'Jeopardy!' champ from Ocean City, NJ going for his 8th straight win

The customer success operation manager's total earnings on the show now surpass $220,000.
Tuesday, October 11, 2022
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A "Jeopardy!" champ from Ocean City, New Jersey just reached another milestone in the game.

Cris Pannullo won his seventh game in a row on Monday night.

The customer success operation manager's total earnings on the show now surpass $220,000.

Host Ken Jennings has compared Pannullo to "Jeopardy!" All-Star James Holzhauer, who holds the second-highest record for regular-season winnings.

Jennings said both Pannullo and Holzhauer are avid poker players and use similar game-play strategies.

On an episode last week when Pannullo made it a true Daily Double, wagering all his earnings, Jennings asked him if he was going to do the "all-in" poker motion Holzhauer became known for.

"I'm not as good as James Holzhauer," Pannullo replied.

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Going into Final Jeopardy! on Monday, Pannullo had a strong lead over the other two contestants with a total of $44,600 compared to $3,800 and $1,600.

To get his seventh win, Pannullo correctly responded to the Final Jeopardy! clue.

The category was "Brand Names."

The clue was: "A neighbor's charcoal drawing of Ann Turner Cook at age 4 or 5 months won a 1928 contest to appear in ads for this brand."

The correct response: "Gerber."

He wagered $15,221, giving him a total of $59,821.

His seven-day total is $221,901.

Pannullo has guaranteed himself a spot in next season's Tournament of Champions. Philadelphia's Ryan Long will appear in this season's tournament.

You can see Pannullo go for his eighth straight win Tuesday at 7 p.m. on 6abc.
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