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'Jeopardy!' is not James Holzhauer's first TV game show

Posted at 3:03 PM, Apr 25, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-25 15:03:41-04

A man dominating "Jeopardy!" who has earned more than $1.2 million in two weeks once appeared on "The Chase," another cash-earning game show on television.

James Holzhauer is a thirty-something professional gambler who lives in Las Vegas and has taken multiple spots on the top earners list for "Jeopardy!" But before his time in front of host Alex Trebek, Holzhauer broke the bank on "The Chase" in 2014, according to TMZ.

He answered 12 questions correctly for his team on that show, reaching $60,000 and setting a record that was never again broken in the episodes that followed.

On "Jeopardy!" Holzhauer has figured out how to really set a strategy for the game and stick to it. He holds the "Jeopardy!" record for most won in a single day with more than $130,000.

Holzhauer following a method some believe is controversial in which he jumps around from category to category in order to throw off his competitors. He bets big on Daily Doubles, and it's paying off.

In an email interview with NPR, Holzhauer said his strategy is simple ... he finds spots he knows well and bets big once he identifies them.

Starting at the bottom of the board helps Holzhauer start with a big bankroll to take higher risks, he told NPR.