Jeopardy! genius James Holzhauer is now on the second longest winning streak in history after notching his 21st victory, bringing his total prize money to $1.6 million
- James Holzhauer won his 21st straight victory on Jeopardy! on Thursday
- The 34-year-old won $80,615, which brings his total winnings to $1,608,627
- Holzhauer, a professional gambler from Las Vegas, now officially holds the record for the second longest winning streak in the show’s history
- Until his latest victory, the 34-year-old had been tied for the second longest winning streak with Julia Collins who had a 20-game streak in 2014
- Holzhauer is now more than halfway to reaching Ken Jennings’ $2.5m record
Jeopardy! genius James Holzhauer now officially holds the record for the second longest winning streak in the show’s history after notching his 21st straight victory.
The professional Las Vegas gambler won $80,615 on Thursday night, bringing his total winnings so far to $1,608,627.
Until his latest victory, the 34-year-old had been tied for the second longest winning streak with Julia Collins.
Collins completed a 20-game streak back in 2014.
Jeopardy! genius James Holzhauer, a professional gambler from Las Vegas, won $80,615 on Thursday night, bringing his total winnings so far to $1,608,627
The final clue on Thursday night was: ‘A character in this 1944 play is said to be like a piece of her own collection, ‘too exquisitely fragile to move from the shelf.”
‘What is ‘The Glass Menagerie?” was the correct answer.
Holzhauer is only the second person in 35 years to win more than $1 million on Jeopardy!.
With his winning streak, Holzhauer is now more than halfway to reaching Ken Jennings’ $2.5million record.
It took Jennings 33 games to reach $1 million in 2004 and 74 games to earn $2.5 million.
Holzhauer has earned $1.06 million in just 14 appearances and stands to match Jennings’ record in half the time if his winning streak continues.
He won $101,682 on Wednesday night. He almost saw his winning streak come to an end on Monday when he won Final Jeopardy by just $18.
Until Monday’s episode, the closest a competitor had come to Holzhauer’s final score was by $4,190.
The final clue on Thursday night was: ‘A character in this 1944 play is said to be like a piece of her own collection, ‘too exquisitely fragile to move from the shelf’
Until his latest victory, the 34-year-old had been tied for the second longest winning streak with Julia Collins. Collins completed a 20-game streak back in 2014
In racking up the wins, he has employed a novel – but risky – strategy befitting his day job in Las Vegas.
He frequently zeroes in on the high-value questions first to quickly amass money, and then unhesitatingly bets big on his ability to offer the correct answer when he lands on a special Daily Double question.
Holzhauer planned his strategy from the beginning, only deviating from it if the category is one he’s unfamiliar with – such as the U.S. Senate.
His remarkable run has earned him legions of admirers, including Jennings, the man whose record he is threatening to break.
‘This is absolutely insane,’ Jennings said on Twitter of Holzhauer’s success.
‘I’ve always wanted to see someone try Jeopardy! wagering this way who had the skills to back it up.
‘I don’t feel I get enough credit for making small, sensible Jeopardy wagers, which helped the show with its prize budget.’
ESPN is covering Holzhauer’s episodes on its Chalk betting section.
Holzhauer credits his career with helping ‘desensitize’ him when it comes to making big bets.
Holzhauer, a professional gambler from Las Vegas, won $101,682 on Wednesday night. He is pictured with host Alex Trebek
Jeopardy! genius James Holzhauer won $101,682 on Wednesday night, bringing the 34-year-old’s total winnings so far to $1,528,012