, you hope you can win one [game],” the Minneapolis meteorologist shared, according to Jeopardy.com. “Then, if I can win one, I can win two. If I can win two, I can win three and just  keep riding the wave as long as possible.” 

Now a contender in the upcoming Tournament of Champions, Ahasic is looking forward to going up against some of his noteworthy predecessors from Season 38.

“Just as a fan of Jeopardy! I was excited to watch it on TV,” Ahasic remarked on the legendary tournament. “To be a part of it and play on stage with some of those super champions — I mean it’s going to be a blast. I cannot wait.”

‘Jeopardy!’ champ bets high on Daily Doubles

Jeopardy! fans are sure to remember champ James Holzhauer from 2019, who raked in almost $3 million during his 32-game winning streak by going “all in” on Daily Doubles. The strategy earned Holzhauer the record for single-game winnings at $131,127. While Ahasic doesn’t risk his entire jackpot on the sought-after clues, he wagers enough to make a substantial impact.

“Daily Doubles are so random but they’re such an integral part of the game,” Ahasic explained. “If there’s one that’s in a category you like, you could really do some damage right there.”

The risky tactic has paid off for Ahasic, where most of his victories have been runaways. Still, the Jeopardy! champ realizes there’s a down side.

“That’s the thing, not [only do you] have to find them, you’ve got to get them right,” Ahasic said. “There were I think one or two [Daily Doubles] where I bet big and got them wrong. But it’s going to happen. There’s so many ups and downs in the game of Jeopardy! You’ve just got to stay with it.” 

Eric Ahasic gave props to ‘Jeopardy!’ staff

Ahasic’s current winnings total over $160K. He recalled his first game when he discovered he was competing against a super champion.

“The whole morning leading up to it and then getting to the studio and hearing that you’re gonna go up against a 16-game champion, Ryan Long, who’s won almost $300,000, definitely didn’t help the nerves,” Ahasic admitted, as reported by MPR News. He added, “Everyone on staff there is so great at just calming everybody down in what is obviously a very high stress situation for all the contests there.”

Ahasic will attempt his seventh consecutive Jeopardy! win on June 14, 2022.