New 'Jeopardy!' Milestone Reached By NJ Champion

OCEAN CITY, NJ — On Monday night, a New Jersey "Jeopardy!" star hit a new milestone. Ocean City's Cris Pannullo is now one of the top five all-time regular season winners.

With Pannullo's 16th win, his earnings total $566,344. He beat the next highest champions, Jason Zuffranieri ($532,496) and Mattea Roach ($560,983). Roach, another beloved champ, was kicked out of the top five by Pannullo.

Including tournaments, Pannullo ranks 10th in all-time winnings. And the wins have secured him a spot in the 2023 Tournament of Champions.

Pannullo was challenged Monday night by new competitor Xanni Brown, who was in the lead heading into the first Double Jeopardy, something unusual, as noted by host Ken Jennings. Jennings holds the longest win streak of any "Jeopardy!" competitor, with 74 straight wins.

He got Final Jeopardy incorrect, but it didn't matter - Pannullo did not wager any money, taking him to a win with $39,800.

What's Pannullo's plan with all that money? Well, he joked that he could buy a house someday, but maybe start out with a nice shed or tent to "splurge," considering New Jersey's real estate prices.

"Jeopardy!" airs on NBC Monday through Friday.