James Holzhauer is perhaps taking Jeopardy! to its logical conclusion

FiveThirtyEight

"Perhaps Holzhauer’s success is the natural evolutionary destination of the show — a final, full realization of the strategic potential locked within its giant board," says Oliver Roeder. "Yes, Holzhauer, like other Jeopardy! greats before him, is fast on the buzzer. After all, nothing is more important to “Jeopardy!” success than fast-twitch fingers. Ring in too slowly, and someone will beat you to it; ring in too quickly, and you get locked out for a crucial split second. To practice, Holzhauer crafted a dummy buzzer by wrapping masking tape around a mechanical pencil, and he told me in an email that he credits former contestant Fritz Holznagel — and his book 'Secrets of the Buzzer' — for his prodigious digital skill. But buzzer prowess is just one aspect of Holzhauer’s success. The other, more extreme aspect to Holzhauer’s exploits is one hiding within the board: the Daily Doubles."

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