James Holzhauer Becomes Second-Winningest 'Jeopardy!' Contestant With Win 21

James Holzhauer won his 21st consecutive Jeopardy! game Thursday, making him the second-winningest contestant in the game show's history.

Holzhauer, who won $80,615 during Thursday's game, has $1,608,627 in total winnings so far.

The professional gambler is second to Ken Jennings, who won 74 games with $2,520,700 in winnings.

Holzhauer's hot streak has catapulted Jeopardy!'s ratings. During the week ending April 21, the CBS Television Distribution show notched a 6.7 live plus same day household rating. The game show topped all of syndication among households.

Related: 'Jeopardy!' Host Alex Trebek Announces Cancer Diagnosis

Jessika Walsten

Jessika is an analyst for TVREV and Fabric Media. She previously served in various roles at Broadcasting + Cable, Multichannel News and NextTV, working with the brands since 2013. A graduate of USC Annenberg, Jessika has edited and reported on a variety of subjects in the media and entertainment space, including profiles on industry leaders and breaking news.