Getty Image
James Holzhauer has the Jeopardy record for single game winnings.
James Holzhauer set the Jeopardy! record for single-game winnings with a $131,127 triumph on April 17, 2019. It was part of a 32-game streak in which he amassed more than $2 million.
That winning streak remains the second-longest in show history, bested only by Ken Jennings’ 74-game run in 2004. Holzhauer is still ranks second on the all-time winnings list.
In his record-setting episode seven years ago, Holzhauer went a perfect 41-for-41 (including Final Jeopardy) while annihilating his competitors. He had $71,114 after round play. He added another $60,013 on the final question.
Jeopardy Archives keeps track of past competitions. It has clues and answers for each previous show, including Holzhauer’s top finish. Think you can match his output?
60 ‘Jeopardy!’ Clues from James Holzhauer’s record performance.
I picked this particular game simply because it was the highest individual round of all-time. About 92% of the clues on the board were answered correctly.
Now, that does not mean it was the easiest. That term is subjective. Categories dictate scoring. Not everyone is an expert in all fields.
James Holzhauer, a professional sports bettor, might be the closest thing we’ve seen. He breezed through the contest with a 100% success rate when buzzing in.
I took a swing at these 60 questions. I answered 23 correct for a grand total of $15,400. I missed all three Double Jeopardy clues but did surprise myself on my knowledge of potatoes.
Due to spoilers, I already knew the final question and answer, so I didn’t add it to my hypothetical total. It’s also worth noting that this came without competition buzzing in beside me. That certainly boosts my winnings.
Below, I’ve listed categories and clues. How many answers can you get right?
Presidents By Dog
H. Darr Beiser-USA TODAY NETWORK
George Bush plays with his family dog.
Q: His service dog Sully was seen by his casket in the U.S. Capitol in December 2018 ($200)
The giveaway here is the ceremony date of this president’s memorial. The dog name helps, too.
Answer: George HW Bush
Q: He had a dog named Grits he liked to skritch ($400)
A little vaguer, this clue also posts the dog name for any experts on presidential history. Skritch (screech?) is also a giveaway, though his presidency came a decade before I was born.
Answer: Jimmy Carter
Q: Buddy, his Lab, was struck & killed by a car in New York in 2002 ($600)
I did get this on a guess thanks to the year presented in the clue. Would I have buzzed in? That point it moot. I’ll add $600 to the bank.
Answer: Bill Clinton
Q: This manly guy’s dogs included Pete, a bull-y terrier ($800)
This, I thought, was one of the easier clues in the category given the $800 tag. This “manly” president seems like the bull terrier type.
Answer: Theodore Roosevelt
Q: His Airedale, Laddie Boy, had his own chair at Cabinet meetings (Laddie kept his nose clean during Teapot Dome) ($1000)
No clue here, not even a guess. James Holzhauer hit it on the head. It was his first correct answer of the night.
Answer: Warren Harding
Potato Salad
iStockphoto
An image of potato salad
Q: Potato news is often found in the Idaho Statesman, this capital’s newspaper since 1864 ($200)
This one was easy for those who’ve memorized their state capitals. Quickest to the buzzer (James) wins!
Answer: Boise
Q: It’s the anatomical name for the undeveloped buds on a potato’s skin ($400)
I’m no potato aficionado. This one had me stumped. It was one of Holzhauer’s 41 correct responses throughout the night.
Answer: Eyes
Q: It’s believed this explorer introduced potatoes into Ireland around 1585, the year he was knighted ($600)
Crickets… Maybe I should’ve paid more attention in my college history classes.
Answer: Sir Walter Raleigh
Q: Heels in, heels out, repeat; that’s the way to do this craze of a dance from the early 1960s ($800)
I got back on the board here, as I believe most probably did. This dance is widely known thanks, in part, to James Brown.
Answer: Mashed potato
Q: Gary Sheffield’s 509 taters aren’t potatoes but slang for these ($1000)
This one was right in the wheelhouse for sports nerds and baseball lovers. Being a Sheffield fan doesn’t hurt either!
Answer: Home runs
In the Middle
iStockphoto
An open Bible with bookmark.
Q: If you tally it up in sequence, this Bible book is between Leviticus & Deuteronomy ($200)
My grandmother would be disappointed for not getting this one right. A Sunday School lesson might be on the books.
Answer: Numbers
Q: In the name of a metropolitan statistical area, it’s between Tampa & Clearwater ($400)
Being in the southeast helps here. My total went up $400.
Answer: St. Petersburg
Q: Middle name of aviator Francis Powers or filmmaker F. Gray ($600)
I couldn’t tell you half my friends’ middle names, let alone these two. Holzhauer chimed in with the correct response.
Answer: Gary
Q: After some back & forth, let’s stipulate that it’s traditionally No. 3 in Kubler-Ross’ 5 stages of grief ($800)
I probably should’ve been familiar with this but whiffed. I guessed acceptance – which is the final stage.
Answer: Bargaining
Q: It was the “E” in H.E.W., the Cabinet department created in 1953 ($1000)
An educated guess might get you there, though I’m not too proud to admit I failed to nail it.
