Jeopardy! - Yogesh Raut delivers best record in show history in the Masters tournament 

The 2025 Jeopardy! Master's tournament kicked off with a bang Wednesday night as Vancouver-based contestant Yogesh Raut made quiz show history. The educational blogger and podcast host stunned viewers with a flawless performance that host Ken Jennings himself declared "the best record" in the competition's history.

Facing off against Victoria Groce and Brad Rutter—both renowned champions in their own right—Raut answered an impressive 24 questions correctly without a single miss throughout the entire game.

This primetime tournament, airing on ABC, brings together nine elite Jeopardy! contestants competing in a points-based system: three points for winning a game, one point for second place, and zero for third.

Raut, who finished as runner-up in last year's Masters event, has now positioned himself as a frontrunner with this remarkable opening performance. The evening also featured physician Juveria Zaheer displaying impressive knowledge in a nail-biting second game, suggesting this could be a tournament to remember.

Yogesh Raut breaks Jeopardy! Masters record

From the moment the first round began, Raut demonstrated why he's considered one of Jeopardy!'s elite competitors. His buzzer timing was impeccable, allowing him to answer 15 questions correctly in the Jeopardy round alone—without a single error.

By comparison, fellow competitor Victoria Groce, the defending Masters champion, managed 11 correct responses with one miss. Brad Rutter, despite being one of the show's biggest all-time winners, struggled to find his rhythm with just three correct answers against two misses.

Raut's excellence continued through the Double Jeopardy round, where his strategic use of Daily Doubles helped cement his commanding lead. His ability to cover diverse knowledge categories, from science and literature to pop culture and history, showed the breadth of his intellectual arsenal.

By the time Final Jeopardy arrived, Raut had built such a substantial lead that the outcome was hardly in question. His final tally of 24 correct responses without a single miss left both competitors and viewers in awe of what they had witnessed.

Raut's journey to Jeopardy! greatness has been impressive. Before moving to Vancouver, he established himself as a formidable competitor by winning the 2024 Tournament of Champions. His second-place finish in last year's Masters tournament only heightened expectations for his return.

The educational content creator has become known for combining lightning-quick buzzer reflexes with an encyclopedic knowledge base, skills that were on full display during Wednesday's record-setting game.

Juheria Zaheer shines alongside Matt Amodio and Roger Craig

While Yogesh Raut stole the show in the opening match, the second game of the night was just as thrilling, with Matt Amodio, Roger Craig, and Juveria Zaheer locked in a tight battle right up to Final Jeopardy.

All three nailed the clue, correctly naming John Milton's Paradise Regained as the 1671 sequel to Paradise Lost. But it was Craig’s sharp wager that sealed the deal—his $21,201 just enough to edge out Amodio and Zaheer by a few thousand dollars.

Zaheer may have finished third, but her bold move to bet it all (doubling her $8,000) left a lasting impression. It was a gutsy call that spoke volumes about her confidence and competitive drive.

As for Raut, his flawless performance earlier in the evening earned him three points in the standings and set the bar sky-high. With weekly episodes airing Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC, the 2025 Jeopardy! Masters tournament is off to a gripping start, and if opening night was any sign, we’re in for some serious brainpower and big moments ahead.

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Jeopardy! Masters Season 3 airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.

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