Erin Buker became a Jeopardy! contestant with the second-lowest score in the television game show's history and explained what the heck led to her undesirable record that had more to do with speedy thumbs.
The stay-at-home mom from San Pedro, California repeatedly buzzed in too early, and her eager anticipation cost her in the end when she finished the game with negative $ 7,200.
Buker's low ranking prevented her from making Final Jeopardy after facing off against fellow competitors Drew Basile, a three-day champion and former Survivor contestant from Birmingham, Michigan; and Graham Hicks, a lighting designer from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Buker was just $200 shy of tying with former Jeopardy! contestant Patrick Pearce's lowest score ever in July 2021.
Erin, what happened?
She was here to tell us about a contributing factor not many would think about that led to her constant slip-ups, and it had nothing to do with lacking smarts.
In fact, anyone able to make it on Jeopardy! has well-above-average wit and wisdom.
"It was a day to forget for Erin indeed!" Buker shared in a Jeopardy! subReddit discussion thread on Monday.
"Unfortunately, they taped what little I was able to forget about it. :)" wrote Buker.
She explained:
"When it came to the buzzer, I was my own worst enemy, frequently buzzing in midway through the clue as if my thumb had a mind of its own."
"There's something uniquely frustrating about knowing answers, but not having the wherewithall to ring in at the appropriate time to answer them."
"That was my defecit and I own it entirely."
Despite coming in significantly under zero, Buker remained upbeat.
"All in all, it was still a great experience," she said before sharing her positive takeaway from the overall experience.
"As the alternate for the week before, I got to know all of the contestants who aired last week really well, and they were truly salt of the earth," she said, and continued:
"I especially found an appreciation for the denizens of the capital to our north , from which two contestants (Kelsey and Jonquil) hailed."
"It was no surprise then that my fellow contestant, Graham, was another shining example of exceptional wit and character from Ottawa."
The unlikely sweet kinship she forged with her opponents inspired her to add another goal to her bucket list.
"Thanks to my experiences with these three beautiful souls, Ottawa is now officially on my list of places to travel," she said.
Redditors were moved by Buker's positivity and they encouraged her not to be so hard on herself.
Her fellow contestants started things off in the uplifting comments.
@ jaysjep2/Reddit
@ jaysjep2/Reddit
Hicks, who qualified for Final Jeopardy behind Basile, later commented on Buker's placement following her gameplay, writing:
"Huge respect to Erin, that's a tough situation to be in and a lot of people would have let it knock them down."
"Instead she dug in and kept swinging like a tough competitor should."
Redditors continued lifting Buker's spirits.
@ jaysjep2/Reddit
@ jaysjep2/Reddit
@ jaysjep2/Reddit
@ jaysjep2/Reddit
@ jaysjep2/Reddit
@ jaysjep2/Reddit
@ jaysjep2/Reddit
When a Redditor asked if her low score would be mentioned in her bio in the game show's archives, Buker joked:
"All I know is that when the WOAT [Worst Of All Time] tournament rolls around, I'm a shoe-in!"
She may not have come out a victor, but the affable contestant certainly ranked high in our hearts.
@SecretaryBurgum/X
@Doug Ellin/X
@evanrachelwood/Instagram