It’s an exciting time to be a Jeopardy! fan, as Jamie Ding — the quiz show’s current superchampion — climbs the ranks as one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners. The New Jersey law student and bureaucrat has been making easy work of his opponents, discarding them typically in runaway fashion, but can he catch the GOAT? Ken Jennings has said he thinks his 74-game win streak can be broken, and one of his comments makes me believe Ding could be the one to do it.
To say Jamie Ding has been impressive would be an understatement, as he’s won $627,600 in 22 games as of Monday, April 13. That’s good enough to put him in the all-time Top 10 for consecutive games won and highest regular-season earnings — and he’s still going! Sure, Ding still has a long way to go before he’s knocking at Ken Jennings’ 74-straight victories, but I can’t help but think of the one factor Jennings said would be key in getting there. The host said on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast last year:
I think there is a plateau you hit, where you’re just cruising. You’ve had a lot more practice on the buzzer and on the set than your opponents have had. It’s kind of an unfair homecourt advantage for the returning champion, and I think at some point somebody is just gonna hit that streak and they’re gonna glide.
These words epitomize what we’re seeing from Jamie Ding right now. He is dominating buzzer control, shutting out the other two contestants so they barely have a chance to stack up money against him. Moreover, he doesn’t seem to be stressed about it at all. Ding looks right at home on the Alex Trebek Stage, often smiling when he responds to clues and telling animated stories during the first-round break.
Article continues belowIt certainly doesn’t feel like he’s got the weight of Jeopardy!’s record books resting on his shoulders, and now may just be the most crucial time for Jamie Ding to be hitting that plateau that Ken Jennings talked about.
Putting the GOAT’s 74 wins aside, only three other players in the history of the greatest game show of all time have been able to surpass 30 wins: Amy Schneider (40), Matt Amodio (38) and James Holzhauer (32). The rest of the Top 10 saw their streaks end between 19 and 23 wins. That’s right where Jamie Ding is, so this would be a huge hurdle to get over.
I wouldn’t be surprised to know that this is when fatigue starts to set in, or the realization that you’re actually making Jeopardy! history. If Jamie Ding is able to stay as calm and focused as he has been, he seems practically unstoppable.
While inevitably, it is the quiz show’s “ironclad law” that all streaks will come to an end, Ken Jennings may be hoping that Jamie Ding is just getting started. The host said last year during Scott Riccardi’s 16-win run:
I’m generally rooting for them to break my record. I mean, I’m not rooting for any particular player, but I like the idea that my record is breakable.
How far will Jamie Ding go? Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! airs in your area, and episodes are also available for next-day streaming with either a Hulu subscription or Peacock subscription.
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