This Was The Game Show James Holzhauer Was On Before Jeopardy
Did you know professional gambling is a real job? Sounds insane, but it's true. James Holzhauer is a professional sports bettor and mathematician who's probably best known for his time on the game show Jeopardy!. To be fair, his time on the show crushed the usual type of winners, who had viewers wishing they'd studied more while they were sitting home during a called-off shift watching daytime TV. But hey, we can't all be James Holzhauer.
There are two other names alongside Holzhauer when it comes to big money wins on the game show. According to Jeopardy!'s website, Brad Rutter holds the title for most money won, at over $4.6 million. Ken Jennings held the title for his 74-day winning streak, the longest (so far), that raked in more than $3.3 million. Then there's James Holzhauer, who didn't beat either of the former contestants' records, but certainly rivaled them in terms of popularity. He also broke all 15 of the single-game winnings records on the show. All three have competed against each other in special Jeopardy! series, but that only secured the three in their popularity. Holzhauer's fame comes mostly for his attempt to topple Jennings on Jeopardy!, but it wasn't the first game show where the guy competed.
Holzhauer's other big win
Anyone who's skipped class to stay home and watch television knows that Jeopardy! isn't the only game show out there. In fact, there's a whole network dedicated to the genre fans who think they might "make it rich" by answering a few questions someday. We're talking about Game Show Network, and on the network is a little show called The Chase. The game consists of three contestants who work together in an attempt to out-genius the show's resident know-it-all, the Chaser, as they try to bring home "fat stacks," as they say in France. (They don't say that in France).
James Holzhauer appeared on the show in 2014, about five years before he landed on Jeopardy!, and did pretty well for himself. From the beginning, Holzhauer was a quiz show master. Questions are thrown at him rapid-fire, and Holzhauer knocks them out of the park, one after the other, without flinching. In the final round of the show, Holzhauer becomes the team leader and captains his group of hopefuls to a $175,000 total prize, according to the New York Post. Out of the total prize, Holzhauer walked away with around $60,000. Not a bad haul, but nothing compared to what he'd take home from his run on Jeopardy!.
Not the last we'll see of Holzhauer
The American version of The Chase that Holzhauer appeared on is a copy of the British show of the same name. Unfortunately, that American version only aired for four seasons, starting its run in 2013. Re-fortunately, ABC network has green-lit a new version of the game show and, better yet, Holzhauer is going to be on it.
The new iteration of The Chase is bringing back Jeopardy!'s most famous contestants, according to the New York Times. All three of the show's big winners — James Holzhauer, Ken Jennings, and Brad Rutter — will be revolving through the role of the show's "Chaser" position, a spot perfectly suited for the three trivia powerhouses.
ABC's version of the show won't make it easy for contestants to walk away with much money, since they'll have these three guys in the bag, but that doesn't mean the contestants won't have a chance. Newcomers will be able to face off with the Jeopardy! stars in multiple-choice face-offs, and we'll all get the chance to watch the trivia masters work toward a common goal for once, instead of against each other.