The past couple of weeks have been kind to current Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider, as the engineering manager is riding an 11-day winning streak, amassing $421,200 in that time. But Schneider’s journey is bigger than just the money, as her recent qualification for the iconic trivia show’s Tournament of Champions made history, and she’s not even done yet.
As Amy Schneider continues to win mostly in runaway fashion — much like some of the recent Jeopardy! greats including James Holzhauer and Matt Amodio — the Oakland, California, resident has her eye on some other records she’d like to break. But first...
Amy Schneider Is The First Transgender Contestant To Qualify For Tournament Of Champions
On the November 30, 2021, episode of Jeopardy!’s 38th season, Amy Schneider became the first out transgender contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. Her qualifying 10th-straight victory put her winnings at $380,200, and she’s still going, with her sights now set on other Jeopardy! champs — including, but not limited to, current host Ken Jennings — in hopes of securing even more of the game show’s history.
It definitely helps that Schneider won her 11th game as well, which put her that much higher in the rankings of overall Jeopardy! champions.
Amy Schneider Wants To Break James Holzhauer’s Record
James Holzhauer took Jeopardy! by storm in 2019 with his quick style of play and huge Daily Double wagers. He appeared in 33 straight games with winnings totaling over $2.4 million. And while his playing style was unique, he’s remained on the radar of Jeopardy! fans just as much for his snarky social media commentary about the show, from the messy search to replace the late, great Alex Trebek to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
It might just be this outspokenness that makes James Holzhauer such a fun target for Amy Schneider, who admitted in an interview with Jimmy McGuire from the show’s Clue Crew that she’s got her eye on the professional sports gambler.
I mean, I’d like to beat James Holzhauer, I think. He seems very confident, I guess I’ll say. It would sort of feel good, I think, in a way.
Shots fired, sort of, in a way! At 11 straight wins, Amy Schneider is already one-third of the way to meeting James Holzhauer’s streak, but she’s got a ways to go before touching his overall winnings.
Where Does Amy Schneider Fall Among Jeopardy! Greats?
She may not be a millionaire yet, but Amy Schneider has indeed cracked Jeopardy’s Top 10 highest earners for regular-season play. Her $421,200 after 11 wins puts the engineering manager in sixth place, just below Julia Collins, who won $428,100 over 20 wins. Schneider is also tied for 10th place in number of consecutive wins.
Amy Schneider’s successful run on Jeopardy! comes shortly after another history-making performance, as Matt Amodio took home $1,518,601 after appearing in 38 straight episodes. What was also remarkable about Amodio’s time on the show (not that anybody’s sneezing at $1.5 million) is that he saw six different hosts come and go: Robin Roberts, LeVar Burton, David Faber, Joe Buck, Mike Richards and Mayim Bialik. So far, Schneider has only been privy to Ken Jennings behind the lectern.
Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! airs in your area to see how far Amy Schneider can ride the wave of wins, and if you’ve got a fan of the classic game show on your shopping list this holiday season, be sure to check out these unique Jeopardy! gift ideas!
