A grad student originally from La Grange, Illinois...

Matt Kohlstedt

My name's Matt Kohlstedt, I'm from La Grange, Illinois.

Are you more or less nervous this time?
I think I am actually a little bit less nervous this time. Um, although, we've got a new set, so it's a little bit, uh, different, but I feel like, um, I've already to an extent accomplished something, so I can, uh, sort of just play loose and--and try and have as much fun as I can.

How did you react when you were invited to the tournament?
Well, I was actually still filming the shows, so I wa--had arrived for the second day of filming, and they, uh, told me before we started that day that I was going to be in the tournament, so I was shocked and elated and I was in a room full of people who I had never met before, so I was--um, just trying to stay calm, um, knowing that I still had to do those shows for the--for the rest of the day.

How did you celebrate your original run on Jeopardy!?
Immediately after my first appearance, I uh, to celebrate, I just went out to dinner with a couple of friends, and called my family, let them know how things went. And I actually then got on a--a redeye flight back to Washington, D.C. and went to work the next morning. And so, uh, I didn't really tell anyone, and was trying to just sort of remain low-key while, uh, while in my head, I guess I had this sort of big news that I wanted to share, but couldn't really, I guess.

Will playing Jeopardy! in Las Vegas affect your wagering?
I think being in Las Vegas could very well affect how I end up wagering for some of the Daily Doubles and--and Final Jeopardy! There's--being--being near the casinos, being around all this gambling--there's that, uh, temptation to double down, I think, but, um, I've sort of been able to watch other people's shows, and I think I have a sense of who wagers big, and--and, uh, who sort of is a little bit more conservative, so I might have to take that into account depending on which game I'm in.

Place your bets and tune in!

2009 Tournament of Champions wildcard semifinalist: $10,000.
Season 25 5-time champion: $77,803 + $2,000.