State House aide narrowly wins another game of Jeopardy

Jeopardy host Alex Trebek and contestant Dan Pawson

By Jillian Jorgensen, Globe Correspondent

Dan Pawson took a chance.

He counted on his opponent being unable to answer the final question last night on his sixth televised game of “Jeopardy.”

Ahead by $800 as he entered the round, Pawson bet $799. Had his closest opponent answered correctly, Pawson would have lost. If neither of them knew the answer, Pawson would have won.

Sure enough, none of the three contestants could pose the question for the final clue: "He was the 118th man to fly across the Atlantic Ocean." (The answer: Charles Lindbergh.)

Pawson won the game, took his cash prize total to $126,101 and ensured a spot on tomorrow night's episode.

"The advantage of being in first going into Final Jeopardy is that you control your fate, and I gave that up," Pawson said. "It worked out, so I guess it was a good risk."

Pawson, an Allston resident and legislative director for state Senator Bruce Tarr, Republican of Gloucester, said the money will go toward paying off his student loans and starting his family. The 26-year-old law school graduate and his wife are expecting their first child any day.

"We're starting a house down-payment fund," Pawson said tonight after the show aired. "And keeping some money around for unexpected baby costs."

He was not allowed to say if his six-game win streak would continue on tomorrow night's show, which also is scheduled to air at 7:30 p.m. on WSBK-TV (Channel 38).

Tonight, he played an experienced opponent: Jason Thweatt, who coaches an academic competition team at Virginia Tech.

"It's not easy to go up against those college quiz bowl coaches. It's somebody whose job it is to write and read trivia," Pawson said.

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