Date of First Appearance:
October 1986
Total Winnings:
1986 Regular Season: $54,502
1987 Tournament of Champions: $16,000 (lost by $1)
1990 Super Jeopardy! Tournament third place: $25,000
Grand Total: $95,502
Records Held:
Five-day champ
Finalist in every tournament entered
First person ever to defeat Chuck Forrest (first round of Super Jeopardy!; in the second round, I defeated Bob Blake, who had just broken Chuck's single season record).
Favorite Anecdote:
During the last day of the finals of the Tournament of Champions, Bob Verini, Eugene Finerman, several of the contestant coordinators, and I serenaded the audience. During the commercial break right before the Double Jeopardy! Round, we started to sing, without any warning, "You've Lost That Loving Feeling." It helped to break the tension and put things into perspective. It was great fun!!
Effect of Jeopardy! on my Life:
Upon my return to New Jersey, I immediately enrolled in graduate school. Within a couple of months, my wife quit her job to take care of my son David full time. Within two years, I had landed my first administrative position. The increase in salary allowed my wife to stay home and raise my son David and my son Anthony, whom we adopted in 1994.
Did you do anything crazy with your winnings?
When my wife quit her job, she was making 60% of the family income. The winnings kept us going until I became an administrator. |
"This 5-time champ finished second in the 1987 Tournament of Champions. He's now a high school administrator living in Moorestown, New Jersey..."
2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions Round 1 winner: $25,000.
1990 Super Jeopardy! 2nd runner-up: $25,000.
1987 Tournament of Champions 1st runner-up: $16,000.
Season 3 5-time champion: $54,502.
Dave was announced as "David Traini", and wrote "David" on his podium for his first UToC game; for his second UToC game, he was announced as "Dave Traini" and wrote "Dave" on his podium. |
