James Holzhauer chases ‘Jeopardy!’ history: Live updates | CNN (2024)

James Holzhauer, a professional sports bettor from Las Vegas, just won his 21st game, earning him the second-longest winning streak in “Jeopardy!” history.

Holzhauer won $80,615 tonight, bringing his 21-day total to $1,608,627.

Today’s final clue was this: “A character in this 1944 play is said to be like a piece of her own collection, “too exquisitely fragile to move from the shelf.”

The correct answer was “The Glass Menagerie.”

Holzhauer is inching closer to Ken Jennings’ top record of $2,520,700. Jennings has the longest winning streak with 74 games.

James Holzhauer, who was already significantly ahead, just hit the Daily Double. He bid $9,812, his anniversary date, because his wife is in the audience.

The question was about the babblefish used for translation in Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Just moments later, James hit a second Daily Double, adding $7,000 to his total.

James Holzhauer and Josh Archibaldseiffer are tied with $4,000 after the first round of “Jeopardy!”

“Two fellas off to a good start,” host Alex Trebek said before breaking to a commercial.

Jessica Efron Sauer is behind with $1,000.

It’s 7 p.m. ET, and “Jeopardy!” just started in parts of the East Coast.

James Holzhauer, a professional sports bettor from Las Vegas, is competing in his 21st game.

So far he’s won $1,528,012, and he’s tied with Julia Collins for the second-longest winning streak in the show’s history. Both Holzhauer and Collins, who was on the show in 2014, have 20-day winning streaks.

We’ll be covering tonight’s game live here.

James Holzhauer is competing in his 21st game of “Jeopardy!” tonight.

These are the two players he’ll take on:

With his 20th “Jeopardy!” win, James Holzhauer is now tied for the second-longest winning streak in the show’s history.

Holzhauer ended up with $101,682 today. His 20-day total is now $1,528,012.

Today’s final clue was this: “Of the four riders mentioned in Revelation 6, only this one is explicitly named.”

The correct answer was “Death.”

Both Holzhauer and Julia Collins, who was on the show in 2014, have 20-day winning streaks. Ken Jennings holds the record of the longest streak, which lasted 74 games in 2004, according to the show’s Hall of Fame.

It’s time for Final Jeopardy and James Holzhauer has $60,898. Imar Dacunha is in a (very distant) second place with $8,200, and Kate JayZweifler has $4,200.

That means it’s another runaway game for Holzhauer (This happens when the leader has more than double the total of the second place contestant).

According to Jeopardy’s website, 17 of Holzhauer’s previous 19 games have been runaways.

Tonight’s Final Jeopardy topic is “The King James Bible” — which might be fitting for King James of “Jeopardy!”

James Holzhauer just told another story about his 4-year-old daughter. (Remember: Yesterday, he told us about how she delights in retelling a story about the time a llama spit in her dad’s face.)

Today, Holzhauer explained that his daughter has already been to been to 14 countries.

But she’s still a typical 4-year-old: “Right now all she cares about is which country has the best playgrounds.”

“I am really hoping that she can see that the distance between us and other cultures is not as great as we sometimes think it is,” Holzhauer said.

Going into the first commercial break, James Holzhauer is leading with $9,600. Imar Dacunha is in second place with $4,600, and Kate JayZweifler isn’t on the board yet.

Holzhauer has already found this round’s Daily Double: He wagered — and won — $4,600.

It’s time for “Jeopardy!”

The game show just started in parts of the East Coast, and we’re watching James Holzhauer — the reigning champ.

The professional sports bettor from Las Vegas is competing in his 20th game. So far he’s won $1,426,330.

We’re covering tonight’s game live here.

James Holzhauer will be playing his 20th game of “Jeopardy!” tonight. So far he’s won $1,426,330.

Here’s who he’s facing tonight:

Tonight marks James Holzhauer’s 20th game of “Jeopardy!” tonight. If he wins, it means he’ll tie for the second-longest winning streak in the show’s history.

He’s currently tied for third place with David Madden, who appeared on the show in 2005. They won 19 games in a row.

Ken Jennings holds the record of the longest streak, which lasted 74 games in 2004, according to the show’s Hall of Fame. Second place goes to Julia Collins who won 20 games in 2014.

James Holzhauer just won his 19th “Jeopardy!” game. With this win, he’s now tied for the third-longest winning streak in the game’s history.

This was tonight’s final clue: “Founded, according, to tradition in 11 BC, this former capital lies about halfway between Paris and Berlin.”

