Tom Walsh (game show contestant)

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Tom Walsh (born August 26, 1964) is best known publicly as a contestant on the syndicated television game show Jeopardy! from January 5, 2004 through January 14, 2004.^[1]

At the beginning of the 20th season of Jeopardy!, a long-standing game rule that stipulated that winning contestants must leave after five wins was eliminated. Under the new rules, contestants can return as long as they keep winning. This new rule allowed Tom Walsh to break three original Jeopardy! records:

• Most consecutive appearances on Jeopardy! (8 shows - 7 wins, 1 loss)
• Highest total winnings on Jeopardy! in non-tournament play (US$186,900 [$184,900 in his winning episodes])
• Highest 5-day total on Jeopardy! ($154,200 over days 3-7)
• Most consecutive wins on Jeopardy! (7, breaking the previous record of 6 held by Sean Ryan)

Walsh's Jeopardy! records have since been broken by Ken Jennings. His milestone of consecutive appearances has also since been broken by David Madden (20 days - 19 wins), Dan Pawson (10 days-9 wins), and Tom Kavanaugh (9 days - 8 wins), currently placing him fifth all-time in that category. Madden also passed Walsh and moved into second place on the non-tournament winnings list, with a total of $432,400.

In the first round of the 2004 Tournament of Champions, Walsh handily defeated Seth Alcorn and Steve Reynolds. In the semifinals, he staged an improbable comeback from third place going into Final Jeopardy! to defeat Chris Miller and Anne Boyd. In the two-day finals, Walsh took a $10,100 lead over Russ Schumacher and Arthur Gandolfi after the first game, only to be dominated by Schumacher in the second game, resulting in a second-place finish in the tournament.

In the Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions, Walsh received a bye into the second round, in recognition of his seven wins. In a closely contested second round match against Fred Ramen and Michael Rooney, Walsh pulled into the lead on the penultimate question before Final Jeopardy! However, he gave an incorrect response in Final Jeopardy!, causing him to lose the game and be eliminated from the tournament.

After appearing on Jeopardy!, Tom worked for the National Review. His sister, Valerie Walsh, is one of the creators and executive producers of the children's television show Dora the Explorer.

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