Jamie Ding’s Dominant ‘Jeopardy!’ Run Ends — Here’s How It Happened

Jamie Ding’s Jeopardy! run came to an end, and it took a serious player to do it. Jamie, a Lawrenceville, N.J., contestant who described himself as a “bureaucrat and law student,” tore through the board for weeks. He won 31 straight games and banked $882,605 before his streak ended on the Monday, April 27 episode.

His run placed him among the biggest names in Jeopardy! history. The show’s official Leaderboard of Legends lists him at $882,605 in all-time winnings, including tournaments.

Greg Shahade, a chess master from Philadelphia, Pa., defeated Jamie on April 27 and became the new champion with $33,000. The official Jeopardy! box score listed Greg as the winner, Jamie in second with $19,010, and Katrina Puckett in third with $4,990. Greg built a monster lead before Final Jeopardy. By the end of Double Jeopardy, he had $32,600, while Jamie had $16,000. Jamie still answered enough to finish strong, but he could not catch Greg. The game had already turned into a runaway.

Greg admitted he knew facing Jamie would be rough, but he didn’t back down. "I didn't want to play him," Greg told 6ABC. "It's an honor to play him, but also, you only get one chance to play 'Jeopardy!' in your life. When you play somebody like that, you're probably going to lose."

Jamie handled the loss with class. "The run is over," Jamie said. "But all good things come to an end. I think we put together some great television."

He told People that losing in a runaway actually helped him process the moment. “It almost makes me feel better about the thing because there wasn’t really one clue or whatever that everything hinged on,” Jamie said.

For folks who need a quick Jeopardy! refresher, the game features three contestants who answer clues in the form of a question. The show moves through the Jeopardy Round, Double Jeopardy, and Final Jeopardy. Daily Doubles can flip the game because players can wager big. Final Jeopardy lets contestants risk part of their score before the last clue. The official box scores track buzzer attempts, correct and incorrect responses, Daily Doubles, wagers, and final scores.

That format explains why Greg’s win was so impressive. He did not just sneak past Jamie. He controlled enough of the board and money to keep Jamie from mounting one of those dramatic last-second comebacks. After the episode, Greg kept rolling. By April 29, Jeopardy! listed him as a three-game champion with $74,602 in total winnings. As for Jamie, this is not goodbye forever. He is expected to return for the Tournament of Champions.