While some Jeopardy! fans might not have expected another contestant to attain a Top 5 win streak so soon after the James Holzhauer Era in 2019, Yale PhD student Matt Amodio cemented himself within the Best of the Best annals, with a 38-game winning streak that unfortunately came to an end with the episode airing on October 11. In the end, the sum total of his winnings amounted to $1,518,601, which not only put him in the upper echelon of Jeopardy! champions, but also in the Top 10 game show winners of all time.
Matt Amodio's 38-game Jeopardy! win streak not only spanned across the hiatus between Seasons 37 and 38, but also incorporated the sometimes awkward hosting stints of six different hosts: Robin Roberts, LeVar Burton, David Faber, Joe Buck, the quickly ousted Mike Richards and current semi-permanent host Mayim Bialik. She was the host of the Amodio's final episode as well, in which he came in third place after an incorrect Final Jeopardy guess.
In his final regular season episode, Matt Amodio faced Tennessee statistical research specialist Jessica Stephens and Florida actor Jonathan Fisher. While the game was a close one for the two first-time competitors, with Fisher landing both Daily Doubles in the Double Jeopardy round, Amodio struggled more than usual, leading to this Final Jeopardy clue:
Nazi Germany Annexed This Nation & Divided It Into Regions Of The Alps & The Danube; The Allies Later Divided It Into 4 Sectors
Matt Amodio marked the wrong answer, which technically didn't matter, since the other two contestants answered correctly with "What is Austria?", and Jonathan Fisher's $29,200 total topped Jessica Stephens' final total of $28,799, making the actor the newest Jeopardy! champion. Amodio was far behind the others with $5,600 as his final game's winnings. But it's not like Amodio doesn't have more than enough to be proud of after that admirable streak.
Having already easily locked himself into a slot for the impending Tournament of Champions, Matt Amodio finished his Jeopardy! streak in the #2 spot of all-time consecutive wins, behind only Ken Jennings' still-astonishing 74-game sweep. As well, he is currently #3 on the all-time cash winnings list, not including tournament wins, with his $1,518,601 coming behind James Holzhauer's $2,462,216 and Ken Jennings' $2,520,700. He's also now #4 on the all-time winners list with tournament earnings included, with Brad Rutter still topping that group with $4,938,436.
Here's the humbled statement Matt Amodio gave after the episode was over:
Everybody's so smart and so competent that this could happen any game. And this time it did.
Matt Amodio also acknowledged what the badge of a Jeopardy! champion represents, both when it comes to random bar trivia and other intelligence-based challenges. He certainly proved himself to be a winner for the ages, even if that streak started off awkwardly with viewers put off by his answering style. I guess they can't take that opinion to the bank like he can, though.
With Jonathan Fisher now behind the winner's podium, Jeopardy! airs weekdays in syndication, so check your local listings to see when and where it's playing in your area. And stay tuned for more updates on when Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings will swap out hosting duties.