Holzhauer was the only one of the three to get the correct answer — Bonn — but Libby Wood came up with a good joke.

“What is congrats to James,” she wrote.

Holzhauer wagered $40,000 and ended up with a daily total of $96,726. His 19-day total is $1,426,330.

Ken Jennings holds the record of the longest streak, which lasted 74 games in 2004, according to the show’s Hall of Fame. Second place goes to Julia Collins in 2014. David Madden won 19 games in 2005.

James Holzhauer has $56,726 going into Final Jeopardy. That’s (much) more than double of either of his competitors, who have $7,400 and $6,400.

Holzhauer has another runaway game, meaning the other contestants could bet their entire sums and they still wouldn’t beat him.

That said, Holzhauer still needs to bet wisely in the final.

James Holzhauer just hit another Daily Double. He wagered $9,812 — a specific figure he’s bet before.

Yesterday, Holzhauer explained the significance: He married his wife on Sept. 8, 2012.

“This counts as her gift,” Holzhauer joked before answering the question.

The clue: “Captain Corcoran is in command of this title Gilbert & Sullivan Ship.”

“Your wife is gonna love you,” host Alex Trebek said.

After the first commercial break, James Holzhauer told his daughter’s favorite story: The time a llama spit in his face.

“Oh, it’s her favorite story ever,” Holzhauer said.

He said he took his daughter to a petting zoo that gave visitors food to feed the animals. But not all of the animals cared for the food.

“I am trying to force feed this llama, and this llama had enough of it and he spit it in my face, not once, but twice,” Holzhauer said.

His daughter thought it was hilarious. “So she wants to tell the whole world, ‘Tell the story about llama spitting on papa,’” he said.

James Holzhauer picked the $1,000 clue from the “Brooklyn” category on his first pick tonight and ended up hitting a video Daily Double. He wagered the max — $1,000 — and was shown a photo of an iconic Brooklyn, New York, building.

“The edifice built as Brooklyn City Hall is now called this reflecting Brooklyn’s status within New York City,” host Alex Trebek said.

He answered correctly: “What is Borough Hall?”

Yesterday, Holzhauer also picked the the Daily Double as his first clue. However, he got the question wrong, and started out with a negative score.

James Holzhauer is playing his 19th game of “Jeopardy!” tonight. Last night’s game was close — he won by just $18.

Here’s who is taking on the champion tonight:

It’s 7 p.m. ET, and “Jeopardy!” just started in parts of the East Coast.

James Holzhauer, a professional sports bettor from Las Vegas, is competing in his 19th game. So far he’s won $1,329,604.

We’ll be covering tonight’s game live right here.

James Holzhauer has been using a specific method during his time on “Jeopardy!” It’s called the “Forrest Bounce”

How it works: The contestant jumps around from category to category, choosing tiles out of order to throw off his or her opponents.

Where it came from:Holzhauer isnot the firstto master the “Forrest Bounce.” Previous contestants like Arthur Chu and Chuck Forrest (who the method is named after) have used it to both confuse opponents and rack up the most amount of money in a short span of time by starting from the bottom of each category, where the clues are hardest.

One thing to note: While effective if done right, it is not very popular among the show’s staff, including host Alex Trebek, who has spoken out against the method.

Trebek argues that it disrupts the natural order of the show, which the writers work hard on preparing.

James Holzhauer is appearing in his 19th game of “Jeopardy!” tonight. If he wins, he’ll tie for the third longest winning streak in the show’s history.

Ken Jennings holds the record of the longest streak, which lasted 74 games in 2004, according to the show’s Hall of Fame.

Second place goes to Julia Collins in 2014. David Madden won 19 games in 2005.

What is an 18-day winning streak?

James Holzhauer just won his 18th game. But it was a close game — he won by just $18.

This was the clue: “The oldest of these business booster groups, formed in Marseille in 1599, uses “de” instead of “of” in the name.”

The answer: “Chamber of Commerce.”

Holzhauer ended with a daily total of $54,017 (Adam Levin came in second with $53,999). Holzhauer’s overall winnings now stand at $1,329,604.

James Holzhauer usually has a staggering lead over his opponents going into Final Jeopardy.

That’s not the case today.

Holzhauer has $33,517 going into the last question, while Adam Levin has $27,000. Jasmine Leonas isn’t out of the game yet, and has $7,800.

Today’s Final Jeopardy topic? “Organizations.”

James Holzhauer is using the “Forrest Bounce” technique to win his way through “Jeopardy!”

