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Traina Thoughts: Sports Gambler Uses Big-Time Aggressiveness to Dominate 'Jeopardy!'

James Holzhauer is using extreme aggressiveness to win a ton of money on "Jeopardy!"

Jimmy Traina

Jeopardy!

1. Jeopardy! is currently being dominated by an absolute savage and it's awesome.

James Holzhauer, a 34-year-old professional sports gambler from Las Vegas, has won more than $556,000 so far and is rewriting the show's record book.

Here's how he did Tuesday night:

Alex Trebek was left in awe by Holzhauer's aggressiveness.

Vulture recently interviewed Holzhauer and asked him about his strategy and if his background as a gambler has helped him on Jeopardy!.

"Yeah, I definitely think so. My theory is that you need to be betting very aggressively on Daily Doubles and in Final Jeopardy. A lot of people bet big when their backs are against the wall, but people don’t realize … everyone thinks, 'Oh, I want to go into Final Jeopardy with some chance of winning.' But that’s not the best strategy. I bet on sports, and as an example, there comes a time in a football game where a team is down three points with a minute left, so they’re going to try a field goal to tie and go into overtime. But really the best chance of winning is to go all-out for the touchdown. Players need to be playing more aggressively when they get Daily Doubles in 'regulation time,' so to speak. Maybe it’s just the mind-set of football teams doing this, but in my job, I have to bet very large amounts of money from time to time. I know life goes on if you make a big bet and you lose. But if you don’t give yourself the best chance of winning, you’re going to kick yourself tomorrow. I’m used to gambling. To me, these are just points on the scoreboard and not actual dollars. That mindset was very helpful for me."

And people think gambling doesn't pay off...

2. This week's SI Media Podcast features two interviews covering recent sports media news. First up, Washington Post sports media reporter Ben Strauss joins the show to talk CBS Masters ratings, LeBron James possibly doing a cameo on Inside the NBA, DAZN vs. ESPN+, ESPN courting Peyton Manning and more.

Then, Andrew Marchand of the New York Post joins the podcast at the 34-minute mark to talk all things Mike Francesa vs. Michael Kay. 

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play.

3. It's always nice when a sports franchise does the right thing. The Chargers announced Tuesday that they are going back to the baby uniforms this season.

4. What a day for WWE superstar Roman Regins on Tuesday. The new issue of Sports Illustrated profiled Reigns in this full-page artice.

And then he punched his boss in the face after moving from Monday Night Raw to SmackDown Live as part of the WWE's Superstar Shakeup. 

5. Astros pitcher Collin McHugh avoided serious injury and gave us the GIF of the MLB season Tuesday night.

6. I'll never get this guy on the SI Media Podcast now.

7. RANDOM YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DAY: You just have to be in awe that this man went from doing this to being on the cover of Time magazine.

Traina Thoughts is the best of the Internet, plus musings by SI.com writer, Jimmy Traina. Get the link to a new Traina's Thoughts each day by following on Twitter and liking on Facebook. Catch up on previous editions of Traina Thoughts right here. And make sure to listen to and subscribe to the SI Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina.

IN CLOSING: Every year, the hysteria around the NFL schedule release increases. It's amazing to see the hold that league has on America. 

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Jimmy Traina
JIMMY TRAINA

Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.

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