'Jeopardy!' contestant to try for 20 consecutive wins tonight
'Jeopardy!' contestant to try for 20 consecutive wins tonight
Kate Perez, USA TODAYThu, April 9, 2026 at 7:06 PM UTC
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A "Jeopardy!" contestant is having a historic run.
Contestant Jamie Ding captured his 19th consecutive win on April 8, bringing his total winnings to $539,573 and cementing him on the game show's leaderboard.
Ding, a native of the Detroit area, is among the top 10 in "Jeopardy!" history. His 19th win tied him for the eighth spot for most consecutive wins. Separately, Ding is ranked seventh in all time highest winnings from regular-season play, according to a Facebook post by the game show. Ding has a career total of 618 questions correct and 42 incorrect, according to TheJeopardyFan.com.
"Jeopardy!" competition continues on Thursday, April 9. Should Ding win, it would mark his 20th straight win and tie him for seventh place in most consecutive games won.
Is Jamie Ding still on 'Jeopardy!'? How Michigan native fared
Ding joins league of best 'Jeopardy!' contestants
Ding's current win streak may have already earned him a spot on the "Jeopardy!" leaderboard, but there's still a relatively large number between him and the all-time record.
The leaderboard for most consecutive wins includes:
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Ken Jennings, 74 wins in 2004 ($2,520,700)
Amy Schneider, 40 wins in 2022 ($1,382,800)
Matt Amodio, 38 wins in 2021 ($1,518,601)
James Holzhauer, 32 wins in 2019 ($2,462,216)
Mattea Roach, 23 games in 2022 ($560,983)
Cris Pannullo, 21 games in 2022 ($748,286)
Julia Collins, 20 games in 2014 ($428,100)
Tie between Jamie Ding in 2026, Jason Zuffranieri in 2019 ($532,496) and David Madden in 2005 ($430,400)
"Jeopardy!" contestant Jamie Ding is pictured smiling while holding his buzzer.
Ding would also have to win a little over $21,000 more in money to be ranked sixth in all time highest winnings from regular-season play. That record is also held by Jennings, who left the game with $2,520,700 in winnings from regular-season play.
The all-time winnings record, which includes "Jeopardy!" tournament play, totals at $4,938,436 and is held by contestant Brad Rutter.
Watch: 'Jeopardy!' contestant 'manifested' the outcome. See how it ended.
Public officials, universities shout out 'Jeopardy!' contestant
Government officials and universities alike have noticed Ding's "Jeopardy!" performance, with some shouting out the contestant on social media to wish him luck before games. In New Jersey, where Ding lives, Gov. Mikie Sherrill took to X to grant well wishes before an early competition.
Wayne State University, where Ding's father is a professor, also made a supportive post on social media platform Facebook, writing "We're proud to be a part of this champion's journey!"
How to watch 'Jeopardy!'
"Jeopardy!" airs as a syndicated television show and streams on Hulu and Peacock. To find your local station and air time, visit Jeopardy.com.
Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or on X @katecperez_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Jeopardy!' contestant Jamie Ding set to try for 20 consecutive wins
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
