Terp Notches 9-Day Winning Streak on ‘Jeopardy!’

It had to end sometime, but banking more than $215,000 isn’t a bad way for a University of Maryland grad to go out after nearly two weeks on “Jeopardy!”

Isaac Hirsch ’14 buzzed his way to becoming the syndicated quiz show’s second-biggest winner of 2024, taking down the competition with his pop culture know-how, wordplay skills, and literature and history expertise—thanks to his UMD degree—until his 10^th appearance on Tuesday night ended in defeat. (He was felled by a Final Jeopardy question about 1960s icon Timothy Leary.)

The experience “went by in a blur,” he said. “It’s mentally exhausting. I taped last week’s episodes in one day. It’s nice to (watch) them spaced out, because it feels more real that way.”

Hirsch had just two weeks to prepare for his run on the show, getting notified months after he thought his eligibility for the contestant pool had expired. He scrambled to brush up on facts and strategy, then drove from his home in Burbank to Culver City, Calif.—but didn’t even get to play on his first day, when he was an alternate.

Getting that time to observe, however, gave him an advantage. And his decade of experience as a part-time comedian, starting from when he was president of UMD’s standup club, helped him stay relaxed when he finally got his shot, despite a fast-paced environment that takes a toll on contestants.

“I tell people when you’re up there, your brain’s in low-power mode. You’re using like 20% of it, so you’re trying to make mental connections with the scraps of what’s left,” he said, which caused him to forget to look for a second Daily Double in Friday’s show. Multiply that by playing five games, back-to-back, with just 20 minutes between them to change (yes, he’s seen your comments on social media about his flamboyant, 1970s-inspired outfits), and it’s surprising anyone’s able to go on a hot streak.

Keeping his success a secret since he taped in May hasn’t been easy. After winning his first few games on a Thursday, he had to return to work the next day as a customer support team lead for a software company.

“I’m answering phones all day, thinking, ‘They think I’m just a dumb customer service guy, but I’m a three-time ‘Jeopardy!’ champ!’” he said.

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Hirsch grew up in a multigenerational "Jeopardy!” family—his dad appeared on the show in the early 1980s—and his parents were both librarians who kept the house stocked with reference books. He got his first taste of TV trivia competition when he joined the “It’s Academic” team at Blake High School in Montgomery County, then competed for the University of Maryland’s Quiz Bowl team, though he spent most of his time on the “B” squad.

“Maryland has a very good team,” said Hirsch. “‘Jeopardy!’ tests breadth of knowledge, and I know a little about everything. But Quiz Bowl tests depth of knowledge, and I don’t know a lot about anything.”

Even so, that’s been enough to win him $5,000 on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” in 2017, and to split another $140,000 won on a 2023 episode of “The Chase,” a British import competition featuring three-person teams.

With his “Jeopardy!” earnings added to the pot, he’s looking forward to taking his girlfriend, who cheered from the audience throughout the tapings, on a trip (though most of it will go toward more practical expenses, since—he pointed out—he lives in Southern California).

Now, Hirsch is turning his focus to the show’s next Tournament of Champions, reserved for contestants who win five or more games. He’s been brushing up on his weak spots, such as geography and science, ever since he wrapped his run.

“I’m going in with a lot to prove,” he said. “People will look at me like one of the favorites, but there’s a lot of luck involved. So I’m preparing as if it’s tomorrow!”