“Playing At As High A Level As Anyone Who’s Ever Played The Game”: I’ve Changed My Mind, I Don’t Think Jeopardy!’s James Holzhauer Is The Greatest Ever, Despite The Hype

Via ABC

Jeopardy! legend James Holzhauer is considered by many to be the greatest player of all-time, but, despite the hype, I’ve changed my mind about this after watching Jeopardy! Masters season 3 without him. Before Jeopardy! Masters season 3 began with contestants Victoria Groce, Yogesh Raut, Brad Rutter, Roger Craig, Matt Amodio, Juveria Zaheer, Neilesh Vinjamuri, Adriana Harmeyer, and Isaac Hirsch, I wondered if the show would be as exciting without James, who declined his invitation after placing third in season 2 and winning season 1. After all, James is known for his shocking Daily Double wagers, which have earned him all of the Top 10 Jeopardy! single-day winnings records.

In 2019, James had a 32-game Jeopardy! winning streak during which he set multiple single-game winnings records. He later won the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions. James won $2,464,216 in his 33 regular Jeopardy! game appearances, behind only now-Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings, who holds the record for the most money won at $2,522,700 and the longest winning streak at 74 games. In an interview with Wired during James’ winning streak, Ken said, “Statistically, he’s playing at as high a level as anyone who’s ever played the game.“ I used to think that this made James the greatest Jeopardy! player of all-time, but, after his Jeopardy! Masters season 3 absence, I’ve changed my mind.

James Holzhauer Didn’t Win The Jeopardy! Greatest Of All Time Tournament

Ken Jennings Bested James In The Tournament

Intstagram @holzhauerjames

In January 2020, the Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time tournament aired, with James, Ken, and Brad competing for the title and the $1 million prize. Ken won the tournament, while James placed second, and Brad placed third. I was very intrigued by this tournament because Ken, James, and Brad, who holds the record for the most Jeopardy! winnings in regular and tournament games, all have their own special claims to fame when it comes to the game. This tournament would finally settle who was the best among them.

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I wasn’t surprised when Ken won the Greatest of All Time tournament because he had the longest Jeopardy! streak. James’ wins were impressive, but they were based more on his large wagers than having more knowledge than anyone else. As I’m watching Jeopardy! Masters season 3, I’m realizing that some of the other contestants could achieve the same thing as James if they were willing to bet all of their money on Daily Doubles, but they choose to play more conservatively than him.

James Came In Third In Jeopardy! Masters Season 2

James Couldn’t Beat Victoria Groce & Yogesh Raut

Instagram @holzhauerjames

After watching James dominate in the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions and Jeopardy! Masters season 1, I was shocked when he placed third in Jeopardy! Masters season 2 behind winner Victoria and runner-up Yogesh. However, I quickly realized that James had never competed against those two Jeopardy! juggernauts before, and he’d finally met his match. This proved to me that he was beatable by Jeopardy! legends other than Ken.

I know that James is a fantastic Jeopardy! player who has a very broad base of knowledge, which he expanded by reading facts in children’s books, but he isn’t the only champion who’s like an encyclopedia. I don’t want to take anything away from what James has brought to Jeopardy!, and how he changed the way that the game is played with his gutsy Daily Double wagers. However, there are plenty of other Jeopardy! champions, including Victoria and Yogesh, who have just as much knowledge as James.

James Wins Jeopardy! Games Because Of His Daring Wagers

The Jeopardy! Masters Season 3 Contestants Have Been Just As Bold As James

Image via ABC

As a professional sports gambler, James is never afraid to go all-in with his Jeopardy! Daily Double wagers. This is why he was able to set so many single-day winnings records on the show. On April 9, 2019, James broke Roger’s record for the highest single-day Jeopardy! winnings. Roger won $77,000 on September 14, 2010, but James shattered that record with his winnings of $110,914. He later surpassed that, and now holds the record at a jaw-dropping $131,127.

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I’ve Changed My Mind, Jeopardy! Masters Season 3 Doesn’t Need James Holzhauer (The Other Contestants Are Just As Gutsy & Knowledgeable)

Jeopardy! legend James Holzhauer is missing from Jeopardy! Masters season 3, but, so far, I think the show is doing just fine without him.

However, during Jeopardy! Masters season 3, I was happy to see several of the competitors making it a true Daily Double. I realized that they have the same amount of knowledge as James, but sometimes they aren’t willing to wager as aggressively as he might be. They want to win the game, but they don’t necessarily need to do it by accumulating the highest amount of money possible. They’d rather play it safer to ensure the win.

I know that James is one of the greatest Jeopardy! players of all-time, but I’ve changed my mind about him being the absolute best. I think that there are many other people who are worthy of being considered the best for various reasons, but Ken’s 74-day winning streak is the most impressive feat. Because Ken now hosts Jeopardy!, it’s unlikely that we’ll see him play again any time soon, but I’d love to see him go head-to-head with James again to see who comes out on top.