Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

This 'Jeopardy!' Champ Has Hit $1 Million In Winnings In An Insanely Short Amount Of Time

This 'Jeopardy!' Champ Has Hit $1 Million In Winnings In An Insanely Short Amount Of Time
Jeopardy!/Youtube, @Greg_Tieman/Twitter

Jeopardy! phenom James Holzhauer is already being called the best player of all time after just 15 days as champ, but will he catch up to the game's all-time winners and can the show survive someone who seems to have "solved" Jeopardy!?


Back during Ken Jennings' legendary 74-game reign as Jeopardy! champion in 2004, few could have imagined anyone coming along to topple Jennings as the undisputed quiz show king, but 15 years later, professional gambler James Holzhauer looks like he's making a go of it, and he might just do it in record time.

Over the last 15 shows, professional sports better James Holzhauer has not just been winning Jeopardy!, he has been dominating it and smashing almost every record in sight.

Holzhauer now holds the records for the highest single-day win, the 5-day win record, and highest successful Double Jeopardy wager.

His winnings also topped the $1 million mark in just 14 appearances, faster than anyone else in the show's history, and it doesn't look like he will be slowing down any time soon.


James Holzhauer: 10 Wins and New Jeopardy! Records | JEOPARDY!www.youtube.com


Aside from his encyclopedic knowledge, much of Holzhauer's success comes down to his simple but ingenious strategy. Unlike most players, James starts off with the more difficult, high dollar questions so when he lands on a Daily Double he has more money to wager.

James also likes to have fun with his betting, purposefully winning $110,914 one night to honor his daughter who was born on Nov. 9, 2014. So far Holzhauer's strategy seems to be working.

While most players win about $20,000 in one night, James has taken things to a whole new level, averaging around $75,000 per game, but even that number is low compared to his record setting wins.

On April 17 he set the record for highest single-day winnings with $131,127, though he didn't stop there. Holzhauer currently holds the top seven single-game winnings records. Jeopardy! has even set up a "James Holzhauer Tracker" so fans can keep up with his record breaking streak.

Almost over night, Holzhauer became a household name and a certified Jeopardy! legend, though fans still can't believe just how good he is.









Though given his background, James' success makes a lot more sense. Holzhauer who lives in Vegas with his wife and two children makes his living as a professional sports gambler. He also holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics, so if there's one thing James knows it's numbers.

James' trivia knowledge may be one thing, but fans seemed even more impressed by his ingenious strategy.






In just 15 appearances Holzhauer is quickly catching up to the $2.5 million regular season winnings record set by former champ Ken Jennings and at this pace he might surpass it in no time.

"James is just a perfect 'Jeopardy!' machine," Jennings told The Associated Press.

But some are wondering if the show's prize budget can withstand such a dominant champ.

If reports of host Alex Trebek's salary are accurate Holzhauer is currently earning more per episode than Trebek himself.

Fortunately game shows like Jeopardy! typically are insured against unexpectedly large payouts, and as Ken Jennings proved with his impressive streak the publicity big wins generate for the show can end up being worth it.

So the only question left may be one even Holzhauer can't answer -- just how long can he keep the streak going?

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Trump Is Weirding Everyone Out With His Bizarre Comments About Whole Milk

Trump Is Weirding Everyone Out With His Bizarre Comments About Whole Milk

President Donald Trump was widely mocked after he made a clarification about "hole" vs. "whole" milk—yes, really—during a press conference about bringing whole milk back to schools.

Trump signed legislation on Wednesday restoring whole milk to school cafeteria menus, a move that reverses a 2012 Obama-era policy that restricted schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to serving only skim or low-fat milk, an effort aimed at curbing childhood obesity.

Keep ReadingShow less
Person behind bars
Photo by Ye Jinghan on Unsplash

Prison Guards Describe Times They've Seen Former Inmates After They Got Released

We all make mistakes, but there are certain mistakes and bad decisions that might lead us to believe that there's no way to have a good life after making such a wrong turn.

But according to some Redditors, there can be a great life ahead, even in the chapter after jail or prison.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from Redditor dreamthorp's video
u/dreamthorp/Reddit

Firefighter Dubbed A Hero For Trying To Kick Down Gamer Neighbor's Door After Hearing His Cries For Help

Not many of us genuinely have a story that ends with a laugh and, "It was all just a big misunderstanding!"

But Redditor dreamthorp had quite the story of misunderstanding to share, based on his post in the "ARC_Raiders" subReddit.

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert Pattinson (left) and Timothée Chalamet (right)
Lionel Hahn/Getty Images; A24

'Marty Supreme' Director Reveals That Robert Pattinson Played Key Role In Film—And Fans Are Stunned

Timothée Chalamet’s Marty Supreme has become both an awards-season darling and a box office juggernaut, delivering A24 its second-biggest opening ever and cementing its status as one of the year’s most buzzed-about films.

But amid the Golden Globe wins, Critics' Choice buzz, and widespread praise for Chalamet’s performance, one delightful detail slipped past even the most attentive fans.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dad playing with his child
MoMo Productions/Getty Images

Dad Sparks Backlash After Admitting He Can't Stand Spending More Than 10 Minutes With His Kids

Most people who have chosen to have kids and become parents love their children.

That said, we generally can only spend so much time with people, whether they're our loved ones or coworkers, before we need a little break. It's okay that parents might like an occasional break from their children, like having a nice dinner out.

Keep ReadingShow less