Jeopardy! genius James Holzhauer snags his 28th straight victory to bring his total prize winnings to a whopping $2,195,557
- James Holzhauer, 34, was victorious during Monday night's Jeopardy! episode
- The professional Las Vegas gambler added $130,222 to his winnings, which now tally $2,195,557
- Holzhauer continues to inch close to reaching Ken Jennings' $2.5 million record that has been held since 2004
- Holzhauer and Jennings are the only two players to ever reach $2 million mark
Jeopardy! genius James Holzhauer snagged his 28th straight victory on Memorial Day by adding $130,222 to his ever-growing prize winnings.
The professional Las Vegas gambler was victorious during Monday night's episode, bringing his Jeopardy! total winnings to $2,195,557 so far.
The 34-year-old continues to inch close to reaching Ken Jennings' $2.5 million record that has been held since 2004.
Jeopardy! genius James Holzhauer was victorious during Monday night's episode, bringing his total winnings to $2,195,557 so far
Holzhauer and Jennings are the only two players to ever reach the $2 million mark.
It took Holzhauer just 27 episodes to reach the milestone.
His winnings on Monday were just shy of the one-day record of $131,127 that he set on April 9.
While Holzhauer and his two competitors all answered Final Jeopardy correctly during Monday's episode, the gambler had entered the final round with a $65,000 lead.
Holzhauer is averaging more than $77,000 per show.
In racking up the wins, he has employed a novel - but risky - strategy befitting his day job in Las Vegas.
It was Holzhauer's 28th straight victory and he added $130,222 to his ever-growing prize winnings
He frequently zeroes in on the high-value questions first to quickly amass money, and then unhesitatingly bets big on his ability to offer the correct answer when he lands on a special Daily Double question.
Holzhauer planned his strategy from the beginning, only deviating from it if the category is one he's unfamiliar with - such as the US Senate.
His remarkable run has earned him legions of admirers, including Jennings, the man whose record he is threatening to break.
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'This is absolutely insane,' Jennings said on Twitter of Holzhauer's success.
'I've always wanted to see someone try Jeopardy! wagering this way who had the skills to back it up.
'I don't feel I get enough credit for making small, sensible Jeopardy wagers, which helped the show with its prize budget.'
ESPN is covering Holzhauer's episodes on its Chalk betting section.
Holzhauer credits his career with helping 'desensitize' him when it comes to making big bets.
The 34-year-old (above with host Alex Trebek) continues to inch close to reaching Ken Jennings' $2.5 million record that has been held since 2004
