‘Jeopardy!’ Champion Cris Pannullo’s Historic Winning Streak Is Over
Jeopardy! champion Cris Pannullo became a media sensation with his appearance on the game show. Pannullo, like former contestants James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings, went on a historic winning streak. But all good things end as Pannullo’s championship reign is over.
How much did Cris Pannullo win on ‘Jeopardy!’
Pannullo, a customer success operations manager from Ocean City, became a Jeopardy! phenomenon with his impressive 21-game winning streak. His historic run began on Sept. 30, 2022, and he proved to be a knowledgeable force. Pannullo’s luck continued as he went head-to-head with other contestants. But the Dec. 6 episode would be his most formidable challenge.
His opponents for that night were Andy Tirrell and Meghan Mello. Many thought Pannullo would add another win to his streak, but luck wasn’t on his side. He missed a Daily Double question during Double Jeopardy and lost $6,600.
During Final Jeopardy, Pannullo was back on top as the leader. But he came up with the wrong answer and lost to Tirrell, who answered correctly. While Pannullo’s streak ended, he walked away with $749,286 in winnings, including the $1,000 from placing third.
While he lost, Pannullo is in good spirits. “To go 20-plus games is like the greatest streak of luck I’ll ever have in my life,” he told Jeopardy.com.
‘Jeopardy!’ contestant Mattea Roach is also in the top five winners list
Pannullo’s historic winning streak puts him on an impressive list of Jeopardy! legends. His winnings put him number six on the list of longest-reigning champions. He came up short of beating Mattea Roach, whose winning streak was 23 games.
Roach’s streak began earlier this year on Apr. 5 and ended on May 6. The 24-year-old Canada native won $560,983 during her championship reign and earned a spot on the top list. Roach joins former champions Jennings, Holzhauer, Amy Schneider, and Matt Amodio in the top five.
‘Jeopardy!’ host Ken Jennings is still the all-time champ
Pannullo and Roach’s winning streaks are amazing, but it’s nothing compared to Jeopardy! host Jennings. The former contestant rose to fame with his 74-game winning streak. Jennings’ run began on Jun. 2, 2004, and ended on Nov. 30, 2004.
During his initial run, Jennings won $2,522,700. He would return for several tournaments and add more money to his earnings. Throughout his appearances on the game show, Jennings has earned a total of $4,522,700.
Jennings’ days of competing are over. In 2021, he and Mayim Bialik took over as Jeopardy! hosts, and in 2022 were announced as permanent hosts. Jennings is now asking questions as new batches of contestants compete to become champion and try to start their winning streak.
