James Holzhauer reflects on Matt Amodio passing him on ‘Jeopardy!’

Move implicit “Jeopardy! James” and marque mode for the “Amodio Rodeo.”

Two years aft James Holzhauer captivated the game-show world during a 32-game “Jeopardy!” triumph streak, Matt Amodio surpassed the Las Vegas nonrecreational sports bettor Friday with his 33rd triumph connected the fashionable quiz show.

Amodio, a Yale Ph.D. pupil and Medina, Ohio, native, present has the second-longest triumph streak successful the show’s 38-year past down Ken Jennings, who won 74 games successful 2004.

“Ken’s ever been the look of ‘Jeopardy!’ to me, truthful erstwhile I deliberation of ‘Jeopardy!’, I deliberation of him,” Amodio said. “To (be) close down him is simply a surreal experience.”

Holzhauer utilized a sports betting analogy to enactment Amodio’s accomplishment successful perspective.

“It’s similar hitting a 33-game parlay successful sports betting, and there’s a crushed you ne'er spot anyone bash that,” helium told the Review-Journal via email. “Something oregon idiosyncratic ever trips you up eventually.”

On Wednesday, the time earlier Amodio matched Holzhauer’s mark, helium posted a tribute to him connected Twitter, penning that “Tomorrow connected #Jeopardy I person the accidental to punctual everybody however overmuch amended than maine @James_Holzhauer is successful virtually each way.

“It would beryllium an grant to beryllium unfavorably compared to a idiosyncratic I respect truthful much!”

Amodio was referencing Holzhauer’s immense pb successful winnings connected the show. Despite having a longer triumph streak, Amodio is inactive lone astir halfway toward matching Holzhauer’s winnings connected the show. Through 33 games, Amodio has won $1.27 million, and Holzhauer won $2.46 million.

“I deliberation astir ‘Jeopardy’ fans measurement (a player) by the fig of games won,” Holzhauer said. “But I can’t spell to the SuperBook model and enactment 32 games connected the Chiefs -7.”

Holzhauer was connected the cusp of passing Jennings’ grounds of $2.52 cardinal successful winnings (regular play only) when helium mislaid his 33rd game to University of Chicago librarian Emma Boettcher.

A autochthonal of Naperville, Illinois, Holzhauer has the apical 10 spots connected the “Jeopardy!” single-game winnings list, including six wins of astatine slightest $100,000 and the grounds of $131,127.

Holzhauer, who precocious wrapped up his 2nd play of ABC’s quiz amusement “The Chase,” said helium hasn’t watched “Jeopardy!” “in forever.”

It wouldn’t beryllium astonishing if Holzhauer faced Amodio successful different “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time” tournament, which took spot successful January 2020 and besides featured Jennings and erstwhile champion Brad Rutter.

“I’m definite Sony saw however overmuch wealth they made from GOAT and would emotion to bash it again,” Holzhauer said. “But it has to beryllium hard to travel up with a rubric that tin vie with ‘Greatest of All Time.’”

Contact newsman Todd Dewey astatine tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 connected Twitter.