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‘Jeopardy!’ Champion James Holzhauer Breaks Winning Streak After Losing His 33rd Game

(Credit: Youtube Screenshot / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwgdVoDLHpY)

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“Jeopardy!” contestant James Holzhauer broke his winning streak on the Monday night show, ending his reign with 32 games in a row.

Holzhauer lost his 33rd game to fellow contestant Emma Boettcher, according to a report published by the New York Times. The professional sports gambler was roughly $58,000 away from breaking Ken Jennings’ record for most money won on “Jeopardy!”

“Nobody likes to lose,” Holzhauer told the Times. “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.”

Holzhauer surprised fans by betting a significantly low wager, but he argues it was the only way he could have potentially won the game. He bet $1,399 in Final Jeopardy, while Boettcher wagered $20,201. The Chicago librarian seems like a fitting choice to have beat the reigning champion, as she wrote an entire master’s thesis on the questions of “Jeopardy!” according to NBC News. (RELATED: Professional Sports Gambler Breaks Most Money Won In A Single ‘Jeopardy’ Game)

“I knew I could only win if Emma missed Final Jeopardy, as there was no way she wouldn’t bet to cover my all-in bet, so my only concern was getting overtaken by third place, and I bet just enough to make sure of locking him out,” Holzhauer said in an interview with the Action Network. “Betting big would have looked good for the cameras, but now I turn my straight bet (Emma misses) into a parlay (Emma misses, and I get it right).”

Despite his streak coming to an end, Holzhauer admitted he wasn’t too upset about his loss. In all, Holzhauer won 32 consecutive games, earning a total of $2,,464,216.

“By the time Final Jeopardy rolled around, I knew my goose was cooked if Emma answered correctly,” Holzhauer told The Atlantic. “It’s a little like needing a team to miss a last-second field goal — nothing you can really do but watch. I made peace with my fate before the clue for Final was even revealed.”

One person choked up about Holzhauer’s time on the show coming to an end was the usually stoic host Alex Trebek. The game show host reportedly teared up when addressing the audience and bidding Holzhauer a final farewell.