James Holzhauer

James Holzhauer is an American professional sports gambler and game show competitor known for his achievements in television trivia. After earning a degree in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Holzhauer transitioned from online poker to a career in sports betting, using analytical skills to become a full-time professional gambler based in Las Vegas. He developed specialized computer models to predict outcomes in baseball, NFL, and college basketball games, establishing a reputation in the Las Vegas sports betting community before gaining national attention.

Holzhauer gained widespread recognition through his performance on "Jeopardy!," where he achieved a 32-game winning streak, set multiple single-game winnings records, and won the Tournament of Champions. He became the first and only player to win $100,000 or more in a single episode, accomplishing this six times. Holzhauer's total winnings on "Jeopardy!" exceeded $2.4 million, with an average of $75,362 per episode. Fellow champion Ken Jennings compared Holzhauer's accomplishments to a basketball player scoring 70 points per game for an entire season. During Holzhauer's run, Nielsen ratings for "Jeopardy!" increased significantly, both nationally and in select local markets.

Holzhauer's approach to "Jeopardy!" was informed by his background in gambling. He selected the highest-value clues first to maximize his available wagers on Daily Doubles and credited reading fact books for children, which use infographics, for helping him absorb large amounts of information efficiently. Holzhauer answered 72 out of 76 Daily Doubles correctly, achieving a 94.7% accuracy rate. His high-stakes betting style, known as the Holzhauer Method, has influenced strategies on "Jeopardy!" and other quiz shows.

In addition to his regular-season success, Holzhauer continued to compete in televised trivia at a high level. He became the first "Jeopardy! Masters" champion, winning the competition against Mattea Roach and Matt Amodio in the final. Holzhauer's combined earnings from the Tournament of Champions, the "Greatest of All Time" Tournament, and the Masters tournament brought his total "Jeopardy!" winnings to more than $3.4 million, making him the fourth-highest-earning American game show contestant.

Holzhauer expanded his television presence by joining the ABC reboot of "The Chase" alongside Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, alternating as "The Chaser"—the trivia expert tasked with preventing contestants from winning prize money. On the show, he is known as The High Roller. Holzhauer has also appeared on talk shows, podcasts, and various game show events, including appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and ESPN. Off-screen, Holzhauer has contributed to philanthropy, receiving the Alex Trebek Person of the Year award with his wife for their charitable work with Project 150, an organization supporting high school students in need.