Jeopardy! fans are witnessing another impressive run from a new contestant, Cris Panullo. Panullo has earned over $200,000 dollars during his time on the game show—but this isn’t his first time competing on TV.
Panullo’s Previous Game Show Appearance
Panullo, a customer success operations manager from Ocean City, New Jersey, has racked up $275,502 over his eight days on the show. On a recent episode, Panullo really impressed viewers by earning $11,000 on one Daily Double answer.
It’s no surprise Panullo is such an excellent Jeopardy! contestant. In 2018, he appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? However, his run on Jeopardy! is proving far more lucrative. Panullo left Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? with just $5,000 after missing the $7,000 question.
Some viewers are impressed by Panullo’s calm demeanor while competing, as well as his penchant for big gambles. However, this makes sense when you know a little more about Panullo’s background: the New Jersey native was once a professional poker player.
Even though Panullo has a history of game show appearances and playing high-stakes games, he revealed that his girlfriend was the one to convince him to apply for Jeopardy! During one episode, Panullo called her a “wonderful coach and a wonderful partner and a wonderful human being.”
Fan Reactions: ‘Cris Seems To Get Better With Each Game’
Fans of Jeopardy! are loving Panullo’s playing style. “Cris is one of my fav players in recent times,” one person commented on a video of Panullo competing. “Personable, serious, wryly funny, humble, risk-taker and so knowledgeable—everything to engage an audience and make us smile. I really want him to go far and I hope that he does!”
“What a great game! Cris seems to get better with each game,” another person wrote. Someone else commented, “It feels quite astonishing that Cris earned a total of $113,422 in both back-to-back games.”
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So, does Panullo have any big plans for his winnings? “In this economy, Ken, I’m just throwing it all under my mattress,” he joked with host Ken Jennings. “The hard part is going to be getting it all flat, so I’m not laying on a lumpy mattress. But with some time, I’ll get it done.” Panullo has proved that he is a truly memorable Jeopardy! Champion, and fans of the game show can’t wait to see how long his winning streak lasts!