The line between success and failure is often so razor-thin...

Going into the last question of Double Jeopardy, Matt Amodio was trailing a three-day champion. He rang in, got it right, and surged just ahead by a mere $400. Both got Final Jeopardy correct, and Matt emerged the winner because of that lead.

He has not stopped winning since; as Jeopardy went into its end-of-the-season hiatus, Matt has won 18 straight games that add up to more than half a million. On the list of the venerable game show's all-time regular season money winners, his name now ranks third to Ken and James (no last names necessary).

Matt is not without he detractors, however. Top of the list is his quirk of starting every question with "What's", regardless if it's followed by a thing or a human, singular or plural. "What's Tennyson?" "What's Alps?" "What's Orioles?" "What's ball?" Many are annoyed; we find it nerdily endearing.

But what if Matt didn't ring in on that last question in his first game... or was a nanosecond short? None of this happens! Razor-thin indeed.

(Editor's update, October 11, 2021: Matt's run ended with 38 wins, the second longest ever.)