Does a Jeopardy! contestant who won big on Wheel of Fortune have what it takes to defeat a two-day champion? Peter McFerrin has already proved to be a fierce competitor, but would having more game show experience under his belt help him?
McFerrin, from Corona, California, went into his third game with a total of $68,198. On June 3, he played against Gabriel Berkowitz, from New York, New York, and Gil Hamel, from Dover, New Hampshire. Berkowitz won $86,560 in September 2025 on WOF.
Berkowitz, an account manager, had the lead of $2,400 when he found the Daily Double on clue six. He wagered $1,200 in “Superstitions.”
The clue was “According to tradition, the Tower of London must have 6 of these birds in residence, or the Tower & the crown will fall.” “What are crows?” he answered incorrectly. Berkowitz dropped to $1,200 since the correct response was ravens.
McFerrin was in the red for most of the game, but he managed to get to $0 by the first 15 clues. Berkowitz was in first place with $3,400. By the end of the round, Berkowitz had $5,000. Hamel, an escape room manager, was in second place with $3,800. McFerrin had $1,200.
McFerrin made a comeback in Double Jeopardy when he found the first Daily Double on clue nine. He had $6,400 and wagered $1,600. The clue in “Deluge of Rivers” was “Along the banks of this river in the Dutch capital is the Stopera, a combo opera house & city hall.”
“What is the Amstel?” he answered correctly. This put the champion in first place with $8,000. Berkowitz sat at $7,600 while Hamel had $7,000.
He found the last DD on the next clue. McFerrin wagered $2,000 in “What’s Up, Space?” The clue was “NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is on a voyage to visit 16 Psyche in this 2-word area between Mars & Jupiter.”
“What is the asteroid belt?” the game show contestant answered correctly. This gave him even more of a lead with $10,000.
McFerrin ended the round with $16,000. Hamel had $13,000. Berkowitz fell to third place with $8,800.
The category for Final Jeopardy was “Lesser-Known Americans.” The clue read, “By his actions after his wife died in 1898, after bearing him 6 children, William Jackson Smart inspired this annual event.”
None of the contestants came up with the correct response, which was Father’s Day. Hamel answered, “What is Mother’s Day?” She wagered all of her money, leaving her with $0.
Both McFerrin and Berkowitz answered, “What is the March of Dimes?” Berkowitz wagered $7,201, making his total $1,599.
McFerrin’s wager was $10,001, leaving him with $5,999. This gave him a three-day total of $71,197. He will return on Thursday for his fourth game.
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