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“When you’re up there, your brain’s in low-power mode. You’re using like 20% of it, so you’re trying to make mental connections with the scraps of what’s left,” he says. Multiply that by playing five games, back-to-back, with just 20-minute breaks to change clothes, and his nine-game winning streak looks all the more remarkable.

He credits his decade of experience as a part-time comedian, starting from when he was president of UMD’s standup club, and his previous appearances on trivia shows “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and “The Chase” with helping him stay relaxed on stage.

Hirsch grew up in a multigenerational “Jeopardy!” family—his dad appeared on the show in the early 1980s—and his parents were librarians who stocked the house with reference books. He got his first taste of TV trivia competition when he joined the “It’s Academic” team in high school, then competed for UMD’s Quiz Bowl team, though he spent most of his time on the “B” squad.

“Maryland has a very good team,” says Hirsch, a customer support team lead for a software company from Burbank, Calif. “‘But Quiz Bowl tests depth of knowledge, and I don’t know a lot about anything. ‘Jeopardy!’ tests breadth of knowledge, and I know a little about everything.”

Since filming wrapped in May, he’s been brushing up on weaker topics, like geography and science, to get ready to face off against fellow contestants who won five games or more.

“I’m going in with a lot to prove,” says Hirsch. “People will look at me like one of the favorites, but there’s a lot of luck involved. So I’m preparing as if it’s tomorrow!”