Arthur Chu
Arthur Chu (born January 30, 1984[1]) is an American game show contestant known for his unusual playing style on the U.S. syndicated game show Jeopardy! As of March 10, 2014, Chu is currently ranked third on the list of all time highest-earning Jeopardy! non-tournament champions, with a 10-day total of $277,200.
Arthur Chu | |
|---|---|
| Education | Swarthmore College |
| Occupation | Voiceover artist |
| Known for | Aggressive Jeopardy strategy |
| Spouse | Eliza Blair |
Personal life
Chu, born in Albany, New York, currently resides in Broadview Heights, Ohio.[2] He is a graduate of Swarthmore College, where he received a B.A. in History.[3] He is married to Eliza Blair.[4]
Preparation
Chu spent a great deal of time preparing in the month before his first appearance on Jeopardy! He studied tapes of former Jeopardy! contestants and created study guides based on the advice of Roger Craig. He also read a lot about game theory and Jeopardy! strategy online.[5]
He also played quiz bowl as a student at Swarthmore College, remarking that he was an aggressive player despite having limited knowledge.[6]
Jeopardy! career
Arthur Chu made his debut on Jeopardy on January 28, 2014, winning $37,000 in his first appearance.[7]
He is perhaps best known for wagering to tie with contestant Carolyn Collins on January 29, 2014. He subsequently defeated her on the 30th. Chu claims that he made the decision to wager for a tie not out of kindness, but because of the advice of former contestant Keith Williams, who claims that game theory favors wagering for a tie over the more common practice of wagering to win by a dollar.[8]
After a three-week airtime break, he formally became eligible for the Tournament of Champions on February 24, with a five-day total of $123,600. On Wednesday the 26th, he entered the top 10 of all-time Jeopardy! winners (non-tournament), landing at #9 with $180,000.[9] The subsequent day, he jumped to #3 with $238,200.
Controversy
Arthur Chu’s playstyle has attracted some controversy among fans of the series, many of whom consider his conduct to be unsportsmanlike and against the vision of Jeopardy.[10] The most common complaint against his playstyle is that he jumps from category to category, a strategy known as the "Forrest Bounce", named after former champion Chuck Forrest, and a strategy employed by several successful past contestants. He also bet $5 on one Daily Double during his second game.[11]
He also holds the buzzer close to the microphone, resulting in audible clicks when ringing in,[12] and on scoring a question rushes quickly to the next clue, occasionally cutting off host Alex Trebek. These and other strategies have led some to declare his run akin to “Moneyball” moment of Jeopardy, and Chu himself “ruthless” and “idol-killingly pragmatic.”[13]
Both Trebek and Jeopardy all-time record holder Ken Jennings have defended Chu as a "good player" who makes the game "more exciting."[14][15]
References
- ^ Raphel, Adrienne (10 March 2014). "Branding Arthur Chu". The New Yorker. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
- ^ Arthur Chu of Broadview Heights keeps his winning streak alive on Jeopardy!: Michael K. McIntyre's Tipoff “cleveland.com”, Retrieved 27 February 2014
- ^ Arthur Chu '08 Uses Game Theory in Notable Jeopardy Performance, Swarthmore College, Retrieved 27 February 2014
- ^ Kumar, Sujay (24 February 2014). "Inside the Misunderstood Mind of Jeopardy! Champ Arthur Chu, Who Is Not Ruining the Show". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
- ^ Controversial Jeopardy! champ Arthur Chu tells his story, A.V. Club”, Retrieved 27 February 2014
- ^ Our Interview With Jeopardy! Champion Arthur Chu mental_floss”, Retrieved 27 February 2014
- ^ Morgan, Beth. "Everyone's Talking About Arthur Chu…But Why?". Medium.com.
- ^ 'Jeopardy!' tie game makes Arthur Chu a hero? “philly.com”, Retrieved 27 February 2014
- ^ James, Michael (27 February 2014). "'Jeopardy Villain' Arthur Chu Nearly Rampages to Record". Retrieved 6 March 2014.
- ^ Menon, Vinay. "Arthur Chu's dangerous game of Jeopardy!". Retrieved 6 March 2014.
- ^ "'Mad genius' is really upsetting 'Jeopardy!' fans".
- ^ Green, Roger. "The (alleged) JEOPARDY! sins of Arthur Chu". timesunion.com. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
- ^ Dewey, Caitlin. "Why we're actually mad at ruthless 'Jeopardy!' contestant Arthur Chu".
- ^ "Fox News 'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek joins 'The Five'". YouTube. Fox News World English. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
- ^ Jennings, Ken. "Arthur Chu Is Playing Jeopardy! the Right Way".