LOS ANGELES — The goofy and entertaining reign of “Jeopardy!” champ Austin Rogers is over.

The New York City bartender narrowly lost on Thursday’s show after a 12-game winning streak that netted him a total of $411,000, putting him in fifth place for all-time regular season winnings.

Austin Rogers, a New York City bartender, waves during a taping of "Jeopardy!" in Culver City, Calif. Jeopardy Productions, Inc. via AP

He’s satisfied with the run, Rogers said in an interview.

“I set myself out to win one game. I had no idea I’d be this wildly successful,” he said. “I had no idea I’d find it, honestly, this easy.”

He credits his study of history at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, for encouraging his curious nature, and says devising questions for the trivia quiz nights he hosts proved “a little helpful” on the show.

Scarlett Sims, a stay-at-home mother from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, ended up with $51 more than Rogers after the final question, $33,201 to his $33,150.

Rogers will compete in the two-week “Jeopardy!” tournament of champions that begins Nov. 6.

He brought an unusually freewheeling, improv-comedy approach to the quiz show. While most players stand obediently as they’re introduced, for instance, Rogers came up with bits of funny business, such as mimicking making a phone call from the stage.

“My know-it-all-ism is who I am. This is not a facade, unfortunately, America. This is how I behave in everyday situations.”

“I had a vague feeling that people would be like, ‘Oh, this guy’s sort of random,”‘ he said, and figured he might be recognized by a few “Jeopardy!” fans on the street. He didn’t expect to be invited to appear on “Good Morning America.”

But why not? He was the cocky player who dared to high-five host Alex Trebek.

Related Stories