JEOPARDY! champ Troy Meyer has revealed he's hellbent on conquering the 2024 Tournament of Champions, and he wants the Masters crown too.
The 6-day winner and pro quizzer shared his intense ToC ambitions before returning for its last quarterfinal on Wednesday.
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As Jeopardy! fans know the2024 ToChas been shocking, with brief winnersand actorstoppling the highest seeds left and right.
Troy faces three-day champ Sean McShane and Wildcard winner Deb Bilodeau in the last match before the semifinals.
But Troy made his intentions clear far before the upsets ensued during the second annual Jeopardy! Honors event the night before taping.
While other champs gushed about being thrilled just to be there, Troy, possibly the dark horse, didn't mince words.
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'I'M HERE TO WIN'
In his interview with Buzzy Cohen and producer Sarah Foss, he revealed he's eyeing the $250,000 grand prize and James Holzhauer's Jeopardy! Masters title.
Buzzy asked Troy: “I ran into you a few months back, and you were focused on the ToC.
"Now that we're here, do you feel like you kept that intensity?”
Troy replied with a stone-cold: “I'm here to win. I have put everything I can into this.
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"I know how important it is," he added.
"I want that shot at Masters. I want that shot at James [Holzhauer], and I know I can hang.”
“And yeah, I’ve given anything I got," he added matter-of-factly as Buzzy side-eyed the camera, looking genuinely surprised.
Producer Foss joked: “Are you allowing yourself to have fun on the way?”
Troy replied: “I know that sounded nuts, but…” to which the producer and Buzzy laughed.
Buzzy added: “You’re talking to the king of nuts!”
NOT TROYING AROUND
Troy is a music executive from Tampa, Florida, who dominated last season with a massive $214,802 in earnings in just six wins.
He’s the top quizzer in the United States on the invite-only online trivia clubLearned League.
Troy's fifth win in 2023set a recordthat saw him rubbing elbows with the greats; at that point, he amassed a total of $170,401.
By Amy Schneider's fifth win in 2022, she had won $170,400, or $1 less.
In doing so, Troy boasted the best five-day total since James, so even if his run ended shortly after, the longtime trivia titan is not to be slept on.
As one social media user predicted tonight: "I would prefer Ben Chan to win this tournament, but it's pretty clear that Troy and Yogesh are the front-runners!"
TOC YA LATER
At long last, Jeopardy! fans are getting the strike-delayed2024Tournament of Champions, thegame show’smost treasured tradition.
Now it’s finally back with an unprecedented 27 contestants (the largest playing field ever), having premiered on February 23.
But in the quarterfinals, which Ken Jennings called the "most dramatic ever" on stage, the top seeds dropped like flies.
21-day champion and golden boy Cris Pannullolost in a blowout to three-day champ Jared Watson.
Then, eight-win trans sensationHannah Wilson lost on an oversized Daily Double betto four-day winner David Sibley.
Comeback queen and fan-favoriteJuveria Zaheerlost to five-day champ Luigi de Guzman.
Then, the only super-champion left, the gentlemanly Canadian Ray Lalonde (13 wins),lost to none other than Celebrity Jeopardy! winner Ike Barenholtz.
Fans called Ike's win "the craziest thing to ever happy in the history ofJeopardy!" on social media.
EvenMatt Amodiojoked on X: "Losing your #Jeopardy ToC debut from the first podium was cool when I started it, but now it's just getting old..."
Nine-day champ Ben Chan won the penultimate quarterfinal in a runaway, and is the only substantial streaker in the semifinals.
Fans are predicting that the ToC may not come down to the longest-reigning players from the previous season, but the strongest quizzers outside of Jeopardy!.
WHAT ARE: THE SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS?
Here are the semifinalists who will compete starting tomorrow night:
Thursday, March 7: Jared Watson (3 wins) faces Ben Chan (9 wins and Ike Barenholtz (Celebrity Jeopardy! winner).
Friday, March 8: Yogesh Raut (3 wins) faces David Sibley (4 wins) and Emily Sands (Wildcard winner).
Monday, March 11: Luigi de Guzman (3 wins) faces Brian Henegar (3 wins) and tonight's victor.
WHAT IS: THE FORMAT?
The 2024 ToC starts with nine quarterfinal games, where one player advances.
Then there will be three semifinals and a first-to-three-wins finale.
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That means the final three contestants could duke it out over three games or up to seven.
The ToC will conclude in late March, with the victor earning $250,000, a championship belt, an invite to the nextJeopardy! Mastersin May, of which James is the reigning champ.
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