Matt Amodio Wins Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament Amid Tough Competition

MORRISTOWN, Tenn. — Matt Amodio secured his second victory in the 2025 Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament on March 6, triumphing over fellow contestants Roger Craig and Juveria Zaheer. His latest win follows previous finishes of third and sixth in Jeopardy! Masters, and he is now reflecting on his experience as a champion.

Amodio discussed his success during a recent appearance on the Inside Jeopardy! Podcast, which aired the day after the tournament. On the podcast, he talked about what it was like to compete against 26 other esteemed Jeopardy! players. “I didn’t feel great about it,” Amodio admitted. “There were some people that I’ve been a big fan of, and then some I didn’t know but wowed me. Knowing how much talent was in this pool, I did not expect that it would end up like this.”

When asked about his approach in the Invitational compared to regular Jeopardy!, Amodio noted that while he mostly maintained his familiar strategy, he was conscious of needing to “raise the obscurity level on the trivia.” He pointed out that with a full-time job as a quantitative researcher, finding time to study for Jeopardy! can be challenging. “Studying will have to take a back burner,” he explained. “But it will never be further back than that because it’s just fun. I am obsessed with learning and knowledge, so it’s just a pleasure to have extra reason to do this.”

Amodio remarked on his performance, crediting “some good buzzer mojo” and mentioning that he felt “the winds of fate” were on his side during pivotal moments of the game. “I got some key correct things when I needed it,” he said, despite initially feeling uneasy about his placement against two accomplished opponents. “With two very talented people next to me, I felt like I was on a knife’s edge.”

Podcast cohost Davies asked if the experience of being a tournament champion would alter his gameplay in future competitions. Amodio humorously suggested he might have to grow a handlebar mustache to embody the spirit of the game show, saying, “find some train tracks to tape a damsel in distress to.”

As he wrapped up the interview, Amodio shared reflections from his Jeopardy! journey: “I’ve learned to enjoy it, whatever it is. It’s easier to enjoy it when you win, but you never know how it’s going to come out. Don’t take it personally. Sometimes, it just doesn’t go your way. It’s not an indictment of you as a human being. And also, don’t get too big for your britches,” he concluded.

Looking ahead, Amodio is set to compete in Jeopardy! Masters in the coming months, continuing his pursuit of knowledge and excitement within the competition.