The year is 2009, my preteen self is sitting in the living room at 6:30 PM sharp anxiously waiting for my favourite game show to come on. That show is Jeopardy! At the time, I could only get about two answers correct throughout the show’s 61 total questions. My parents who barely knew any English would watch along with me, saying that if I managed to get a question correct for that day I could get 1 hour of computer time. Even though I took a brief hiatus from watching Jeopardy! for a majority of the 2010s, I came back to the show in 2019 and fell in love with its captivating format once again.

The premise of the game show is very simple: 3 contestants looking at a board of 30 clues, from 6 different categories and 5 different money values. However, in the first round, also named the Jeopardy! round, there is one spot on the board which contains the Daily Double. This can be used to let the contestant double their winnings if they choose to, and accumulate a massive lead. Similarly, in the second round known as the Double Jeopardy! round, there are now two Daily Doubles hidden within the 30 clues. Finally, the last clue known as Final Jeopardy! is the concluding opportunity to double your score, given that your response is correct. Most people who play on Jeopardy! make relatively safe bets during these doubling chances, but there have been a select few who like to go all in. 

In 2019, an unassuming sports gambler began rampaging through Jeopardy! in ways that have never been done before. His name was James Holzhauer. He bet all of his money at almost every opportunity, and broke over 20 records in his 32-game run, nearly breaking the regular season money record. Currently at the time of writing, another super streaker named Matt Amodio has been making a name for himself by not only breaking James’ record of 32 games, but doing so in dominating fashion. Currently, Matt is on a 38-game streak.

Will he be able to beat the 74-game record set by Ken Jennings in 2004?