Twenty-six years later and not much has changed about Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray.

Jeopardy is hosting a special flashback tournament Feb. 3-7 that showcases winners over the past few decades, including what was once a young, bright Cordray.  

Cordray made his claim to fame just weeks before his 28th birthday on April 21, 1987, earning $45,303 in winnings as an early birthday present.

I was able to meet with Cordray back in December (you can read about it here) and can easily say he plays the same way he regulates: go big or go home.

Just as Cordray keeps a black-and-white view on regulating lenders and servicers, he is also an all-or-nothing player.

Several times during the game show, Cordray would bet everything and lose everything, falling down to the bottom hundreds several times. And quickly making you believe that he would come out in last place.

However, most notably, Cordray won the double jeopardy and bet all his money, $3,300, without hesitation—and got it.

But despite all this, Cordray did include one plot twist in his personality. For Final Jeopardy, Cordray got the question right but chose to bet nothing. So in the end, Cordray chose not to risk it all and his place on top.

This time around Cordray played very similarly expect for one minor detail: he did not win.

Halfway through the game, he was tied for the lead only to lose the majority of his winnings. But before the show concluded, he managed to edge his way back up and land second place.

While he lost his seat in the Jeopardy tournament, Cordray will return to his seat in Washington and quickly get back to work regulating lenders and servicers.

Don’t believe me? You can watch his first winning game from 1987 here.