How to Be a Good Jeopardy! Host

The most important thing: you are a host! Be welcoming and energetic. 😊

Technical stuff to be aware of

All you need to know to run the game is in the help menu. Click the “Help!” button or type ?
Hit Spacebar to turn on the lights at a consistent time, and read at a consistent rhythm. Good contestants will learn to anticipate you.
The clues come from a wiki-style fan site and are therefore imperfect. Read through any typos.
Also, some multimedia clues don’t have the multimedia attached. Warn contestants about this at the beginning of the game. When such clues come up, just read them normally. Often the clue can be figured out anyway.

If you have time, go through the game in advance to get a sense of the categories and the clues.
Longer clues tend to include a phrase like “this man” or “this river.” Find the word “this”, and emphasize it. You want to make it clear with your inflection what the clue is asking for.
Expand abbreviations in the clue. (“SNL” is “Saturday Night Live”, “AKA” is “Also Known As”).

Before the game begins, ask the contestants-to-be some fun facts about themselves. Then, between rounds, do the awkward Trebek thing of having each person share their anecdote.

On a Daily Double, contestants can wager up to however much money they have. They cannot wager less than $100. They can wager up to $1,000 in Single Jeopardy and up to $2,000 in Double Jeopardy even if they don’t have that much.
Contestants must phrase their response in the form of a question. In Single Jeopardy, you are allowed to warn them — “Remember your phrasing”. In Double Jeopardy, their response is not correct until they rephrase it.

You are the referee as well as the host. Use your judgement on any disputes about scoring and correctness.
As in any refereeing situation, getting it right matters less than being firm. Your decision is final and there are no appeals.