Life Master as Jeopardy champ?

Today’s (January 23, 2012) Jeopardy champion, just after the first commercial break, tells Alex Trebek he is a Life Master. His name is Kirby Burnett, from Prior Lake, Minnesota.

However, I cannot find that name in the player / rating lookup. Does anybody know anything about this person?

Bill Smythe

Perhaps a LM at Contract Bridge?!?

On the Jeapardy videos online where the contestants announce themselves, he says he is a poker dealer… jeopardy.com/showguide/thisweek/

So I’m guessing Bridge…

Nice try, but no cigar. The conversation with Alex Trebek went like this:


Trebek: Kirby Burnett is a poker dealer from Minnesota and a Life Master in chess.

Burnett: Yes, that’s right.

Trebek: For some reason the two don’t seem to go together. One is very intellectual, and one is more risk-taking.

Burnett: Well, I think they’re both pretty tough schools. In poker, the real skill is in managing your luck, whereas in chess, it’s head-to-head competition, it’s more – there’s a lot of fighting spirit involved there, too.


Bill Smythe

How old did Mr. Burnett look?

See for yourself:

jeopardy.com/showguide/thisweek/

It’s possible that he is Kevin Burnett, who is a life master from Iowa (inactive since 1999) and Kirby is either his nickname or changed name, or he has been inactive so long that he does not show up in MSA.

Oh, no! Two OLMs named Kevin B. in the same thread?? Unthinkable. :smiling_imp:

Bill Smythe

Does CCLA use that title?

Huh?

If you look up Kevin Burnett and Kevin Bachler, you will find that both have the OLM (Original LIfe Master) title.

Bill Smythe

main.uschess.org/content/view/11582/654