Jeopardy's James Holzhauer Explains Why He Bet So Little Money in Loss

James Holzhauer‘s winning streak on Jeopardy! came to an end last night and there was a shocking moment in his final episode that he’s now explaining.

James uncharacteristically wagered only $1,399 during final Jeopardy, and that number didn’t surpass winner Emma Boettcher‘s grand total.

“I knew I could only win if Emma missed Final Jeopardy, as there was no way she wouldn’t bet to cover my all-in bet,” James explained. “So my only concern was getting overtaken by third place, and I bet just enough to make sure of locking him out. Betting big would have looked good for the cameras, but now I turn my straight bet (Emma misses) into a parlay (Emma misses and I get it right).”

James competed on 33 episodes in a row and made headlines for his successful and aggressive style of play.