October 11, 2022
Courtesy of/Jeopardy Productions, Inc.
Cris Pannullo, of Ocean City, NJ, has now won 7 "Jeopardy!" matches in a row, earning himself $221,901 and a spot in next year's Tournament of Champions. The customer success operations manager now holds the longest winning streak of Season 39, and has the highest earnings since Philadelphia native Ryan Long.
Cris Pannullo, a "Jeopardy!" contestant from Ocean City, is continuing to make waves during a 7-game run that has earned him comparisons to James Holzhauer and over $200,000.
The customer success operations manager won big yesterday, raking in $59,821 to make his total winnings a hefty $221,901. Pannullo now holds the longest winning streak of Season 39 and has the highest earnings since Philadelphia native Ryan Long.
Pannullo has already secured his spot in next year's Tournament of Champions by winning the necessary 5 games, a fact host Ken Jennings affirmed during Monday's game. Pannullo dominated yet again, facing Eugene Hahm, an attorney from Oakland, California, and Allie Nudelman, a health care policy professional from Brooklyn, New York.
Pannullo entered the "Final Jeopardy" round with over $40,000 more than the other two contestants. He and Nudelman both answered the question – which dealt with the baby brand Gerber – correctly, but Pannullo wagered $15,221 to take the game easily.
Cris has already guaranteed his spot in next year's Tournament of Champions. How far will he go this season?
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) October 11, 2022
Catch the highlights here: https://t.co/ohuD3B4FBL pic.twitter.com/wKb8nf2c4v
As a former professional poker player, Pannullo has garnered comparisons to James Holzhauer, one of the top "Jeopardy!" contestants of all time. In 2019, Holzhauer won 32 straight games and more than $2.46 million in regular season earnings. He was known for going "all-in" on "Daily Doubles."
So far, Pannullo has shown a similar strategy in his own game play, with a talent for finding Daily Doubles and placing large wagers that set him ahead of the other contestants early. Jennings has remarked on the similarities between the two players, even asking Pannullo during a "Daily Double" whether he would be doing the "all-in" poker motion Holzhauer was known for.
"I'm not as good as James Holzhauer," Pannullo replied.
Pannullo has also adopted a buzzer technique reminiscent of Holzhauer's, according to the U.S. Sun. Pannullo studied the buzzer stance Holzhauer used, which involves crossing his arms to buzz in faster. The technique was created by Fritz Holznagel, author of "Secrets of the Buzzer," a book that Holzhauer utilized.
This isn't Pannullo's first time in the game show circuit – he won $5,000 on ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" in 2018.
Often presenting a strictly business, poker face aura, Pannullo has shared a few humanizing facts about himself during his "Jeopardy!" run. During post-commercial Q&A sessions, he said that he is not a risk-taker in real life and that he and his girlfriend have a pet bunny named Lentils.
He also joked about his worries over flight costs for next year's Tournament of Champions, which Jennings assured him were covered by the show.
Despite his runaway victories, Pannullo did not expect all of the success. When Jennings asked whether Pannullo believed he was a TOC caliber contestant coming into the show, he responded:
"No, especially coming in first day against a four-day champion," Pannullo said. "I was just thinking, get into 'Final Jeopardy' alive, and I did."
On Tuesday night, Pannullo will look to continue his winning streak against Marsha Free, an executive principal's assistant from Georgia, and Mike Elliott, a meat cutter from New Hampshire.
If Pannullo continues winning through the end of this week, his run will be interrupted starting Monday, Oct. 17, for the Second Chance Tournament, which determines the final slots for the TOC. The tournament begins airing Monday, Oct. 31.
Long, a former rideshare driver from Mount Airy, will be a top contender in the tournament. He had a thrilling 16-game winning streak that earned him just under $300,000, and was honored by Mayor Jim Kenney at a ceremony last month.
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