Jeopardy James - How Do I Love Thee - Let Me Count the Ways

He is extremely intelligent and better, his mind clearly works at warp speed.

Of note, when asked how he prepped for "Jeopardy!" - which he started trying for in 2006 and didn't get a slot as a contestant until 2012 - he said that he had read a lot of children's books as they were designed to fuel curiosity about new subjects.  He particularly wanted a seat at the Jeopardy table to honor his beloved grandmother.  They used to watch it together.

Unexpectedly, Ken Jennings ($2.5 million) said, "I'm the only person alive who knows first hand how difficult it is to do what Holtzauer is doing and I am rooting him on."

He has a sweet smile - James not Ken Jennings - and seems to be altogether a very nice person.  He used the birthdays of  family and friends for the sums he'd wager.  Alex was puzzled  at the odd numbers - 10,213 and asked - and that's how the rest of us know it.

 Last night we all learned that he met his wife when both were teaching ESL in Thai schools.  They have a four year old daughter.  Wisely both avoid the spotlight while James is photographed by the iconic "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign.

But two other things stand out to me - he doesn't show boat around (Austin the Boston bartender)
and clearly has his mind set on bidness.  His only gesture to show biz is when he bets a daily double  and Alex asks how much? and he makes the shoving in of his chips gesture. " Push" in blackjack. (Not that I've ever played it in a casino.  My math skills are non-existent. yes, even for simple addition.)  

 I also especially like the way he toys like a cat with a succulent mouse with the other contestants.  The first couple of shows when he went straight across the board with the $1,000 and then $2,000 questions I was first gobsmacked (see OED) and then ruefully sighed and thought, "He's got a death wish."  How wrong I was.  He is a sportsman.  Of late, he is leaving some big money questions to the others.  Apparently he has a point financially when he feels his lead is definite  so he avoids the easy low-money questions so that these contestants can go home with some money, too.

A scholar and a gentleman.  Go, James!