Isaac Hirsch has been on a roll throughout July on Jeopardy! with an impressive winning streak.
The customer support team leader’s time on the regular edition of the daytime TV staple concluded after a nine-day winning streak.
Throughout his time on the show, the California native reached an impressive $215,390.
Given his impressive talent, it was surprising that a massive wager cost Isaac the game.
The unprecedented $14,000 wager was a bold swing, but like the people who have lost games of Jeopardy! in the past, he’s questioning what would have happened if he had done things a little differently.
Despite Isaac’s run ending, he’s become a fan favorite, meaning viewers and Jeopardy! alums took to the official Subreddit to open up about his loss.
Jeopardy! fans and alums speak out about Isaac’s elimination
“I’m so bummed to see Isaac go,” said Alison Betts, who added that “he’s been an amazing competitor and so much fun to watch.”
Alison revealed her only complaint was that he “set the style bar way too high.”
“I have no idea WHAT I’m going to wear in the ToC now.”
“In 10 games you’ve made it into my top 5 favorite jeopardy champs of all time,” a fan shared.
“Can’t wait to see you in the toc!”
Another fan declared that Isaac had a “great run and were a joy to watch.”
Isaac himself took to the Subreddit to explain his rationale for the decision.
“The short answer is that I did the math wrong,” he admitted.
“I was trying to subtract 14,401 from 16,200, and somehow came up with 1300 instead of 1800 as the number I needed to arrive at if I got it wrong, hence the 14,000 wager.”
Isaac said he “spent the weeks after the taping seeing the bad math in my sleep.”
Isaac has proven to have staying power despite his loss after nine wins, so it will be interesting to see him on Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions down the line.
Jeopardy always brings back popular players
The series has a knack for bringing players back for programming strands and primetime editions.
Jeopardy! has been expanding on ABC over the last few years, and that won’t change anytime soon.
The network is immersed in that universe because it delivers strong ratings.
In other Jeopardy! news, the series was nominated for Outstanding Game Show when the 2024 Emmy nominees were revealed Wednesday morning.
Series host Ken Jennings also snagged a nod for Outstanding Game Show Host.