In this episode of Post-Podium, I had the opportunity to chat with Danielle Maurer, a digital marketing manager from Peachtree Corners, Georgia who recently ended Mattea Roach's 23-game run on Jeopardy! Danielle finished as a two-day champion and amassed a total of $29,999. Have you noticed an ongoing theme in the guests we feature on this podcast? Season 38 is truly the season that keeps on giving.

With the unprecedented rise in ultra champions such as Matt Amodio and Amy Schneider, how did Danielle prepare to potentially face one herself? What exactly is high fantasy literature? And what was the calculus behind Danielle's Final Jeopardy! wager which ultimately dethroned Mattea? All of these questions and more are answered in this episode of Post-Podium!

Timestamps

0:14 - Intro

1:34 - Danielle's introduction

2:31 - Danielle's watch party experience

5:11 - "Why Jeopardy!?"

9:21 - Will Danielle audition for another trivia game show in the future?

11:01 - What steps did Danielle take to prepare for Jeopardy!?

16:26 - Danielle's best and worst Jeopardy! categories

18:10 - Did Danielle read any "Jeopardy! reference books"?

19:41 - Danielle on Jeopardy! buzzer technique

24:00 - Danielle on Ken and Mayim as the co-hosts of Jeopardy!

26:52 - Danielle on high fantasy literature and being an author

31:32 - Danielle on Dragon Con and cosplaying

37:02 - Danielle on singing at the Korean Demilitarized Zone

41:33 - Danielle's initial reaction to Mattea's ultra champion status

47:31 - Game Breakdown: Danielle goes for a true Daily Double on DD1 (Game 1)

49:40 - Game Breakdown: DD3 - "4 'N'" for $2000 (Game 1)

53:16 - Game Breakdown: Final Jeopardy! - "USA" (Game 1)

55:19 - Final Jeopardy! wager theory - Why $4,200 was Danielle's best option (Game 1)

1:00:39 - Game Breakdown: Final Jeopardy! - "NOVEL TITLES" (Game 2)

1:03:10 - Danielle and Mallory's shared experiences as authors

1:04:28 - Game Breakdown: Danielle swept "OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE" (Game 3)

1:05:58 - Final Jeopardy! wager theory - Why Mallory's $5,000 wager was risky (Game 3)

1:08:29 - Game Breakdown: Final Jeopardy! - "LIVE MUSIC" (Game 3)

1:10:50 - Does Danielle still keep in touch with her contestant cohort?

1:13:26 - Danielle praises her contestant cohort for their camaraderie

1:16:25 - Was there any part of the contestant experience that surprised Danielle?

1:18:41 - Other behind the scenes stories (TV magic, the hosts are human too)

1:21:23 - "Have you read any messages from randoms or people from your distant past on social media?"

1:23:04 - Danielle on the impact of teachers who believed in her

1:25:37 - What does Danielle plan to spend her winnings on?

1:27:22 - Wrapping up and promoting social media

1:28:51 - Outro