Las Vegas Professional Sports Gambler Breaks Jeopardy RecordJames Holzhauer Shatters Single-Game Earnings Record With $110,914 Performance |
|
A Las Vegas professional sports gambler has shattered the single-game earnings record on Jeopardy!, bringing in a haul worth $110,914.
James Holzhauer, a sports bettor originally from Naperville, Illinois, won his fourth consecutive appearance on the popular game show Tuesday night, and did so in dominating fashion. The 34-year-old had no problem crushing a nearly decade-old record of $77,000 set by Roger Craig in 2010.
Much like other gamblers who have appeared on the show before him, Holzhauer has used an aggressive strategy throughout, frequently betting all or most of his money when he has control of the board and is landing on Daily Doubles.
After winning $43,680 in his debut episode on April 4, Holzhauer followed up his first performance with two more easy victories, banking an additional $38,926 on Friday and $50,845 on Monday before his Tuesday run earned him national recognition.
Holzhauer was ‘all-in’ on a Daily Double early on in Tuesday’s competition and never looked back after getting the answer correct. He entered Final Jeopardy with the game locked up and just $4,400 from Craig’s record, but that didn’t stop him from wagering $38,314 on the final clue. He ended up winning the game by more than $98,000!
“I said all along that I wanted to break Roger Craig’s one-game record and I did it," said Holzhauer.
His final wager was carefully chosen so that he could end up with exactly $110,914, a number he has admitted references his daughter’s birthday of Nov. 9, 2014.
So far, Holzhauer’s four-day performance has earned him a combined $244,365.
The professional gambler has a history of competing on game shows, having won an appearance on Game Show Network’s The Chase back in 2014 and been called one of the toughest competitors in the show’s history.
Holzhauer’s wife, Melissa Sassin, is also an accomplished game show participant, having won $28,800 on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire back in 2012.
Poker pro Alex Jacob pocketed a combined $151,802 on Jeopardy! after winning six straight games in 2015. He came back later that year and won the Tournament of Champions for another $250,000.
Holzhauer returns for a fifth appearance on Wednesday night. The record for most consecutive wins is 74, set by Ken Jennings in 2004.
Check out Holzhauer on GSN’s The Chase,from 2014.
Copyright © 2001-2024
CardPlayer.com. All rights reserved.
