CULVER CITY, Calif. -- James Holzhauer is barreling closer to Ken Jennings' all-time record for "Jeopardy!" winnings, reaching a new milestone Friday on the show's 8,000th episode.
Holzhauer, 34, won $74,400 on Friday to surpass the $2 million mark. His overall winnings, as of his 27th game on Friday, are $2,065,535. Holzhauer returns to face new competitors on Monday, May 27.
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Holzhauer is one of only three players to cross the $2 million mark. Jennings earned $2,520,700 over the course of 74 games in 2004 and still holds the record for highest winnings during a regular season.
Holzhauer also holds the top 10 records for winnings in a single game. The professional gambler from Las Vegas is quick on his feet and quick with the buzzer, displays an extraordinary breadth of knowledge and - true to his profession - is cold-blooded in his willingness to risk big sums of money.
His strategy is to begin games with the highest-value clues, hoping to quickly build winnings and land on the one "Daily Double" in the first round. When he does, he usually bets everything, punctuating it with a motion that makes it seem like he's pushing in all his chips. If he's wrong, there's enough time to earn more money. But he's rarely wrong.
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The two "Daily Doubles" in the game's second round are also coveted. He doesn't bet everything then, but he puts a lot on the line.
The record for the highest overall winnings is held by Brad Rutter, who won $4,688,436. Rutter's "Jeopardy!" windfall includes winnings from the regular season as well as multiple tournaments.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.