SPRINGFIELD — Yogesh Raut, who grew up in Springfield, dethroned reigning Jeopardy! Masters champion Victoria Groce which aired on ABC-TV on June 4.
Raut moves to sixth place in all time Jeopardy! winnings, surpassing the $1 million mark with the $500,000 payday Wednesday. Jeopardy! will also donate $100,000 to Raut’s charity of choice, Equal Justice Initiative.
Raut secured the win by providing the correct question in Final Jeopardy, “Dr. Gachet,” a painting by Vincent van Gogh ,in Game 2.
Raut had $36,000 going into Final Jeopardy and wagered $5,601 for a two-game total of $41,601.
Raut was shut out in the Game 1 of the finals when his question “Who are the Tatars?” was ruled incorrect. The correct answer was “Tartars.”
The clue asked for “the name of a once-nomadic people (that) comes from a Latin word used for hell.”
Groce, who is from Pittsburgh, got the Final Jeopardy question incorrect but carried $14,400 into Game 2.
The other finalist, Juveria Zaheer of Whitby, Ontario, Canada, was in the negative, so didn’t compete in the Game 1 Final Jeopardy and, like Raut, started at $0 for Game 2.
Zaheer finished second and Groce third overall.
Raut had 25 correct answers in Game 2, missing just 1.
During Wednesday’s interview, Raut, 41, gave a shoutout to his parents, Jagdish and Dr. Aarti Raut, who still live in Springfield.
“He still takes pride in Springfield,” Jagdish Raut told The State Journal-Register on May 29.
Earlier, Raut won the knockout round with the most match points and games won. He was second to Groce in the quarterfinal round.
A native of New York City who moved to Springfield as a one-year-old, Raut now lives in Vancouver, Washington, and is a blogger, podcaster and freelance writer.
Raut attended Calvary Academy and Iles Elementary in Springfield before going to Grant Middle School. He spent his freshman year at Springfield High School before enrolling at Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora, where he led his Scholastic Bowl team to two state championships.
Raut was a three-time champion on Jeopardy! in 2023.
In 2024, Raut won the Tournament of Champions title.
With his win, he automatically qualifies for the 2026 Jeopardy! Masters.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Who is Yogesh Raut? Jeopardy! Masters winner is from Springfield
Reporting by Steven Spearie, Springfield State Journal- Register / State Journal-Register
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