# The Jeopardy thread \[was James Holzhauer\]\[contains spoilers\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** reality-or-game-show\ **Created:** [April 17, 2019, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696 "2019-04-17T21:53:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2019, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/81 "2019-04-23T22:39:35Z")
We watched the Saturday rerun, from 7/20/2018, and they had Ryan Fenster’s Game 8, and Johnny announced that his “7-day cash winnings total over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS\*” (insert pinky into corner of mouth ala Dr Evil). Wow, that seems…quaint now. \*$156,497, but still… ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/82 "2019-04-24T04:37:44Z")
So I’d like to watch this, and apparently jeopardy streams on both Netflix and hulu, but in a way that makes no sense. There are random old seasons ( not even consecutive) and just a few random old special episodes and tournaments. Does no one do a current stream? It’s so weird that hulu and Netflix both have a contact to show it but just old random stuff. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/83 "2019-04-24T06:29:10Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > A skilled bookie would have taken the emotional bets into account, and given Tiger better odds, to encourage more bets against him. That works, if you have infinite gamblers. But sometimes in the real world things are so one-sided that you can push the odds as far as you want and you won’t attract enough action to balance your book. ---
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/84 "2019-04-24T10:21:03Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > So I’d like to watch this, and apparently jeopardy streams on both Netflix and hulu, but in a way that makes no sense. We don’t have cable, either, and can’t figure out a way to watch current Jeopardy episodes on any of the streaming channels we use. We had to install a cheap antenna just for this show. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/85 "2019-04-24T13:57:05Z")
Even if you can’t find enough betters on the other side, pushing the odds would at least limit the losses you’d take. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/86 "2019-04-24T14:23:44Z")
I can’t vouch for their legality, but there are a lot of free episodes (current and past) posted at different websites on the Internet. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/87 "2019-04-24T17:11:58Z")
538 article: > **[The Man Who Solved ‘Jeopardy!’](https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-man-who-solved-jeopardy/)** > > James Holzhauer has taken the game to its logical conclusion. Brian ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/88 "2019-04-24T17:38:58Z")
I think their best bet to get him off Jeopardy is to offer him a job as the host of his own sports trivia show. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/89 "2019-04-24T19:42:23Z")
> [@Nayna](#): > > We don’t have cable, either, and can’t figure out a way to watch current Jeopardy episodes on any of the streaming channels we use. We had to install a cheap antenna just for this show. We pretty much bought our antenna just for Jeopardy. I think it cost like $15. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/90 "2019-04-24T21:06:05Z")
I read that James is currently making more money in winnings per episode than Trebek’s per Episode salary. ---
**Author:** ![racepug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/91 "2019-04-24T21:10:17Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > The problem isn’t that he’s too good, the problem is that his opponents aren’t good enough. It’s not Mike Trout’s fault that he’s the best player in baseball. Imagine if there were two other players of his skill level playing against him, it would be an insanely entertaining game. The next time Jeopardy! has a “special” tournament I want to see Mr. Holzhauer on it (and you KNOW he will be!) going up against the likes of those who appeared in the All-Star Team Tournament a couple of months ago. THAT will be epic! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/92 "2019-04-24T21:17:35Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > The problem isn’t that he’s too good, the problem is that his opponents aren’t good enough. It’s not Mike Trout’s fault that he’s the best player in baseball. Imagine if there were two other players of his skill level playing against him, it would be an insanely entertaining game. I’m wondering if the difficulty of the questions has been elevated, in order to make James lose. Usually in regular weekly Jeopardy! I do fairly well, but with James I’m missing a higher percentage. And he isn’t! So that means the disparity is even more pronounced. Not only are the [del]fodder[/del] contestants being run through a buzzsaw, it’s both James and the showrunners manning the saw. Three contestants as good as James would make the game unpleasant for the average viewer. The clues would have no hints, no tell, they’d all have to be straight knowledge. And categories like 4th Century BC Mesopotamian Literature and Lesser Known Quantum Physicists. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2019, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/93 "2019-04-24T21:43:28Z")
James is increasing ratings for Jeopardy. I’m not sure why they would want him to lose. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2019, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/94 "2019-04-25T01:40:04Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I’m wondering if the difficulty of the questions has been elevated, in order to make James lose. Although, as I said earlier, I’m not an everyday viewer, based on today’s Final Jeopardy question, they definitely have not. And considering bombing on FJ is about the only possible way Holzhauer could lose, it seems like the producers are willing to let this play out, at least for the time being. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2019, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/95 "2019-04-25T01:46:10Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Even if you can’t find enough betters on the other side, pushing the odds would at least limit the losses you’d take. If you do it early enough, sure. But attitudes can change overnight in sports betting and you can still be left holding the bag if there’s a rush on some event and you don’t push the odds quickly enough. By and large, bookmakers are pretty good at what they do and for most things the math basically runs itself. But there are still outlier situations where they can lose. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2019, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/96 "2019-04-25T02:01:21Z")
He seems to be part Japanese – given that his mother’s name is Nachiko. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2019, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/97 "2019-04-25T02:42:20Z")
He’s mentioned his Japanese grandmother more than once, so yes, he’s part Japanese. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2019, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/98 "2019-04-25T04:39:40Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > And considering bombing on FJ is about the only possible way Holzhauer could lose, it seems like the producers are willing to let this play out, at least for the time being. Thing is, James could have bombed every single FJ so far, and still be champion right now. You have to keep him from having an insurmountable lead after DJ, which means beating him to high value questions and taking away his DDs long before FJ. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2019, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/99 "2019-04-25T09:15:56Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > But there are still outlier situations where they can lose. I’ll say it again: losing money on a single event is a regular and expected part of being a bookmaker. It’s not an outlier situation. They make money by aggregation of millions of such events. If the betting on a player/team/horse is lopsided the bookmaker will not chase it, (at least the long-term successful ones won’t), and will stick to what the proper odds are, accepting the loss on that event if the popular pick comes in. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2019, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696/100 "2019-04-25T12:53:15Z")
James is averaging over 75.6K per win. ($1,135,175 in 15 episodes). Before he started playing three weeks ago, the single one day record was 77K. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jeopardy-thread-was-james-holzhauer-contains-spoilers/832696.md?page=6)