Watch: James Holzhauer's 'Jeopardy!' winning streak comes to an end

All good things must come to an end.

For James Holzhauer, it's a bittersweet conclusion to a long journey: After 32 consecutive winning ounds, the "Jeopardy!" contestant was finally bested this week, but he's walking away with $2,464,216. Not too shabby.

Holzhauer's loss put him just shy of meeting record-holder Ken Jennings, the reigning champion by just $58,485.

A pro gambler, Holzhauer's decision to wager low on his final episode left some fans confused. He bet $1,399 in Final Jeopardy, throwing even Alex Trebek for a loop. He later confirmed that it was a very calculated decision.

“By the time Final Jeopardy rolled around, I knew my goose was cooked if Emma answered correctly. It’s a little like needing a team to miss a last-second field goal — nothing you can really do but watch," Holzhauer later told The Atlantic. "I made peace with my fate before the clue for Final was even revealed.”

Impressively, it wasn't a wrong answer that knocked Holzhauer out. It was his competitor's luck in snagging the Daily Doubles that did him in.

"I knew I could only win if Emma missed Final Jeopardy, as there was no way she wouldn't bet to cover my all-in bet, so my only concern was getting overtaken by third place, and I bet just enough to make sure of not locking him out," Holzhauer explained to Action Network.

He continued, "Betting big would have looked good for the cameras, but now I turn my straight bet (Emma misses) into a parley (Emma misses, and I get it right."

Jennings set his record in 2004. Time will tell if it will ever be toppled.

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