Plenty of people have been paying attention to the TV game show “Jeopardy” in recent weeks, where a professional sports gambler had been on a 32-match winning streak until he lost on the show that was broadcast Monday.
James Holzhauer was an exceptionally aggressive player, hunting for Daily Double questions at the bottom of each board and betting large amounts when he found them. The strategy worked in a big way: He took home more than $2 million, averaging nearly $77,000 per day, and he now holds all of the show’s top 10 single-day winnings.
However, none of it would have mattered if Holzhauer hadn’t gotten an awful lot of “questions” right. He’s clearly a smart guy, but it’s also worth noting that before he went on “Jeopardy,” he read through a lot of children’s books to expand his knowledge of little-known things.
Holzhauer said these books are designed to engage young readers, and they definitely gave him an edge. The message ought to be clear to parents: Get your kids a couple of interesting books this summer. It will pay off one day.
