James Holzhauer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Holzhauer
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Holzhauer on The Chase in 2014
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| Born | August 6, 1984 Naperville, Illinois, US
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| Alma mater | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (BS) |
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| Known for | 32-game Jeopardy! winning streak |
| Spouse(s) |
Melissa Sassin
(m. 2012) |
| Children | 1 |
James Holzhauer (born August 6, 1984) is an American game show contestant and a professional sports gambler. He is famous for his amazing 32-game winning streak on the quiz show Jeopardy! in 2019. During his time on the show, he set many new records for how much money a player could win in a single game. He also won the Tournament of Champions later that year.
James won a total of $2,464,216 during his 33 appearances on Jeopardy!. This made him the second-highest winner in the show's regular games, right after Ken Jennings. With his wins from other tournaments, his total prize money reached $3,464,216. This makes him the third-highest winning Jeopardy! contestant ever. He holds the record for the most money won in a single game, with $131,127, and he has all of the top 10 single-game winning records! Because of his success, people often call him "Jeopardy James".
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Early Life and Education
James Holzhauer was born on August 6, 1984, and grew up in Naperville, Illinois. His father was from Germany. His Japanese grandmother spoke very little English, and James had promised her he would appear on Jeopardy! before she passed away.
When James was just four years old, his teacher was amazed by how good he was at math. She even created special, harder math work just for him. At age seven, he moved up to a fifth-grade math class and skipped second grade. James always got top grades in math tests and was part of his high school's math team.
Even though he was great at math tests, James sometimes skipped classes and homework. He felt he could use his time better, like playing online poker. He also loved memorizing facts about baseball and professional wrestling.
James was part of a science and engineering team that won a state competition. He came in first place in physics and second in math. In 2005, he earned a degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Game Show Adventures
On The Chase
James first appeared on the American quiz show The Chase on September 2, 2014. In one round, he answered 12 out of 13 questions correctly in just one minute. This set a record for the show!
He then faced a "Chaser" named Mark Labbett. James chose to play for $60,000. He made it to the final round and helped his team win a total of $175,000. James's share was $58,333.33. He also set a record in the final round by answering 19 questions correctly for his team.
Later, James, Ken Jennings, and Brad Rutter became "Chasers" themselves when the show was brought back by ABC in 2021.
On 500 Questions
James also appeared on another quiz show called 500 Questions on May 22, 2015. However, he did not win any money on this show.
His Time on Jeopardy!
James Holzhauer became a superstar on Jeopardy! He appeared in 33 episodes from April 4 to June 3, 2019.
In his very first game, he won $43,680. Then, in his fourth game, he broke the record for the most money won in a single Jeopardy! game, winning $110,914! He broke this record again on April 17, winning an amazing $131,127. James is the only player to ever win $100,000 or more in a single episode, and he did it six times!
He won a total of $2,464,216 during his streak. This means he averaged over $75,000 per episode! Another Jeopardy! champion, Ken Jennings, said this was like a basketball player scoring 70 points in every game.
James's winning streak ended in his 33rd game on June 3, 2019. He was defeated by Emma Boettcher. This episode was watched by 14.5 million people!
Jeopardy! Tournaments
After his amazing run, James returned for the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions in November 2019. He won his quarterfinal and semifinal games. In the final, he faced Emma Boettcher again and won the $250,000 grand prize!
Then, in January 2020, James competed in Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time against Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. He won one match but lost to Ken Jennings in the others. He received a $250,000 prize as the runner-up.
In May 2023, James won the first Jeopardy! Masters tournament, earning a $500,000 grand prize. He beat Mattea Roach and Matt Amodio in the finals. He also competed in the 2024 Jeopardy! Masters tournament, finishing in third place.
How James Played (Strategies)
James had a special way of playing Jeopardy!. He would pick the highest-value clues first. This was to build up as much money as possible before finding a "Daily Double" clue. When he found a Daily Double or reached "Final Jeopardy!", he would bet a lot of money. His average bet on Daily Doubles was $9,000!
This strategy worked because James was very good at answering questions correctly. He was right on 72 out of 76 Daily Doubles he found (that's 94.7% correct!). He also read fact books made for children, which helped him learn a lot of information easily. He even took a year off from his job as a sports gambler to study for Jeopardy!.
Jeopardy! Ratings
Because of James's exciting run, the number of people watching Jeopardy! went up a lot. Ratings increased by 11% across the country and even doubled in some areas. His final episode was the most-watched Jeopardy! episode since Ken Jennings's last game in 2004!
Gambling Career
While in college, James Holzhauer played card games like hearts and spades. He then started playing poker. He built up his money for sports betting by betting on the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
After college, in 2008, he moved to Las Vegas to become a professional sports gambler. James says he creates special computer models to help him bet on baseball, NFL, and college basketball games. He now mostly focuses on betting during games as they happen.
In 2019, James also played in the World Series of Poker. He didn't win any big prizes, but he did earn $600 in one game.
Personal Life
James Holzhauer married Melissa Sassin on September 8, 2012. Melissa is a tutor and has also been on a game show, winning $28,800 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 2014. They have one child.
James often used important dates in his life for his Jeopardy! bets, like family birthdays or his wedding anniversary. He is a big sports fan, especially of the Vegas Golden Knights hockey team and the Chicago Cubs baseball team. He even participated in a Golden Knights pre-game event!
James also loves professional wrestling. He has used famous wrestling phrases on Jeopardy! and The Chase. He even wore a wrestling-style championship belt on Jeopardy! Masters and called himself a "game show villain."
Giving Back (Philanthropy)
James Holzhauer has said he wants to donate some of his Jeopardy! winnings to charities that help children in Las Vegas. He donated $10,000 to a group that helps homeless teens. In May 2019, he received a special "key to the Las Vegas Strip" for his success and his donations to charities.
He also donated money to a pancreatic cancer walk in Illinois in honor of Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. James plans to donate half of his winnings from the World Series of Poker to Project 150, a Las Vegas nonprofit that helps high school students who are homeless or facing difficulties.
Awards and Honors
On September 29, 2022, James and his wife Melissa received the first-ever Alex Trebek Person of the Year award. They received it for their work with Project 150. In 2020, a rock band called AVOID! even sang a song in his honor called "Song About James."
See also
- List of Jeopardy! contestants
- Strategies and skills of Jeopardy! champions
