'Jeopardy!' contestant Matt Amodio cashes in on seven-day winning streak, raking in over $250K

Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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This "Jeopardy!" contestant is on a seven-game winning streak, already placing him among the game show's Hall of Fame.

Who is Matt Amodio?

The Yale Computer Science Ph.D. student from New Haven, Connecticut. is quickly making a name for himself on "Jeopardy!" after securing his seventh consecutive win Thursday and a spot on the quiz show's prestigious all-time winnings list.

Amodio took home $74,000 Thursday after defeating contestants Dana Rosner and Bryan Cracchiolo, bringing his total prize money to $268,800. That lands Amodio ninth on the all-time winnings list of "Jeopardy!" regular-season play. Going into Final Jeopardy!, Amodio had earned $44,000, 10 times Rosner's $4,400. Cracchiolo, with -$1,200, didn't play.

The final category was World Cities, and the clue: "This Colombian port of 1 million people gets its name from Phoenician for "new town." (The correct response is below.)

"The nature of being a Ph.D. student is spending money, not making money. So it’s the most I’ve made in a while," he told Hartford Courant.

Yale's School of Engineering & Applied Science has been cheering Amodio on every step of the way. "He did it again! … Unbelievable! #GoMattGo," the university tweeted Thursday.

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This "Jeopardy!" contestant is on a seven-game winning streak that already has him among the game show's Hall of Fame. Who is Matt Amodio?
This "Jeopardy!" contestant is on a seven-game winning streak that already has him among the game show's Hall of Fame. Who is Matt Amodio?

Although lucky No. 7 may have got him in the record books, Amodio said it doesn't top his first win: "Once you (win) once, that’s just such a great accomplishment."

"Nobody can ever take that away from you," he added in a video posted on Twitter.

Amodio was first crowned the "Jeopardy!" champion when Robin Roberts stepped in as guest host and his streak has lasted into LeVar Burton's hosting duties. (The remaining guest hosts who will finish the season, ending Aug. 13, are author and CNBC host David Faber and sportscaster Joe Buck.)

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Amodio said he grew up watching "Jeopardy!" with his family, adding that the quiz show was so coveted in his household that it took precedent over America's favorite pastime: baseball.

"The only time we would change the channel was 7:30 to watch 'Jeopardy!' and I loved it every night," he told Burton during Wednesday's episode.

That Final Jeopardy response? "Cartagena." Only Amodio answered correctly, after wagering $30,000.

Contributing: Kelly Lawler

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Jeopardy!' contestant Matt Amodio on seven-day winning streak