Answer: Education
Movie & TV Terms
iStockphoto
A woman eating popcorn at the movies.
Q: It can be the sailors on a boat or the people working on a movie or TV show ($200)
This is a gimme. It might be the easiest clue on the board. Someone beat Holzhauer to the punch during his record-setting episode.
Answer: Crew
Q: Collective term for the actors’ costumes & the department that handles them ($400)
Another easy one, you should be up $600 in the Movie and TV Terms category. Don’t worry, it’ll get more difficult soon.
Answer: Wardrobe
Q: 11-letter word for selecting an actor based only on appearance or previous roles ($600)
I assume many doubled their money after seeing this question. I wasn’t one of them…
Answer: Typecasting
Q: Sounds fishy, but it’s just the minimum pay approved by a union for a specific job ($800)
The “fishy” clue threw me on a question that shouldn’t have been as difficult as I made it. I guess it makes sense, though.
Answer: Scale
Q: Ordinal term for the group that shoots crowd scenes, exteriors or other footage usually without the actors or director ($1000)
I was not coming close to forming a guess here. Holzhauer didn’t get this one right, either. He was bested by a competitor.
Answer: Second unit
Rhyme Time
iStockphoto
Nursery rhyme background "Hey Diddle Diddle."
Q: A nursery rhyme pumpkin eater’s units of measure ($200)
You should be able to work your way through this play on words with any nursery rhyme knowledge. What rhymes with Peter?
Answer: Peter’s meters
Q: Paddy grain cost ($400)
Once you’ve grasped the concept, it becomes a bit simpler. Though figuring out the right rhyme can scramble your brain for a brief moment.
Answer: Rice price
Q: An overconfident thoroughbred rider ($600)
I thought this was the easiest of the category. Others might disagree. There’s really only one word to fit the second half of the clue.
Answer: Cocky jockey
Q: A tin pot for cooking or boiling water ($800)
This one actually stumped all three contestants. No one buzzed in. After hearing the answer, they probably all let out a simultaneous, “ugh.”
Answer: Metal kettle
Q: Ms. Doe without her makeup ($1000)
This was one of two $1000 clues I was able to get in the opening round, and it came to me pretty quick. I assume the same for others.
Answer: Plain Jane
It’s Good to See You! (start of Double Jeopardy)
iStockphoto
Woman playing 'I Spy'
Q: Before his untimely death, he helped popularize martial arts movies ($400)
Each of the clues in this category had an accompanying video clip. I did not have access to them, which made it a little bit more difficult. Still, this was one of the two I got correct.
Answer: Bruce Lee
Q: Here’s this film producer introducing two dog characters—a mutt & a cocker spaniel ($800)
A classic cartoon film for 90s babies on VHS, Lady and the Tramp was actually made four decades prior. The dog breeds give the answer away.
Answer: Walt Disney
Q: Here’s a playful photo of this author of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” ($1200)
I’ve never read Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I wouldn’t have known the answer even if I had seen the photo.
Answer: Truman Capote
Q: He was the earliest president to be photographed, though by then he was serving in Congress ($1600)
The photo might’ve helped here. I probably still would’ve missed. James Holzhauer didn’t.
Answer: John Quincy Adams
Q: Prior to the Battle of the Little Bighorn, this Sioux chief had a vision of soldiers falling like grasshoppers ($2000)
Another lesson in “I should’ve listened in history class.” High school seems so long ago!
Answer: Sitting Bull
Abbreviated Magazines
Getty Image
Joe DiMaggio on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Q: With sections called “Leading Off” & “Scorecard”: SI ($400)
My top category of Round 2 started with a soft toss. Anyone that’s ever followed sports knows those two letters.
Answer: Sports Illustrated
Q: Decorating & household tips, recipes & more from the woman who knows it all: MSL ($800)
This abbreviation was a bit more foreign to me, but I got there, nonetheless. James Holzhauer couldn’t say the same! Someone beat him to the punch.
Answer: Martha Stewart Living
Q: Showcasing innovative homes & design since 1920: AD ($1200)
My mind immediately went to How I Met Your Mother, which really provided no help. Holzhauer added $1200 to his total with the right answer.
Answer: Architectural Digest
Q: It celebrates the culture, cuisine & beauty of Dixieland: SL ($1600)
A gimme for southerners, this was the only $1600 clue I got right in Double Jeopardy. It was one of 20 questions Holzhauer failed to bank.
Answer: Southern Living
Q: It’s the top resource for all things Xbox, Wii, Playstation, etc: GI ($2000)
I tried to go back to the Gamestop days of my youth but failed to come up with any semblance of a correct answer.
Answer: Game Informer
Braving the Elements
iStockphoto
Periodic table of elements background concept.
Q: The Latin word for iron gives it this elemental symbol ($400)
Thank you, 10th-grade chemistry! Although I probably let Mrs. Mangum down by the end of this category.
