James Holzhauer‘s time onJeopardy!has finallycome to an end.
After 32 straight wins, 34-year-old Holzhauer was defeated on Monday’s episode of the long-running,Alex-Trebek-hosted game show.
Holzhauer finished in second place with $24,799, and Boettcher won the game with $46,801.
With $2,462,216 in earnings, Holzhauer needed just $58,484 to overtake Jennings.
Jeopardy Productions, Inc.
“I never really believed I could win 75 shows, but I definitely thought I had a great shot at Ken’s cash winnings record,” Holzhauer, who now holdsthe number two spots on both the all-time consecutiveJeopardy!wins list and the all-time regular season cash winnings list, said in a statement.
“Nobody likes to lose,” Holzhauer toldThe New York Times. “But I’m very proud of how I did, and I really exceeded my own expectations for the show. So I don’t feel bad about it.”
Holzhauer, who lives in Las Vegas and has a background in professional sports gambling, is one of only three players tocross the $2 million mark. He dominated the game with a strategy that involved going for all of the high-value questions first, hunting for the Double Jeopardy items, and when he found them, betting all he had.
James Holzhauer.Jeopardy
“A lot of the opponents have adjusted to the strategy,” he told theTimes. “But not all of them have had the guts to actually back it up with a big bet.”
Though he did eventually lose, Holzhauer’s statistics will be tough to beat. According to theTimes, he won an average of $77,000 per game, more than double Jennings’ rate.
Previously, theJeopardy!contestant revealed on an episode that his father also had a knack for trivia.
“Well, so my dad while growing up could always solve the wholeNew York Timescrossword, and I was like, ‘That’s amazing. I wanna be that smart when I am old.’ And then when I was an adult, he confessed to me that he would look up all the pop culture answers because he uh, you know, he didn’t bother with that sort of trashy knowledge. But he told me he did memorize some of the ones that come up often, like rap star Dr. Dree,” he said with a laugh.
Holzhauer will return toJeopardy!in season 36 for the next edition ofTournament of Champions.
source: people.com
