James Holzhauer Breaks Records with a $110 914 Win on Jeopardy

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James Holzhauer is a professional gambler who loves to take risks. This week, he took a shot on Jeopardy that ended in a huge payout. He won $110 914 on his last clue after gathering $72 600 on previous days. Holzhauer reportedly went into the competition with the intention of breaking the previous record of $77 000.

Most Jeopardy contestants aren’t professional sports bettors, though. So, Holzhauer had a slight advantage when the time came for his last answer. If you’re unfamiliar with the popular game show, contestants are given answers and need to guess the question. Each guess is made with a gamble on their prospective winnings. For Holzhauer, this cost him $38 314:

The answer: ‘Ironically, it’s a metaphor meaning a huge step forward, but this two-word process only occurs on a subatomic scale.’

The question: ‘What is quantum leap?’

James Holzhauer Breaks Records with a $110 914 Win on Jeopardy

Who is James Holzhauer?

According to an alleged ‘fan site’, www.kingjamesholzhauer.com, Mr Holzhauer has been interested in television game shows for many years. In 2014, he competed on the American version of The Chase. Like it’s British counterpart, four contestants work together to answer general knowledge questions. The site claims that Holzhauer ‘outshone’ his team mates and ‘dominated’ the rounds.

His latest entry into game shows on Jeopardy was allegedly thanks to his unique method of learning. The lucky contestant told the Naperville Sun that he likes to read children’s books on general knowledge subjects from the library. So, he claims that the ‘pictures and fun facts’ are good for learning the ‘nuts and bolts of any subject’. Should any US players want to beat his new record, they can try kids’ books too.

While Holzhauer might hold the Single Day title, another contestant still holds the biggest record. Ken Jennings has won 74 shows on Jeopardy spanning nearly six months. Another contestant, Brad Rutter, also holds the most cumulative winnings at $4 355 102.