An Ottawa man was unable to repeat as Jeopardy champion Tuesday following a $7400 win Monday.

Zorn Pink took home the grand prize without actually getting the correct answer in his first appearance. The 31-year-old outsmarted his opponents by making a smaller wager on the final Jeopardy clue.

"My gut instinct is always bet it all, and I had to really fight that one and think about the category," said Pink.

"I put a bet in there that I knew should he get it wrong, I would beat him."

None of the three contestants answered correctly.

For Pink, just getting to compete on the show was a dream come true.

"I honestly was shocked, it didn't feel real," said Pink.

"It's been my dream my whole life and for it to happen and to get that call was like, 'Oh my God', that was real."

A veteran of trivia nights at pubs and restaurants, Pink still prepared for weeks ahead of the taping date in November.

"I did a lot of prep with my fiance going up to the show," said Pink.

"The whole time we drilled questions, worked on Jeopardy games, watched old episodes."

Pink's night was made even more special by sharing a personal connection with host Alex Trebek.

Trebek is a graduate of the University of Ottawa, and told Pink, he knows the city well. The two chatted during commercial break about what it's like to live in the capital.

"It was an amazing feeling," said Pink.

"I was so happy."

Pink is a policy analyst at Canadian Heritage in Ottawa. He finished third in his return appearance