A substitute teacher from Amherst, New York...

Mark Wales

I'm Mark Wales from Amherst, New York.

How has being a Jeopardy! champion changed your life?
Well, give me a little more money to play with. I work as a substitute teacher, so, substitute teachers don't make a whole lot of money, so... took care of some bills, and maybe I'll buy something new. Like, uh, I live in Buffalo, New York, so I'm thinking of buying a really nice snowblower. Or a car.

Has anyone recognized you from your Jeopardy! appearance?
Uh, I was recognized a few times. I want to the store. A woman came out and pointed at me and said, "I know you!" And some kids at the library recognized me. Uh, one time I was at a, uh, a football game, about six weeks after the shows aired. I figured nobody was going to recognize me any more. I'm walking in. There's thousands of people walking back and forth. Guys handing out, uh, programs and t-shirts. And this one guy, he's like a college kid, handing out a t-shirt, looks at me and says, [points] "You were on Jeopardy!" And I said, [taken aback] "Yes I was. I was on Jeopardy! Yes." So... So, it's kind of fun.

Will playing Jeopardy! in Las Vegas affect your wagering?
Uh, playing in Vegas, I'm tempted to say I'm gonna go all-in on a Double--Daily Doubler. But, uh, y'know, we'll see--see how the game goes.

Is there anything you'd like to share that you think Jeopardy! fans might want to know?
That would be, uh, the studio is probably bigger than what I thought it would on TV--watching it on TV, it looked a little smaller, and seeing it up close, it looks a little diffferent when you're there, standing behind the podium yourself, instead of watching it on TV, so... It's all kinda--kinda interesting and kinda surreal at the same time.

Place your bets and tune in!

2009 Tournament of Champions semifinalist: $10,000.
Season 24 5-time champion: $141,804 + $1,000.

Jeopardy! Message Board user name: MarkWales