On a February 28 pre-taped episode, Chu beats Semret Lemma from Virginia after betting to tie again.
- Mar 1, 2014
AceShowbiz - "Jeopardy!" controversial contestant Arthur Chu returned this week and scored his ninth victory on Thursday, February 28. In the pre-taped episode, the so-called "hero villain" once again played for the tie on the final question.
At the end of the episode, Chu led with $22,400 while his nearest challenger Semret Lemma had $11,400. He bet only $400 to ensure a tie if Lemma bet everything, but Lemma did not bet everything. Both players guessed correctly, bringing Chu's total to $22,800 and bringing him to another win.
Chu made headlines in early February for his untraditional strategy. He often jumps around the board to find the Daily Doubles instead of completing categories from top to bottom. Some viewers complained that he ruined the fun of the game.
Host Alex Trebek, however, has come to Chu's defense. He said, "He's a good player, and I think the accusations against his style of play have no merit to them." He went on explaining why some people hated Chu.
"When you guys watch the show, you watch it because you're competitive.You want to see how well you do compared to the contestants. But also, as a minor side to that, you watch because you want to see... You'll pick a favorite. You want to see if this guy succeeds, or she does better than him. And if you don't like a contestant - and obviously there are a number of people who have taken a dislike to Arthur Chu - then it's going to come out."
Chu has so far won $261,000 in nine games. He will return March 10 after "Jeopardy!" airs a special tournament next week.
