OLD ORCHARD BEACH, Maine — A local bartender and trivia fanatic can now add "Jeopardy" champion to his resume.
According to our partners at the Portland Press Herald, Dennis Coffey and 100 others gathered at his place of employment, Duffy’s Tavern & Grill in Old Orchard, to watch him win $21,601 on Friday's broadcast.
“I think bartenders are naturally good at trivia,” Coffey, 54, said. “People always want their facts checked or are asking for the latest sports news.”
Coffey, won his first night of competition by being the only contestant to correctly answer a question about how a member of the British royal family helped solve a mystery surrounding a murdered Russian czar and his family.
Coffey knew it was Prince Philip – husband of Queen Elizabeth – whose DNA helped investigators positively identify the remains of several members of the Romanov royal family found roughly a century after their murder. Philip is related to the Romanovs.
Video of Coffey's watch party from Katy Reuss on Facebook
A longtime “Jeopardy!” fan, Coffey applied to be a contestant three times before he finally landed a spot on the show. He will defend his title again on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
“I am going to be on the bar on Monday, and we’ll have the show on,” Coffey said. “So I’d say some come one, come all. And come early.”
Because of a non-disclosure agreement, Coffey is prohibited from discussing the outcome of shows until they air on television, but did describe the game's beloved host Alex Trebek as “very personable” and gentlemanly despite his current battle with cancer.