Answer: Fe
Q: Bearing the name of a Greek god, this radioactive element was the second transuranium element discovered ($800)
My first of four straight misses. I need a refresher on the Periodic Table. This one actually stumped all three contestants, so I don’t feel quite as bad.
Answer: Plutonium
Q: Nuclear fission was confirmed when this element, symbol Ba, was produced by zapping uranium with neutrons ($1200)
Baronium is not an element I’ve learned since making my guess, though I think it sounds much better than the actual answer.
Answer: Barium
Q: Used to make lenses, lutetium is one of these “uncommon” metals ($1600)
Stumped? Me too. James Holzhauer wasn’t.
Answer: Rare Earth
Q: It was identified in 1828 & named for a Norse deity, long before it was found to be a nuclear fuel ($2000)
The double whammy here, I was exposed for my shortcomings in both chemistry and Norse mythology. This might’ve been an easier clue for some. Not for me.
Answer: Thorium
5, 5 (each answer made up of two five-letter words)
iStockphoto
A hand showing five fingers.
Q: Wonder bakes loaves of this, also an adjective meaning bland ($400)
Most Wonder Bread references take me straight to Talladega Nights. This one banked me a hypothetical $400. In the words of Ricky Bobby, “I play for keeps.”
Answer: White bread
Q: Traffic signal term that also means permission to proceed on a project ($800)
Here’s a gimme. No explanation needed.
Answer: Green light
Q: Mus musculus—it’s the rhyming name of the rodent seen here ($1200)
This one came with an accompanying photo, which I was unable to see. You can probably still get there if you think long enough.
Answer: House mouse
Q: It’s the smart-sounding name for a group of experts who serve unofficially as advisers; FDR had his own ($1600)
This was one of three Daily Doubles that Holzhauer secured during his record-setting performance. He risked nearly $12,000 on this clue alone. It paid off.
Answer: Brain trust
Q: This software program for formatting movie & TV scripts has been around since 1990 ($2000)
This clue stumped all three contestants. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t stump me, too.
Answer: Final draft
Music Man
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Eddie Vedder performing in Tempe, Arizona
Q: 25 years after Percy Sledge, Michael Bolton also had a No. 1 hit with this song ($400)
These all have “Man” in the title of the song, which makes things a bit easier. I had no idea Michael Bolton remade this Percy Sledge tune, though.
Answer: “When a Man Loves a Woman”
Q: Tammy Wynette said she spent 15 minutes writing this song about devotion & a lifetime defending it ($800)
Holzhauer cashed $25,000 on this Daily Double as he continued to flex his muscles on the episode. It gave him no less than $50,000 midway through the second round. For reference, his competitors finished with a combined $11,700.
Answer: “Stand by Your Man”
Q: Johnny Cash wrote this song to explain his sartorial choices ($1200)
Singer name alone gives this away, even for those not entirely sure the meaning of “sartorial.”
Answer: “Man in Black”
Q: This song by Salt-n-Pepa says their fella has “a body like Arnold with a Denzel face” ($1600)
I’m a little disappointed I missed this one. It’s a popular song, but I admittedly have no clue of the lyrics outside of the chorus.
Answer: “Whatta Man”
Q: A Pearl Jam song says, “She lies and says she’s in love with him, can’t find a” this, the song’s title ($2000)
Finally, something my speed. PJ at $2000 is a dream scenario in my hypothetical Jeopardy! odyssey. I’ll spare you of any Eddie Vedder impressions.
Answer: “Better Man”
Trouble in River City
iStockphoto
3D illustration of city and urban in Chongqing China
Q: Early in 2018, Paris was on alert as this river’s banks became swollen with flood waters ($400)
Judging on category alone, I knew this wasn’t up my alley. I got this $200, but struck out the rest of the way.
Answer: The Seine
Q: Even though pollution levels are high, Kolkata residents bathe in the Hugli, an arm of this holy river of Hinduism ($800)
Like the other contestants on the episode, I’ll let Holzhauer take this one.
Answer: The Ganges
Q: “Blue” in a Strauss waltz, in reality it’s a different hue altogether when it reaches Budapest ($1200)
A contestant swooped into grab this response during the show, preventing Holzhauer from sweeping the category. I guess four out of five isn’t bad.
Answer: The Danube
Q: This Southwest city is rehabilitating the wetlands of the Tres Rios area (the Gila, the Salt & the Agua Fria) just to its west ($1600)
I thought I was onto something here but ended up 1,000 miles away in Texas. I’ll be honest, I’ve never heard of the Tres Rios area or its wetlands.
Answer: Phoenix
Q: Herodotus said this river originated near Feneos in Greece; Dante placed in the fifth circle ($2000)
I don’t remember Mr. Herodotus teaching this in the animated version of Hercules I watched as a kid. After getting through this round of Double Jeopardy, that film seems to be my only source of knowledge on the subject of Greek mythology.
Answer: The Styx
Final Jeopardy (20th Century Literary Characters)
For those interested and keeping track of your winnings at home…
His first name refers to the ancient district in which you’d find the Greek capital; his surname is a bird
Answer: Atticus Finch
How’d you do? Share in the comments section below.