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Agence France-Presse

A professional gambler with nerves of steel and an encyclopedic mind has just surpassed the US$1 million mark in earnings on the popular American television quiz show Jeopardy! – in lightning quick fashion.
James Holzhauer, 34, is only the second contestant in the show’s decades-long history to pass that mark in regular season play, after the legendary Ken Jennings. Well, legendary for the show’s avid fans.

We can hardly keep track of James's Jeopardy! winnings! Luckily, we just launched the official James Tracker to monitor his progress.
Check it out! https://t.co/c14uZOf5Wk pic.twitter.com/BikLUyKhSg
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) April 24, 2019

While it took Jennings, a computer scientist from Utah, 74 episodes to amass his fortune, Holzhauer has earned US$1.06 million in just 14 appearances.
The gambler with the wide grin is now aiming to best the US$2.52 million in prize money set by Jennings during his long string of victories in 2004.
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“This is absolutely insane,” Jennings said on Twitter of the success of Holzhauer, who has repeatedly broken his own record for the most money won on a single night – it currently stands at US$131,127.
ESPN is covering Holzhauer’s episodes on its Chalk betting section. Rock bands are tweeting at him when he answers questions about them.
“Dream job: pro sports bettor and Jeopardy contestant,” Holzhauer tweeted.
Jeopardy! is one of the oldest television quiz shows in the United States, dating back initially to 1964, and to 1984 in its current format with host Alex Trebek.

It is a testament to the show’s beloved nature that when Trebek recently announced he was battling cancer, the news trended on Twitter.
Every night, three contestants are presented with trivia questions in various categories and asked to come up with the answer – in the form of a question.
A recent example: “Rulers of this Empire included Darius I and his son Xerxes I.”
Holzhauer’s correct answer: “What is Persia?”
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A monetary value is attached to each question, and the first contestant to press a buzzer gets to answer.
Holzhauer has proved to be super fast on the buzzer.
But more importantly, in racking up the wins, he has also employed a novel – but risky – strategy befitting his day job in Vegas.

He frequently zeroes in on the high-value questions first to quickly amass money, and then unhesitatingly bets big – really big – on his ability to offer the correct answer when he lands on a special Daily Double question.
Explaining his success to ESPN, Holzhauer said: “There’s not a lot of professional gamblers out there.
“Even if people wanted to be, I don’t think a lot have the mindset that ‘Oh, I can just put in US$10,000 and if I lose, OK, I move on with my game and keep playing the rest of the game with a level head.’”
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Holzhauer’s remarkable run has earned him legions of admirers – including Jennings, the man whose record he is threatening to break.
“I’ve always wanted to see someone try Jeopardy! wagering this way who had the skills to back it up,” Jennings said.
“I don’t feel I get enough credit for making small, sensible Jeopardy wagers, which helped the show with its prize budget,” he quipped in another tweet.


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‘What is his secret?’ Meet James Holzhauer, the professional gambler who raked in US$1 million on US quiz show ‘Jeopardy!’

James Holzhauer on a ‘Jeopardy!’ episode that aired on April 17. Photo: Jeopardy Productions, Inc. via AP

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 21: Professional sports gambler and "Jeopardy!" champion James Holzhauer of Nevada sounds a siren in the Castle before the start of Game Six of the Western Conference First Round between the San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on April 21, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Sharks defeated the Golden Knights 2-1 in double overtime to even the series at 3-3. Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

In this undated publicity image released by Jeopardy Productions, Inc., host Alex Trebek, left, poses with contestants Ken Jennings, center, and Brad Rutter and a computer named Watson on the set of "Jeopardy!," in Culver City, Calif. On Monday, Feb. 14, 2011, "Jeopardy!" will begin airing two matches spread over three days between Jennings, Rutter and Watson, who was developed by IBM scientists. (AP Photo/ Jeopardy Productions, Inc.)

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Contestant with nerves of steel won US$131,127 in single night by betting big and taking risks
Holzhauer is now looking to best US$2.52 million record set by computer scientist Ken Jennings


James Holzhauer won US$131,127 in a single night by betting big and taking risks.


Fame and celebrity

‘What is his secret?’ Meet James Holzhauer, the professional gambler who raked in US$1 million on US quiz show ‘Jeopardy!’

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Contestant with nerves of steel won US$131,127 in single night by betting big and taking risks Holzhauer is now looking to best US$2.52 million record set by computer scientist Ken Jennings

Contestant with nerves of steel won US$131,127 in single night by betting big and taking risks

Holzhauer is now looking to best US$2.52 million record set by computer scientist Ken Jennings