Who won Jeopardy! tonight? June 18, 2025, Wednesday
Jeopardy! fans tuned in on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, to witness another close battle filled with twists, tough clues, and a dramatic Final Jeopardy round. The returning champion, Dan Hopkins, a teacher from Hanover, New Hampshire, defended his title against two new challengers: Jacob Hale, a nonprofit finance director from Anchorage, Alaska, and Sunny Hwang, a textbook editor from Brooklyn, New York.
Jake Hale was the winner of tonight's Jeopardy! show. After the Double Jeopardy round, Jacob was only slightly behind, but his cautious Final Jeopardy bet helped him beat the other players and win $4,800, making him the new champion. Dan's risky bet didn't pay off, and he fell to third place when he missed the last clue. Sunny also couldn't get the right answer, so she had to settle for second place.
Jeopardy! is still one of the most famous quiz shows in the history of American TV. The show, known for its unique answer-and-question format and tough trivia from a wide range of topics, is still entertaining viewers and challenging contestants in its 41st season. As the late Alex Trebek set the standard, host Ken Jennings continues to lead the game with precision and honor.
Jeopardy! episode highlights: June 18, 2025, Wednesday
The June 18, 2025, episode featured a new set of categories and thrilling game dynamics. The three contestants competed across multiple knowledge areas, from pop culture and science to wordplay and history.
Returning champion Dan Hopkins started with confidence but took big risks throughout the game, particularly during the Daily Doubles. While he maintained a narrow lead into Final Jeopardy, the game ultimately came down to wagering strategies.
Jeopardy round
The Jeopardy round opened with categories like Action Phrases, Clothes Time, Yo!, Rev Up for NASCAR, A River Runs to It, and Getting Inventive with Phineas & Ferb. Dan Hopkins, the returning champion, started confidently and found the first Daily Double under Action Phrases for $1,000.
With $2,200 in hand, he wagered $1,500 but missed the clue, dropping to $700. Jacob Hale, playing steadily, grabbed control of the board and consistently answered correctly across categories, especially excelling in Rev Up for NASCAR.
Sunny Hwang showed promise but struggled to keep pace in the early game. As the round progressed, Jacob’s lead strengthened due to accurate, low-risk selections, while Dan recovered slightly. Sunny picked up momentum toward the end of the round.
Scores after Jeopardy round:
- Jacob Hale: $5,400
- Dan Hopkins: $4,700
- Sunny Hwang: $2,600
Double Jeopardy round
The Double Jeopardy round introduced six new categories: It Was the 1970s, Infrastructure, Early Bloomers, Crossword Clues ‘F’, Tigers by the Tale, and Pop Culture on the Auction Block. Dan dominated the buzzer early and found both Daily Doubles in this round.
The first appeared under Tigers by the Tale for $1,600—Dan, holding $10,700, wagered $3,000 but gave an incorrect response, reducing his score to $7,700. The second Daily Double was under It Was the 1970s, where Dan again wagered $3,000 from $12,100. Unfortunately, he missed it, dropping to $9,100.
Despite these missteps, Dan recovered some ground with consistent correct answers and retained a narrow lead heading into Final Jeopardy. Jacob kept close behind by spreading his attempts across categories, while Sunny stayed competitive with strategic picks in Early Bloomers and Infrastructure.
Scores after Double Jeopardy round:
- Dan Hopkins: $9,900
- Jacob Hale: $9,000
- Sunny Hwang: $6,200
Final Jeopardy round
The Final Jeopardy category was Famous American Homes.
The clue:
“The name of this residence completed in 1895 combines part of the owner’s Dutch name with an English word for an open expanse.”
The correct answer was: “What is Biltmore?”
All three contestants missed the clue. Dan made the largest wager of the night—$8,101—which drastically dropped his total. Jacob, trailing by just $900 before Final Jeopardy, made a conservative bet of $4,200.
Although his answer, “Broadmoor,” was incorrect, it was enough to secure the win with $4,800. Sunny, within range, wagered $4,000 but also missed the clue and fell to third place. The round demonstrated the strategic weight of wagering more than raw trivia strength.
