Viral ‘Jeopardy’ Video Shows James Holzhauer’s Loss: “What a Game!”

Could it be the end of an era for Jeopardy phenom James Holzhauer? On Sunday night, a video surfaced that appears to show Holzhauer losing to another contestant, seemingly bringing an end to his historic 32-day win streak. Twitter and YouTube accounts that shared the viral clip (it has since been deleted) claim that the footage comes from the Monday, June 3 episode, which purportedly sees the Las Vegas, Nevada native falling to competitor Emma Boettcher by more than $20,000. “What a game! Oh my gosh!” yells host Alex Trebek in the clip. Decider has reached out to Sony, the production company behind Jeopardy, for comment, but did not hear back by the time of publication.

Despite coasting through many of his 32 wins, Holzhauer seems to face tough competition on Monday night’s episode. He enters Final Jeopardy with $3,200 less than Boettcher, putting him in second place (unfamiliar territory for the record-breaking star). The video doesn’t show Trebek reading the question, but Holzhauer and Boettcher both answer correctly — “Who is Kit Marlowe?” — kicking off a battle of the wagers.

While Holzhauer is known for making sky-high wagers, he seems to choose a different tact on Monday night, and it costs him. The professional sports gambler bets only $1,399, bringing his total to $24,799. “A modest one for the first time,” says Trebek, who is audibly surprised by the reveal. “So, Emma, it’s up to you. If you came up with the correct response, you’re gonna be the new Jeopardy champion,” the host continues.

Boettcher wagers $20,000, bringing her cash total up to $46,801. “Oh, gosh. What a payday!” exclaims Trebek. “What a game! Oh my gosh!”

Holzhauer, to his credit, doesn’t seem too torn up about the loss. He’s quick to congratulate Boettcher, and he gives her a high-five before exiting the Jeopardy stage for good. Had Holzhauer won, he would have been one step closer to topping Ken Jennings’ regular-season cash winnings total of $2,520,700.

UPDATED 6/3/19 11:17 am: In an interview with The New York Times, Jeopardy star James Holzhauer confirmed that he does, in fact, lose on Monday night’s episode (the episode will air Monday morning in certain markets across the country). “Nobody likes to lose,” said Holzhauer. “But I’m very proud of how I did, and I really exceeded my own expectations for the show. So I don’t feel bad about it.”

UPDATED 6/4/19 9:00 am: Sony filed a copyright claim on the leaked video, and it is no longer available to watch on Twitter. This article has been updated to reflect that development, and the official Jeopardy video of Holzhauer’s loss has been added in its place.

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