How it works: The contestant jumps around from category to category, choosing tiles out of order to throw off his or her opponents.

Where it came from: Holzhauer is not the first to master the “Forrest Bounce.” Previous contestants like Arthur Chu and Chuck Forrest (who the method is named after) have used it to both confuse opponents and rack up the most amount of money in a short span of time by starting from the bottom of each category, where the clues are hardest.

One thing to note: While effective if done right, it is not very popular among the show’s staff, including host Alex Trebek, who has spoken out against the method.

Trebek argues that it disrupts the natural order of the show, which the writers work hard on preparing.

Reporting from CNN’s Ramy Zabarah

“Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek noted that twice in James Holzhauer’s 17-game winning streak, he had a winning total of $9,812.

There’s a reason for the oddly specific figure.

“On Sept. 8 2012, I got married,” Holzhauer explained.

James Holzhauer’s hit a Daily Double on his first pick of the show — and he got it wrong.

This was the $1,000 clue (the category was Breaks and Livers): “The portal vein brings venous blood to the liver while this artery bring oxygenated arterial blood.”

Holzhauer got the question wrong — meaning his score dropped to -$1,000. Trebek even joked that it’s unusual to see Holzhauer in the red.

But note — it’s only the first round.

James Holzhauer, a resident of Las Vegas and professional sports bettor, is hoping to continue his winning streak tonight on “Jeopardy!” (He’s won $1,275,587in 17 episodes.)

Here’s who he’s playing against:

Monday night’s episode of “Jeopardy!” just started on the East Coast. This marks James Holzhauer’s 18th episode.

So far he’s won $1,275,587.

“Welcome everyone to the James Holzhauer show,” host Alex Trebek joked at the show’s start.

James Holzhauer, a professional sports bettor, is on a 17-game winning streak, and tonight he’s competing in his 18th game.

Here’s what we know about his winning streak, according to the shows website:

All eyes are glued on James Holzhauer as he chases “Jeopardy!” history.

But before Holzhauer can earn the highest winnings, he must beat Ken Jennings — the current-record holder.

Here’s what we know about Jennings’ winning streak:

James Holzhauer, a professional sports bettor and resident of Las Vegas, has been on a winning streak on “Jeopardy!”

His performance has entranced viewers and even drawn praise from “Jeopardy’s” most famous contestant.

Holzhauer’s winning strategy: Part of his success has come from his use of a controversial method known as the “Forrest Bounce,” in which the contestant jumps around from category to category, choosing tiles out of order to throw off his or her opponents, as well as his willingness to go after the Daily Doubles and bet big.

Holzhauer told NPR that “All good professional gamblers are selectively aggressive.”

“You need to pick your spots and bet big when you identify them,” the contestant told NPR via email. “That’s basically my ‘Jeopardy!’ strategy in a nutshell.”

And of course, you need money to make money.

“You need a decent-sized bankroll to bet for profit, which is why I start at the bottom of the board,” Holzhauer said.

The clues in “Jeopardy!” are written intentionally to flow from tile to tile in order of difficulty and increasing monetary value. So, contestants are generally encouraged to make their way down each category from top to bottom.

James Holzhauer, like some previous “Jeopardy!” champions, doesn’t play this way.

The “Forrest Bounce”

He employs a controversial method known as the “Forrest Bounce,” in which the contestant jumps around from category to category, choosing tiles out of order to throw off his or her opponents.

Holzhauer is not the first to master the “Forrest Bounce.” Previous contestants like Arthur Chu and Chuck Forrest (who the method is named after) have used it to both confuse opponents and rack up the most amount of money in a short span of time by starting from the bottom of each category, where the clues are hardest.

The hunt for “Daily Doubles”

This method also allows contestants to jump around the board and hunt for the hidden Daily Double tiles, which give them the opportunity to wager winnings with the prospect of drastically increasing their score. This is where Holzhauer shines.

With the confidence normally required to intimidate opponents in a game of poker or blackjack, Holzhauer plays fast and with no hesitation. By jumping around swiftly from clue to clue, he confuses the other players, who often find it hard to keep up.

The large wagers

By the time Holzhauer lands on a Daily Double tile, Holzhauer is usually so far ahead of the other contestants he can wager enormous amounts of money, knowing he’d still be ahead if he loses the bet (he usually doesn’t lose). By the final round, known as Final Jeopardy, Holzhauer has often already amassed more money than the average single-day haul, giving him a wide open opportunity to bet big and win big.