James Holzhauer, the professional gambler who has won a total of more than $1.6million over 21 straight episodes of Jeopardy!, says host Alex Trebek isn’t as innocent as he seems. ‘I learned that Alex Trebek has a potty mouth once the cameras aren't recording,’ Holzhauer revealed. He was answering a question posed by the student newspaper for Shaler Area Middle School in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania. Holzhauer, the 34-year-old Las Vegas resident, also revealed how he prepared to play Jeopardy!. ‘I was an undisciplined student, but I set a goal for Jeopardy and really focused on achieving it,’ he told the Sams Salmon Exclusive. ‘No one has ever played Jeopardy like I do, but I didn't let that stop me from approaching the game the way I thought I should.’ James Holzhauer (right), a professional gambler from Las Vegas, says he was surprised to learn that host Alex Trebek (left) has a 'potty mouth when the cameras aren't rolling' Holzhauer said that he first started taking the online test to get on Jeopardy! in 2006, but it wasn’t until 2012 that he seriously began to prepare. His strategy was simple: read as many children’s book as possible. ‘I dedicated myself to learning at least the basics of every subject I could imagine popping up on the show,’ he said. ‘For me, that meant reading a lot of children's books, since they are specifically designed to get the reader interested in a new subject.’ Holzhauer says that he has used a strategy of answering the most expensive questions first. When he hits a ‘Daily Double,’ he bets large sums of money. Holzhauer says he was driven to make it on Jeopardy! because of his grandmother. ‘I had wanted to be on the show since childhood, when I watched with my beloved Granny,’ he said. ‘I promised her I would be on the show one day, so I always felt I owed it to her.’ In the 21 consecutive Jeopardy! contests that he has won, Holzhauer has earned $1,608,627. Holzhauer has won 21 consecutive Jeopardy! constests, bringing the 34-year-old's total winnings so far to $1,608,627 He is only the second person in 35 years to win more than $1 million on Jeopardy!. With his winning streak, Holzhauer is now more than halfway to reaching Ken Jennings' $2.5million record. It took Jennings 33 games to reach $1 million in 2004 and 74 games to earn $2.5 million. But Holzhauer earned $1.06million in just 14 appearances and stands to match Jennings' record in half the time if his winning streak continues. Holzhauer now has the top eight single-game totals in the show's history. 'This is absolutely insane,' Jennings said on Twitter of Holzhauer's success. 'I've always wanted to see someone try Jeopardy! wagering this way who had the skills to back it up. 'I don't feel I get enough credit for making small, sensible Jeopardy wagers, which helped the show with its prize budget.' ESPN is covering Holzhauer's episodes on its Chalk betting section. Holzhauer credits his career with helping 'desensitize' him when it comes to making big bets. Earlier this week, Trebek candidly opened up about his battle with cancer in his first interview since the diagnosis, revealing there are days when he feels a 'deep, deep sadness'. Earlier this week, Trebek candidly opened up about his battle with cancer in his first interview since the diagnosis, revealing there are days when he feels a 'deep, deep sadness'. He appeared on ABC's Good Morning America on Wednesday But the beloved Jeopardy! host, who was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March, also believes that he will be strong enough to film the show's 36th season. 'My oncologist tells me I'm doing well, even though I don't always feel it,' he told Good Morning America's Robin Roberts on Wednesday. 'I've had kidney stones, I've had ruptured disks, so I'm used to dealing with pain, but what I'm not used to dealing with is the surges that come on suddenly of deep, deep sadness, and it brings tears to my eyes.' 'I've discovered in this whole episode, ladies and gentleman, that I'm a bit of a wuss,' he continued with his famous good-natured humor. 'But I'm fighting through it.' All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility