Ron Lalonde becomes a two-day champion on Jeopardy! after a triple stumper

Jeopardy! season 42 saw the three contestants take the stage to test out their trivia knowledge. The contestants competing included:

• Marie D'Avignon, a VP of operations from Durham, North Carolina
• Andy Luo, a student success coach originally from Johns Creek, Georgia
• Ron Lalonde, a medical physicist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Lalonde was the returning champion, who entered the Alex Trebek Stage for his second game on Thursday, December 4, 2025, after defeating 44-year-old Libby Jones, ending her two-game streak in the previous game on Wednesday, which limited her to a total of $73,802.

Ron took the lead in the 64th game, but as the players advanced to Final Jeopardy, a triple stumper was unfolding, with the three of them guessing the same incorrect answer.

Ron, though, won the game by scoring a total of $20,400 due to his run on the show and became a two-day champion, earning $35,601.

More details about the Jeopardy! season 42 contestant Ron Lalonde explored

Ron Lalonde is the identical twin brother of Ray Lalonde, who is a Jeopardy! champon with a 13-game streak, winning $386,400, standing among the greatest of all times.

Ray ranks 13th among the top 20 players of all time in Jeopardy! in the Regular Play who competed on the show in December 2022.

Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Ron became the second twin in his family to win Jeopardy! on Wednesday night when he secured $15,201 from the single win and dethroned the giant killer, Libby Jones.

In the second game of Jeopardy! on Thursday, Lalonde answered multiple questions correctly and took a lead by a wide margin. Additionally, Andy Luo, who finished in second place, gave several incorrect responses, which helped in Ron’s lead during the game.

Ron found the last Daily Double and answered it correctly, bringing his total to $24,400. However, all three players answered "What is Tobacco" in the Final Jeopardy!, which was incorrect to the clue from the category "The Supreme Court in the 19th Century."

"Citing the ‘language of the people, whether sellers or consumers,’ in 1893, the S.C. ruled on the botanical designation of this. The correct response was: What is a Tomato?"

Therefore, Ron won the game, wagering $20,400 with a two-day total of $35,601. While Andy came second with $399, Marie wagered only $201, coming last.

On entering the stage, host Ken Jennings told Ron,

“Your twin brother, Ron, called you the real ‘Jeopardy!’ talent in the family. And here you are. Those are big shoes, though.” To which Ron replied, "Very big, yes...No pressure at all.”

Jennings also joked with Ron during contestant interviews to prove if he was really Ron and not Ray standing on the Alex Trebek Stage.

"Ray’s actually in the audience," Ron said, pointing toward his twin.

Ray waved and smiled at the host, greeting him with Ron joking about their resemblance:

"Honestly, our brothers and sisters are even smarter than us. They’d crush it on this show."

Lalonde said that it was a "nail-biter" when the game came down to the final round. Lalonde added:

"My brother won 13 games and $400,000 when he was there, so there was a lot of pressure. It was really strange because I didn’t feel that nervous in my mind, but behind the podium my legs were really shaking."

It took Ron three years to finally be selected as a Jeopardy! contestant, something he had been preparing for his whole life, ever since he and his twin brother grew up watching the show in Ontario, Canada. It took him three months to hear back after applying.

Ron Lalonde will appear on Jeopardy! on Friday, December 5, 2025, to compete for his third game.

Stay tuned for more updates.