James Holzhauer To Take On Woman Who Broke His 'Jeopardy!' Streak

NAPERVILLE, IL — James Holzhauer became a household name in spring when he launched into a 32-game winning streak on "Jeopardy!" The Naperville native, who seemed indomitable, was unseated by Chicago librarian Emma Boettcher in June. The pair will face off again in the finals for "Jeopardy!: Tournament of Champions" Thursday and Friday.

Holzhauer advanced to the finals after defeating an astronomy interpreter and a sports industry consultant in the semi-final game Tuesday. Holzhauer wrapped up the game with a total of $30,156, nearly three times as much as the second-place contestant, Steven Grade.

Holzhauer went into the Final Jeopardy! round Thursday with a clear lead, causing host Alex Trebek to say he "turned this game into a runaway." Known for his risky bets, Holzhauer only wagered $310, a safe move because he actually got the Final Jeopardy! question wrong.

The clue was "In 2018, Forbes said this 'Belt's Demographic Delight' is this other 'Belt's Demographic Dilemma.'"

The correct question was "What are the Sun Belt and the Rust Belt?" Holzhauer's guess was "What are the Bible Belt and the Rust Belt?"

Emma Boettcher walked away from her semi-final win with $29,601, but things were a little closer for her going into the Final Jeopardy! round than they were for Holzhauer. Boettcher went into the final round with $19,200, a slim lead over the second-place contestant, who had $14,800.

The clue was, "In the title of a groundbreaking 1890 expose on poverty in New York City slums, these three words follow 'How the'"

Both Boettcher and her second-place opponent got the question right, answering "What is how the Other Half Lives?" but Boettcher wagered $10,401, which secured her spot against Holzhauer in the finals.

When Holzhauer was defeated by Boettcher in June, it was a seemingly modest wager that did him in, as both he and Boettcher answered the Final Jeopardy! question right.

Will the professional gambler play things a little more loosely when he faces off against Boettcher in the Tournament of Champions? Tune in Thursday to find out.