Jeopardy contestant James Holzhauer eclipsed the $1-million mark in just his 14th appearance on the show Tuesday. You can watch Jeopardy every Monday through Saturday on CHEK, starting at 7:30 p.m. Photo courtesy Twitter/Jeopardy.
There’s no truth to the rumour that James Holzhauer is a cyborg created to be the perfect “Jeopardy!” contestant.
But given how he’s made a level of excellence rarely seen on the television quiz show appear almost mundane, it sometimes seems that way.
Holzhauer eclipsed the $1 million mark in winnings Tuesday on his 14th appearance.
Not only has he won $131,127 to shatter the program’s previous one-day record of $77,000, he already has the top five one-day scores in the history of a game that has aired regularly since 1984.
Photo courtesy jeopardy.com.
The professional gambler from Las Vegas is quick on his feet and quick with the buzzer, displays an extraordinary breadth of knowledge and _ true to his profession _ is cold-blooded in his willingness to risk large amounts of money.
The show’s most hallowed records, set in 2004 when Ken Jennings won 74 games in a row and earned more than $2.5 million, seem like a plausible goal.
This is absolutely insane. I've always wanted to see someone try Jeopardy! wagering this way who had the skills to back it up. https://t.co/PYj6MDsXjs
— Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) April 18, 2019
Jennings says Holzhauer is just a perfect ‘Jeopardy!’ machine.
Like most of the game’s best players, he did his share of studying in advance, finding that books geared to young people were a good way to learn about unfamiliar topics.
He built a replica of the show’s buzzer and practiced while playing along on TV, standing in his living room like he has to do now in front of a podium.
Holzhauer says he rarely guesses _ he doesn’t like those odds _ but seems never to have forgotten a fact.
Tune in Wednesday to watch Holzhauer’s next game, starting at 7:30 p.m. on CHEK.
The Canadian Press
