NJ's Cris Pannullo ran into a tempest, ending his 21-game 'Jeopardy!' winning streak

Cris Pannullo of Ocean City

What might be the worst way to end a winning streak?

Cris Pannullo found out the hard way on Tuesday’s episode of Jeopardy!, when a wrong answer in Final Jeopardy doomed the Ocean City man after 21 victories and total winnings of $710,865.

Pannullo went into the last challenge with $12,600. That was a narrow lead over his closest competitor, San Diego professor Andy Tirrell, who had $11,900.

The South Jersey man bet big in Final Jeopardy, wagering $11,201.

But he stumbled over this clue: "A 1609 story in which an exiled king of Bulgaria creates a sea palace with his magic may have inspired the plot of this play."

Pannullo guessed wrongly that the play was "The Little Mermaid."

Tirrell correctly recognized the play as "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare. He ended the game with winnings of $15,399.

Pannullo, a customer success operations manager, reacted to his loss with a disappointed head shake. Then he clapped for his competitors and shared a fist bump with Tirrell.

Pannullo’s expected to return for Jeopardy!’s annual Tournament of Champions. He's ranked fifth among Jeopardy! contestants with the highest winnings during regular season play.

“Since his streak began back on Sept. 30, an incredible 80 percent, or 16 of Cris’ 20 wins, have ended in runaways,” according to a summary posted to the game show’s website on Monday.

But it also noted “a few close games that suggest this super-champ isn’t totally invincible.”

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: NJ native Cris Pannullo's 'Jeopardy!' win streak ends at 21