Final scores:
- Jacob Hale (winner): $4,800
- Sunny Hwang: $2,200
- Dan Hopkins: $1,799
Contestant profiles
Jacob Hale – Winner
Jacob Hale, a nonprofit finance director from Anchorage, Alaska, won the first episode of Jeopardy! and made it a memorable one. He stayed in charge throughout the game by playing a measured and careful strategy. He didn't try any Daily Doubles, but he confidently answered questions from a lot of different categories.
Jacob was only $900 behind Dan going into Final Jeopardy. Even though his answer of "Broadmoor" was wrong, his smart bet of $4,200 protected his position and gave him the edge to win.
With $4,800, Jacob won the game and will be the new champion in the next episode. His play was calm and well-thought-out, and he took advantage of his opponent's mistakes to win on the first try.
Dan Hopkins – Former champion
Dan Hopkins, a teacher from Hanover, New Hampshire, entered the game as the reigning Jeopardy! champion with previous winnings of $10,799. He played aggressively and won all three Daily Doubles, but he lost all of them because he gave the wrong answer.
Even with these setbacks, Dan did well overall and was in first place with $9,900 going into Final Jeopardy. But his confidence cost him the game because he bet $8,101 on the wrong answer. His final score dropped to $1,799, putting him in third place.
Dan's risky way of betting made the game exciting, but it also turned out to be dangerous. Even though he did well all through the show, his run ended after just one win.
Sunny Hwang – Third place
Sunny Hwang, a textbook editor from Brooklyn, New York, was calm and smart on JeopardyTM. In the middle of the game, especially in categories like Infrastructure and Early Bloomers, she picked up speed.
Sunny came into Final Jeopardy with $6,200, which put her close to the lead. Although her answer to the last clue was wrong, her $4,000 bet brought her final score down to $2,200, putting her second behind Dan.
Even though she didn't win, Sunny played carefully, covered the board well, and stayed calm throughout the episode. The result might have been very different if there were a few more right answers or a safer bet.
What makes Jeopardy! unique among game shows?
Jeopardy! is different from most quiz shows because the questions are asked instead of the contestants answering them. The contestants are given hints in the form of answers and have to come up with questions to answer them. For example, "What is Paris?" would be the right answer if the clue said "The capital of France."
There are also different rounds on the show, including Jeopardy, Double Jeopardy, and Final Jeopardy. Players have to plan not only what they know, but also how much they bet and which categories they play in. The Daily Doubles add an important element of risk and reward. This format, along with the focus on quick recall and clear language, makes Jeopardy shine.
Since its debut in 1964, the show has had many hosts, most notably Alex Trebek and now Ken Jennings. It's a respected and long-running TV show because it's intellectually interesting and doesn't use a lot of production flash.
Game statistics from tonight’s Jeopardy! episode
Jeopardy! round scores:
- Dan: $4,700
- Jacob: $5,400
- Sunny: $2,600
Double Jeopardy! round scores:
- Dan: $9,900
- Jacob: $9,000
- Sunny: $6,200
Final Jeopardy wagers:
- Dan wagered $8,101 → Total: $1,799
- Jacob wagered $4,200 → Total: $4,800
- Sunny wagered $4,000 → Total: $2,200
Daily Doubles:
- DD1 (Jeopardy round): Dan, lost $1,500 on Action Phrases
- DD2 (Double Jeopardy): Dan, lost $3,000 on Tigers by the Tale
- DD3 (Double Jeopardy): Dan, lost $3,000 on It Was the 1970s
Final Jeopardy! clue:
Category: Famous American Homes
Clue: The name of this residence completed in 1895 combines part of the owner’s Dutch name with an English word for an open expanse.
Correct response: What is Biltmore?
The June 18, 2025, episode of Jeopardy! was a roller coaster of smart betting and playing. With a careful and measured approach, Jacob Hale stepped up and beat Dan Hopkins, who was the current champion. None of the other contestants were able to figure out the Final Jeopardy! clue, but Jacob's smart bet won the game.
Like always, Jeopardy! is a show with lots of learning, fun, and unexpected turns. Fans can look forward to another exciting match tomorrow, as Jacob returns as champion. Stay tuned for more daily recaps and thoughts on the most popular quiz show in the United States.
