A year after the 2025 “Jeopardy!” Masters tournament concluded with what host Ken Jennings called an “extraordinarily close final,” the prestigious tournament is back for a fourth season.
Here’s a brief overview of the 2026 tournament, which features some of the quiz show’s top players and premieres Aug. 25 on ABC.
Who is competing in the 2026 ‘Jeopardy!’ Masters tournament?
The following six players have earned a spot in the 2026 Masters tournament:
- Returning Masters champion Yogesh Raut, who defeated Victoria Groce and Juveria Zaheer in a nail-biter Masters finals last year, per Deseret News. Raut won three games during his initial “Jeopardy!” run in 2023 and was the 2024 Tournament of Champions winner, as the Deseret News previously reported.
- Returning Masters finalist Victoria Groce, who won the 2024 Masters title against Raut and “Jeopardy!” great James Holzhauer, as the Deseret News reported. Groce, who was a one-game champion during her initial “Jeopardy!” run back in 2005 — defeating 19-game winner David Madden — also won the inaugural “Jeopardy!” Invitational Tournament in 2024.
- Returning Masters finalist Juveria Zaheer, who after losing her first “Jeopardy!” game in 2022 went on to dominate in the Second Chance Tournament a year later. She also won the 2024 “Champions Wildcard” tournament and placed as a quarterfinalist in the 2024 Tournament of Champions, as the Deseret News reported. Zaheer was a finalist in the 2025 Jeopardy Invitational Tournament.
- Paolo Pasco, who won the 2026 “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions with a dominating performance. Pasco made his “Jeopardy!” debut last year and went on a seven-game winning streak.
- Andrew He, who returns to the Masters tournament after placing fourth in the inaugural tournament in 2023, per the “Jeopardy!” website. He earned his spot in this year’s tournament with his 2026 “Jeopardy!” Invitational Tournament victory. He made his “Jeopardy!” debut in 2021 and had a five-game winning streak.
- Long Nguyen, who was the first runner-up in the 2026 “Jeopardy!” Invitational Tournament. Nguyen was the producers’ pick for this year’s Masters tournament.
When is the 2026 ‘Jeopardy!’ Masters tournament?
Below is the full schedule for the 2026 Masters tournament:
- Aug. 25 — Quarterfinals
- Game 1: Andrew He, Paolo Pasco, Long Nguyen
- Game 2: Yogesh Raut, Juveria Zaheer, Victoria Groce
- Aug. 26 — Quarterfinals
- Aug. 27 — Quarterfinals
- Aug. 28 — Quarterfinals
- Sept. 1 — Quarterfinals
- Sept. 2 — Quarterfinals
- Sept. 3 — Semifinals
- Sept. 4 — Semifinals
- Sept. 8 — Finals
How does the ‘Jeopardy!’ Masters tournament work?
Each episode in the Masters tournament is one hour long and features two games.
The first 12 games (six episodes) are quarterfinals that will ultimately eliminate two players. The remaining four contestants will then compete against each other in the semifinals (two episodes, four games), and the final three will compete in a two-game finale episode, per the “Jeopardy!” website.
Unlike regular “Jeopardy!” play, the contestants are awarded match points for their wins. Winning a game nets 3 points while a second-place finish earns 1 point. Placing third in a game does not earn any points.
Match points are reset at the start of each round. In the event of a tie, the following criteria is used to determine rankings, per “Jeopardy!”:
- Number of games won
- Cumulative correct responses for that particular round of competition (including Final Jeopardy!)
- Cumulative score (excluding Final Jeopardy! and Daily Double wagers)
- Cumulative score (excluding Final Jeopardy!)
As with other “Jeopardy!” tournaments, the winner of the two-game final will be determined by traditional dollar value scores. The champion will receive the $500,000 grand prize and Trebek Trophy.