James Holzhauer - Amazing or Annoying?
His strategy makes sense, especially since he has a high chance of getting the answers right on those all important high value questions.
Then, on the daily double, he takes advantage of his position (which most non-gamblers don't).
Yes, his smirk annoys me, but I admire his tactics (and command of obscure trivia).
While I root for him to lose every time I watch, that's more a function of just rooting for the underdog rather than disliking Holzhauer. I think overall he seems like a decent guy, reasonably humble for the position he's in, and only minimally annoying. And every time I watch there are probably 3-4 questions he nails that I'm just like W.T.F. -- so I gotta respect his knowledge.
I remember a guy who had a bit of a run several years ago who was super smug and annoying -- Arthur Chu in 2014. I remember wanting Alex to smack the clicker out of that guy's hand!
Ugh! So annoying. As a former Jeopardy! contestant, I KNOW how those poor opponents feel and James is just so smug and know it all. Well actually he IS a know it all. I can't remember any other player with such a depth and breath of knowledge. BUT , he is extraordinarily annoying. Lose already. I remember Ken Jenning lost to this woman who then went on to lose her next game. I think he got tired of playing. Hope James does soon as well
Combo of vast knowledge ( facts, at least) and a gambler’s instinct/strategy. Don’t see how anyone can beat that. But stranger things have happened. Wonder if the Jeopardy budget can handle this guy? Great for ratings, tho.
He could have lost recently when one guy got all the Double Jeopardy clues but didn’t bet it all as he always does. Had he done that, he would have won.
He’s remarkable. Just wish I liked him more.
The smile is kinda creepy. But he seems like a nice guy. Who wouldn’t start trippin a little with all this attention?
annielou said:
The smile is kinda creepy. But he seems like a nice guy. Who wouldn’t start trippin a little with all this attention?
Yeah, his smile is weird, but I have the same problem when trying to force a smile, so I empathize.
The guy is amazing otherwise.
Weird smile? The guy had Japanese ancestry, he's perfect for jeopardy. Brilliant mind with an awesome memory. People always seem to look for negativity. Who cares about smiles? He's not running for president..... I think he should be the next host of jeopardy after Alex retires.
He's obviously very focused, which might make him seem less-than-sociable.
I thought the woman last night, who among other things dominated the Shakespeare category, had a shot. Holzhauer got the benefit of the daily doubles, but it could have been close if he hadn't.
nohero said:
He's obviously very focused, which might make him seem less-than-sociable.
I thought the woman last night, who among other things dominated the Shakespeare category, had a shot. Holzhauer got the benefit of the daily doubles, but it could have been close if he hadn't.
He somehow has the knack for getting the daily doubles, that combined with his gambler instinct is what takes him to the top before the other contestants. He's not there to chat chat, he's a gambler.
I don’t see a smirk- I see someone who lacks social skills. Maybe a bit on the spectrum? He doesn’t seem smug to me, just super smart and a bit socially awkward.
Later for the smile, the guy is brilliant!
His smile? He was told to smile more to get on Jeopardy.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/07/arts/television/james-holzhauer-jeopardy.html
"He consistently got A’s on math tests, and he was a star on his high school math team, his family and friends said. But he was a C student — even in math — because he often skipped doing his homework or going to class, reasoning he could use the time more productively."
conandrob240 said:
I don’t see a smirk- I see someone who lacks social skills. Maybe a bit on the spectrum? He doesn’t seem smug to me, just super smart and a bit socially awkward.
^This.
I think he's amazing. I am intrigued by his breadth of knowledge and can't stop watching.
Apparently there is a whole world out there that I know nothing about.
Ken Jennings was impressive. This guy is amazing....
I actually thought there were better players than Jennings -- but they played when you were only allowed to win 5 consecutive times.
I saw the displeasure in his face when the daily doubles started popping up in the top clue more often. Is it me or did anyone else notice this?
jamie said:
I saw the displeasure in his face when the daily doubles started popping up in the top clue more often. Is it me or did anyone else notice this?
I missed that.... good catch.
jamie said:
I saw the displeasure in his face when the daily doubles started popping up in the top clue more often. Is it me or did anyone else notice this?
Yes, he looked down and then over to the contestant who had the daily double. No smile. He counts on those daily doubles to up his count. It's almost a mission for him.
Re: Amazing vs annoying: -Can't he be both? In other words, the correct answer is "What is both?"
There’s a “spoiler tape” making the rounds about tonight’s game. ☹️
So far I saw a few contestants that came close to beating him - otherwise he seems pretty unstoppable.
I remember reading that Trebek hates it when people start with the hardest questions first, because the progression makes it more enjoyable by the viewers. I'm ok with the questions coming in any order.
He does seems to have a brain that can recall better then your average person. Here's one article related to this:
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/can-jeopardy-whiz-james-holzhauer-be-beat-the-science-of-memory-and-recall-explained/
My conclusion is that he's amazing and annoying.