'Jeopardy' Contestant Just Broke the Single-Game Winnings Record Once Again

James Holzhauer is slowly making history after placing second in all-time “Jeopardy” winnings after ten games. He is now next to the legendary Ken Jennings.

A professional gambler and “Jeopardy” contestant, James Holzhauer, hit the four single-highest points in the game’s record, gaining $697,787 on Wednesday’s episode. The player has been taking a series of risks that even the greatest players would never do.

Holzhauer, 34, made it to second place in less than two weeks, taking after Jennings who accumulated $2.5 million with his 74 winning streak in 2004.

Among Holzhauer’s strategies are his speed when it comes to pressing the buzzer, starting from the bottom going up, chasing the large amounts first, and doubling down after finding a Daily Double. 

His risks come by chance as he gambled $9,812 because his wedding anniversary is on September 8, 2012, and bet $11,914 because it is the date of his daughters birthday.

More than taking risks, Holzhauer is a man of full knowledge, having 41 correct answers on Wednesday night’s episode. He won $131,127, beating his previous record of $110,914 last week.

He also worked hard to get a slot at the show, taking the online tryout test 13 times and attending different auditions to be chosen. Holzhauer went as far as practicing on a buzzer which he made out of masking tape wrapped around a pencil, for the show.

The competitive contestant also revealed that his knowledge did not come from being educated at school, which he hated. Instead, he studied topics which he couldn’t master before. He told the Naperville Sun:

“My big secret for studying subjects I find interesting is to check out the children’s section of the library. The books there are filled with pictures and fun facts, and they’re a great way to learn the nuts and bolts of any subject. I have a reputation for only pursuing things I enjoy, but working very hard to be the best at those. Thus I could go to the national finals in MATHCOUNTS in junior high while earning a C in my math class for refusing to do homework.”

His performance on the show has left the audience eager to see the next season, which the show’s host, Alex Trebek, has revealed to be filming in September. Apart from the impressive run of Holzhauer on the show, was heartbreaking news from Trebek. 

The 78-year-old long time host revealed that he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer but still is in high spirits and healthy enough to host the show. In a video posted last Wednesday, the host gave an update of his health and the show’s filming for the 36th season.