Jeopardy! champ Matthew Marcus admits new player's gameplay flaw led to his 3rd win as fans rage ove

JEOPARDY! contestant Matthew Marcus has admitted he got a helping hand with his third consecutive victory, which left viewers shocked.

Tanya Parrott bet so low on two Daily Doubles that even the reigning champ posted on Reddit that she helped his cause more than hers.

The returning champ faced Jesse Lampert, a sales executive from Los Angeles, California, and Tanya, a librarian from Gainesville, Virginia.

Matthew, a software developer living in Portland, Oregon, won the game almost by default - and even he admitted as much soon after.

As host Ken Jennings, 48, applauded midway through the episode, it was a "very even game."

Tanya was nipping at his heels the entire time, and when she landed on one of the two Daily Doubles in the Double Jeopardy! round - Ken said “You could catch or even overtake” the champ.

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She had $5,000 to Matthew’s $9,400 and wagered a mere $1,000, making a nervous cringy face.

Though she was incorrect, she then landed on another one and the last "Daily Double" available.

Contestants choose how much to put on the line for the special hidden clues (there are three per game - the two more crucial ones being in the second round).

She wildly wagered a scant $1,000 again - this time she had $8,400 to his $9,800, and Ken audibly chuckled in response.

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Tanya was correct this time, and had she bet more, she may have entered Final Jeopardy in the lead.

Instead, she trailed just $2,800 to the reigning winner instead of capitalizing on the find.

Final Jeopardy under "Inventions" read: "1917’s 'Elements of Trench Warfare' said this Old West item was “difficult to destroy” & “difficult to get through.'"

Everyone was correct on with "barbed wire."

'HAVE SOME CONFIDENCE!'

Matthew added $8,000 to win with $21,400 and a three-day total of $87,400.

Tanya - who wagered $1 - wound up with $10,100 despite landing on both crucial Daily Doubles, getting one, and getting the last clue correct.

In other words, she basically ran the board, and still lost.

One fan tweeted: "Tanya was SCARY!! You have to have some type of confidence in yourself when going on Jeopardy!"

"What’s up with Tanya and her lack of confidence?" wrote another.

"I always root for librarians on #Jeopardy. Unless…. they wager timidly when finding a daily double," wrote a third.

'I COUNT MY LUCKY STARS'

Fans in a Reddit thread about the game also expressed frustration that a contestant would not fully take advantage of their chance to unseat a champion.

One wrote: "The game today was severely infuriating at least. It's like Tanya lacked the killer instinct to win.

"Too much conservative gameplay, too conservative on wagers. It's like she has almost no confidence in her skills to win."

Another agreed: "Traditional game play is sort of acceptable, so long as you can counter that with big wager on the Daily Doubles.

"Because at least it shows you're giving effort and doing your best. But today's game is the example of how not to win at Jeopardy."

A third fan wrote: "There are times to be conservative, but when you're trailing ain't one of them. And it always hurts me when people wager less than the clue values, unless you're protecting a decent lead."

In the same Reddit thread, Matthew chimed in and agreed he was surprised:

"I count my lucky stars that Tanya was conservative in her Daily Double wagers... especially the one she cashed a correct answer on!"

Matthew also hinted he may be losing soon, which was a surprising addition to the thread.

"I didn't get a very good night's sleep, for a second night in a row (should have shelled out on a non-fleapit hotel), which may or may not bode well for my ability to last out the whole 'week'... no spoilers though!"

GOING FOR BLOKE

Now just one win away from qualifying, fans are hoping Matthew - whom many have noted has a great British accent - will be in the 2023 Tournament of Champions.

So far this season - which is reaching its midway point, only five contestants have won big enough to qualify for next year's tournament.

We're looking at most recent six-day winner Troy Meyerfan-favorite Ray Lalonde with 13 wins, former poker ace Cris Pannullo with 21 wins, five-day champ Luigi de Guzman, and four-day champ and priest David Sibley.

Some viewers have admittedly been confused about where the champ is from.

Host Ken opened a recent show by sharing that Matthew was from New York - not Oregon.

Producers dished on Monday's podcast Inside Jeopardy! that "obviously Matthew has a very identifiable accent. Actually, he was born in New York!"

"Then he was quickly spirited away to Whales for 10 years. He lived in London, and attended Oxford," now he lives in the Pacific Northwest.

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Much like the divisive 3-day winner Jake Dearruda or the infamous Yogesh Raut, this reigning champ has not been shy about sharing his thoughts about his games.

He also brought up the odd moment on Friday's episode where host Ken waffled on a response - he claimed it "locked him out" of buzzing in.

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