Fans of Jeopardy! were left chuckling and perhaps even shocked during the second round of the semi-finals for the Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament on March 3, 2025. Host Ken Jennings delivered a memorable quip after contestant Luigi de Guzman correctly answered a clue referring to the infamous "Hawk Tuah" viral video from 2024. This episode featured contestants Matt Amodio, Luigi de Guzman, and Emily Sands, all battling it out for the chance to advance to the finals.
The semi-finals kicked off with facing off Amodio, hailing from New York City, against Arlington, Virginia’s de Guzman, and Sands, representing Chanhassen, Minnesota. The audience saw de Guzman take the early lead, thanks to several correct answers. Meanwhile, Sands quickly found the Daily Double during her second question, boosting her score to $1,600 and placing her above Amodio.
During the interview round, Sands revealed her recently acquired position as a benefits consultant, landing the job shortly after the Tournament of Champions concluded. Amodio, well-known for his previous runs on the show, expressed light-hearted contempt for the pop culture questions, humorously stating, “Now there’s Pop Culture Jeopardy!, so we should eliminate those categories from the regular version.” Little did he know, his comment was to take on unintended irony as the game progressed.
By the end of the first round, de Guzman led with $8,800, Sands had $5,400, and Amodio lagged behind with $2,200. The tension thickened as they entered Double Jeopardy!. It was here where Amodio turned his fortunes around by finding both Daily Doubles. His first came under the category “Ye Olde 18th Century Bookshoppe.” The question referenced Adam Smith’s seminal work, Wealth of Nations, and Amodio answered correctly, bringing him up to $4,400 but still behind.
Shortly after, he secured the second Daily Double, responding correctly to the question about Kuwait, which catapulted him to $16,000, giving him the lead as the round closed with him at $22,800, de Guzman at $16,400, and Sands trailing at $11,400.
The climactic moment of the game came with the final clue from the Double Jeopardy round. The clue about memecoins particularly tickled the crowd. Under the category “Currencies,” the clue stated: “‘Hawk’ is the avian name of this memecoin released by Haliey Welch.” De Guzman quickly buzzed and answered, “What is hawk?” Jennings responded cheekily, “Yes! You remembered Hawk Tuah somehow,” sending ripples of astonishment through the audience.
This reference provided by Jennings involved the viral moment from the 2024 video where TikToker Haliey Welch responded to the question, “What makes you wifey material?” She humorously explained the term “hawk tuah” through her memorable interview, which has since turned her not only viral but also successful with her own podcast, Talk Tuah with Haliey Welch, and the launch of her cryptocurrency.
Upon reflecting on the incident, one Reddit user commented, “Never did I expect a clue on Jeopardy! to refer to Hawk Tuah, but it happened, haha!” Another noted, “Everyone’s reaction, but particularly Emily’s, after Ken’s remark about Hawk Tuah had me rolling!” It seemed even the contestants themselves weren’t entirely prepared for the clue’s impropriety. Fans online had fun with expressions of shock and disbelief about what had played out.
Following the shock from the meme reference, the contestants moved to the Final Jeopardy round. The category for the final round was cabinet members. The question presented was: “This attorney general, in order of fame, follows the likes of Jefferson (later president), Hamilton (known for 'my shot'), and Knox (famed for the fort).*”
Here, both Sands and de Guzman answered incorrectly. Sands incorrectly stated, “Who is Marbury?” and ended with $11,000. De Guzman wagered $16,399, dropping his total to only $1 after he also missed the final clue. Meanwhile, Amodio gave the right answer, “Who is Randolph?” and successfully added $10,001 to his final score.
By the time the dust settled from the competition, Amodio emerged victorious with $32,801, moving on to the finals, scheduled to occur the following day. Both de Guzman and Sands walked away with $10,000, consolation prizes for their contrasts and conundrums during the innovative and humorous game.
Fans eagerly await the next semi-final round, set for March 4, 2025. With tensions rising and the stakes ever higher, viewers can expect more exhilarating moments, albeit perhaps with fewer pop culture references than those encountered during the latest round.
Jeopardy! airs weekdays, check local listings for schedule updates.