James Holzhauer’s 'Jeopardy!' Streak Ended Just Shy of a Record with These Two Questions

James Holzhauer’s 32-game winning streak ended after two questions ruined his shot at breaking Ken Jennings’ record of $2,520,700 winnings.

On Monday’s episode of “Jeopardy,” James Holzhauer ended his winning streak after losing to Emma Boettcher, a Chicago librarian, during the second Daily Double. With the first question:

“It’s home to the annual United States sailboat show.” She answered a correct, “Annapolis.”

Boettcher multiplied her pot, leading her to a $15,200 win versus Holzhauer’s $12,600. She was behind Holzhauer shortly after that, but caught up in the second Daily Double and maintained her spot until the end. The second question was:

“On book covers from GOP lawmakers, Jason Chaffetz and Mike Lee is this phrase for the bureaucracy said to be working against democracy.”

Boettcher’s answer, “The deep state,” won her $23,400 as opposed to $17,800 for Holzhauer. The night ended with Holzhauer having only $1,399 in his final “Final Jeopardy” round compared to Boetcher’s $20,201.

“I never really believed I could win 75 shows, but I definitely thought I had a great show at Ken’s cash winnings record,” Holzhauer said. “Nobody likes to lose, but I’m very proud of how I did, and I really exceeded my own expectations for the show. So I don’t feel bad about it,” he added.

The show’s host, Alex Trebek, foreshadowed the nights play at the start, without a hint that Holzhauer would lose. The longtime host quipped that the other two opposing contenders believe “enough is enough” for Holzhauer.

Holzhauer, 34, is a professional sport better residing in Las Vegas, did his best throughout the show, in all “Jeopardy” rounds. Apart from his impeccable wiz and winning mindset, the “Jeopardy” star learned to master the buzzer, which we all know counts for a big part of winning.

He practices on a buzzer proxy at home to prepare himself for the actual round, which will allow him to get the timing perfectly. Eddie Timanus, a five-time “Jeopardy” champion also believes that his speed and accuracy when it comes to the buzzer gives him leverage from the others.

As seen on the past episodes, his buzzing skills have been put to the test and always knocked him up a notch, even making him the second person in history to bag a $1 million win from the show.