As the prestigious “Jeopardy!” Masters tournament premieres, the show is addressing the absence of a formidable player and fan favorite.
Why isn’t James Holzhauer competing on ‘Jeopardy!’ Masters?
James Holzhauer — a self-described “game show villain” who won 32 consecutive games in 2019, was the champion of the inaugural Masters tournament in 2023 and placed third in the second tournament last year — is not competing in the third iteration, which premieres Wednesday night on ABC.
As a finalist last year, Holzhauer had an automatic bid in this year’s tournament.
He declined to take part, according to the show’s producers.
“It’s an invitational tournament, we absolutely did extend the invitation to James, and he decided for this year, he was not going to compete,” “Jeopardy!” producer Sarah Whitcomb-Foss said during a recent episode of the podcast “Inside Jeopardy!”
“Absolutely his right,” “Jeopardy!” executive producer Michael Davies added. “We completely respect James’ decision.”
Holzhauer has historically been a force to be reckoned with: He holds the No. 4 spot in “Jeopardy!” history for most games won; is second behind only host Ken Jennings for highest wins in regular season play; and holds the 10 top spots for single-game winnings, per the “Jeopardy!” Leaderboard of Legends.
The star player is also a big reason Jennings has said he’s retired from playing “Jeopardy!”
“Let me be very clear and on the record here: It’s because I’m terrified of playing James because I think he would win,” Jennings told the Deseret News during the first Masters tournament in 2023. “I’m very happy to be retired from ‘Jeopardy!’ because I think I got away with one in the GOAT tournament. And I think there’s a very good chance that he would just wipe the floor with me if we had to play again. So I feel very lucky to be retired — ain’t gonna be no rematch.”
Holzhauer’s absence from the Masters tournament is striking, but “Jeopardy!” has brought in a strong replacement — and fun throwback.
Brad Rutter replaces James Holzhauer on ‘Jeopardy!’ Masters
To take Holzhauer’s place, “Jeopardy!” has brought in Brad Rutter, the legendary player who holds the top spot for all-time winnings in “Jeopardy!” history (Jennings and Holzhauer, respectively, hold the second and third spots).
Rutter, who had a five-game winning streak back in 2000 when the quiz show had a five-game limit, last appeared on the Alex Trebek stage in 2020 to compete against Jennings and Holzhauer for the “Greatest of All Time Tournament.”
Jennings won that tournament, which drew in as many viewers as the 2019 NBA finals and the 2019 World Series, but he has long praised Rutter for his competitive play.
“He’s eager to come back and show us that he still has what it takes to take all the money,” Whitcomb-Foss said of Rutter during the “Inside Jeopardy!” episode. “You know, Ken often said he was always a ‘Bradsmaid’ never a bride, until the GOAT. And then he did win.”
In a teaser for the Masters tournament, “Jeopardy!” brought back Sam Buttrey, another fan favorite and former Masters competitor, to chat with the players.
“You’re famous for having won more money than Ken,” Buttrey told Rutter. “Does that make you a nicer person than Ken?”
“Absolutely,” Rutter said.
Rutter’s first appearance in the Masters tournament will come during the premiere episode Wednesday, which airs at 8 p.m. MDT.
Who is competing in the ‘Jeopardy!’ 2025 Masters tournament?
In addition to Rutter, the following eight players have also earned a spot in the upcoming Masters tournament:
- Returning Masters champion Victoria Groce, who defeated “Jeopardy!” greats Holzhauer and Yogesh Raut in the tournament last year, as the Deseret News reported. Groce, who was a one-game champion during her initial “Jeopardy!” run back in 2005 — defeating 19-game winner David Madden — also won the inaugural “Jeopardy!” Invitational Tournament in 2024.
- Returning Masters finalist Yogesh Raut, who won three games during his initial “Jeopardy!” run in 2023 and was the 2024 Tournament of Champions winner, as the Deseret News previously reported.
- Neilesh Vinjamuri, a three-game “Jeopardy!” champ in 2024, who went on to win the 2025 Tournament of Champions, as the Deseret News previously reported.
- “Jeopardy!” super-champion Adriana Harmeyer, who won 15 games in 2024 and was a finalist in this year’s Tournament of Champions.
- “Jeopardy!” super-champion Isaac Hirsch, who won nine games last year and was a finalist in the 2025 Tournament of Champions.
- Matt Amodio, who holds the No. 3 spot for most consecutive games won in “Jeopardy!” history with 38, as the Deseret News reported. Amodio placed third in the inaugural Masters tournament and won the Jeopardy Invitational Tournament earlier this year. The “Jeopardy!” great also holds the No. 3 spot for highest winnings in regular season play and sits at No. 4 for all-time winnings.
- Juveria Zaheer, who after losing her first game in 2022 went on to dominate in the Second Chance Tournament a year later. She also won the 2024 “Champions Wildcard” tournament and placed as a quarterfinalist in the 2024 Tournament of Champions, as the Deseret News reported. Most recently, Zaheer was a finalist in the 2025 Jeopardy Invitational Tournament.
- Roger Craig, who had a six-game winning streak in 2010 and won the Tournament of Champions the following year. At the time of his run, Craig was the third-highest winning contestant on the show, as the Deseret News previously reported. He competed in the 2014 Battle of the Decades and the 2019 All-Star games and, most recently, was a finalist in the 2025 Jeopardy Invitational Tournament.
The ‘Jeopardy!’ 2025 Masters schedule
Below is the full Masters schedule, with matchups listed as available:
- April 30 — “Jeopardy!” Masters premiere/Knockouts
- Game 1: Groce, Raut and Rutter
- Game 2: Amodio, Craig and Zaheer
- May 7 — Knockouts
- Game 3: Vinjamuri, Hirsch and Harmeyer
- Game 4: TBA
- May 14 — Knockouts
- May 20 — Quarterfinals
- May 21 — Quarterfinals
- May 27 — Quarterfinals
- May 28 — Semifinals
- June 3 — Semifinals
- June 4 — Finals
Episodes will be available for streaming on Hulu the day after they air on ABC.