During Paolo Pasco’s audition journey for “Jeopardy!”, his mother shared a piece of family history: she had also tried out for the show years ago. Back then, auditions were held in person. In Ken Jennings’ 2006 book “Brainiac,” he recounts a 12-hour drive from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles for a preliminary test, a journey repeated for screen tests. Jennings, who now hosts the show, famously won 74 consecutive games, earning $2,520,000, covering travel costs easily.
Pasco, a 2022 College graduate, believes he took his test in a mall food court, with three friends, all using separate phones. He thought, “We might as well do it now.” Pasco eventually won seven consecutive games and excelled in the Tournament of Champions. He will return in August for “Jeopardy! Masters” with other top players. As a crossword creator, he expanded his knowledge through online quizzing, discovering competitions like Quizzing in Progress and Online Quiz League, and accessing flashcards of past “Jeopardy!” questions.
Pasco’s preparation mirrored past contestants. He focused on his weakness in identifying bodies of water, practicing until he improved, aided by online tools. His girlfriend created a quiz website, the Triviary, for him to practice aquatic identification, a resource used by other contestants. A lifelong puzzle enthusiast, Pasco noted the growth in the crossword community, especially after Wordle’s rise in popularity. He mentioned, “At least for me, the best way to learn something is getting it catastrophically wrong somewhere else.”
The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament saw such high participation that registration closed early this year. Next year’s event will move from Stamford, Connecticut, to a larger venue. Pasco’s timing in the crossword world coincided with Wordle’s mainstream success, leading him to work with major crossword publishers. This surge led to jobs at The Atlantic, LinkedIn, and TED Conferences, where he is now a games editor. In trivia circles, he still considers himself a newcomer.
Recently, Pasco tackled the World Quizzing Championships, answering 240 questions early in the morning. He improved from 71 to 118 correct answers over two years but was impressed by the knowledge required, praising quizzers like Victoria Groce, who scored 191. He remarked on the unfamiliarity of many questions, suggesting further exploration into trivia could lead to mastery. As he readies for the tougher “Jeopardy! Masters” questions, he embraces the challenge to “learn everything,” acknowledging that some are even more dedicated than he is. If his “Jeopardy!” run ends, crosswords remain a constant passion.
Original Source: news.harvard.edu
