If you follow the Jeopardy! subreddit or keep up with the show’s tournament cycles, you probably remember Zoe Grobman. She’s the Philadelphia-based therapist who didn’t just play the game; she lived through the kind of "what-if" scenario that would keep most of us up at night.
Most people recognize her from the Jeopardy Second Chance tournament that aired in early January 2025. It was a rollercoaster. One minute she’s nailing deep-cut trivia, and the next, a single word—a word she actually knew—slips through her fingers because of a pronunciation ruling.
It’s the kind of TV moment that feels incredibly harsh. You have the right answer in your head, you say it out loud, but the judges decide the sounds didn't come out in the right order. For Zoe, that moment cost her a massive lead and, arguably, a spot in the finals.
The Poe Clue That Changed Everything
Let’s talk about the moment everyone was buzzing about. It was the January 7, 2025, episode. Zoe was facing off against Enzo Cunanan and Josh Heit. This was a high-stakes room. Enzo and Josh were "buzzsaws," as Zoe later described them on Reddit.
She hit a Daily Double in the category "Potent Quotables." The clue was about a pale dry sherry that gets title billing in an Edgar Allan Poe tale.
Easy, right? The Cask of Amontillado.
Zoe knew it. She said it. But she mispronounced "Amontillado."
Ken Jennings had to break the news: "No."
That mistake cost her $6,000 on the spot. Because it was a Daily Double, the swing was actually much larger—closer to a $12,000 difference in her potential score heading into the final round. Honestly, it’s brutal. You can see the math clicking in her head the second it happens. She knew that single word might have just ended her run.
Why She "Went Big" Anyway
A lot of armchair quarterbacks like to criticize betting strategies. They’ll say, "Why risk so much if you aren't 100% sure?"
Zoe addressed this head-on. She explained that against players as fast as Enzo and Josh, playing it safe wasn't an option. If she had bet small, she wouldn't have had enough capital to compete in Final Jeopardy anyway. She had to "live by the DD, die by the DD."
It’s a gutsy way to play. Most people play not to lose, but she played to win.
The Election Day Anxiety
Here’s a detail most viewers didn't realize while watching the Jeopardy Second Chance Zoe appearance: the episode was filmed on Election Day 2024.
Think about that for a second.
While she was trying to recall 19th-century literature and world geography, the entire country was on edge. The contestants had their phones taken away—standard procedure—but they knew what was happening outside the studio walls.
Zoe mentioned that the "collective anxiety" in the air was palpable. It makes her performance even more impressive. Most of us can barely focus on a grocery list when the news is that heavy, let alone a high-speed buzzer game in front of millions of people.
Looking Back at Her First Run
To understand why she was in the Second Chance tournament at all, you have to look back at her debut on October 15, 2024.
That game was a heartbreaker too. She was up against Rishabh Wuppalapati, a student at the University of Pennsylvania who turned out to be a total phenom.
- The Comeback: Zoe was at $0 early on after missing a Daily Double about Nelson Mandela.
- The Surge: She clawed her way back, making a $10,000 swing in Double Jeopardy.
- The Finish: She actually got Final Jeopardy correct! But so did Rishabh.
She ended that first game with $19,601. In almost any other week, that’s a winning score. But because Rishabh was unstoppable, she walked away with the "silver medal." That’s exactly why the Second Chance tournament exists—for players who played a near-perfect game but ran into a buzzsaw.
The "Nonsense Poet" Flop
Zoe is pretty open about her preparation. She studied "Pavlovs"—those word associations that usually guarantee a correct answer.
For instance, if a clue says "Nonsense Poet," the answer is almost always "Edward Lear."
Except, in her first game, it wasn't. The "Pavlov" failed her. She’s joked since then that studying actually hurt her in that specific moment because she was so primed for a specific answer that didn't fit the clue.
It’s a reminder that Jeopardy! isn't just about what you know; it's about how fast you can pivot when the expected pattern breaks.
Life After the Buzzer
Even though she didn't take home the tournament trophy, Zoe Grobman left a mark on the fan base. She’s been incredibly active in the community, sharing behind-the-scenes tidbits about what Ken Jennings is really like (spoiler: he’s apparently great) and how it feels to sit in the famous contestant chair.
She also shared a more personal side of her journey, mentioning on Reddit that she is transgender and has been navigating her own transition while fulfilling a lifelong dream of being on the show. For many fans, seeing her represent Philadelphia and the trans community with such poise and humor was the highlight of the season.
Actionable Insights for Future Contestants
If you're reading this because you want to be the next Zoe Grobman, here’s the reality of the stage based on her experience:
- Buzzer stance matters: Zoe studied Fritz Holznagel’s famous book on buzzer speed but had to adapt it because she competed while sitting in a chair. Practice your thumb speed in the position you'll actually be in.
- Ignore the "Green Room" jitters: She admitted to being intimidated by her opponents during practice rounds. Don't let someone else’s practice performance get in your head before the cameras roll.
- Pronunciation is a trap: If you aren't 100% sure of the phonetics, try to say the word as clearly and simply as possible. The judges are looking for a reason to ring that "incorrect" bell.
- The "Anytime Test" is your friend: Zoe’s biggest piece of advice? Just take the test. She’d been dreaming of this since she was three years old. It took decades, but she made it. Twice.
Zoe's story isn't just about a lost Daily Double. It’s about a therapist from Philly who fought her way back from $0, stared down some of the toughest players in the country, and handled a $12,000 heartbreak with more grace than most of us could dream of.
Check the Jeopardy! website for the next round of "Anytime Tests" to start your own path toward the podium.
