There are crossover events, and then there are moments like this — when two completely different worlds collide under bright lights and a million-dollar jackpot.
On Thursday, October 24, poker legend Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi faced off against Stephanie “Win-It-All” Hall at the myVIP World Tournament of Slots inside Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas.
Hall, the reigning WTOS champion, returned to defend her crown after snagging last year’s million-dollar title. Mizrachi, fresh off his 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event win, decided to trade cards for reels in a headline exhibition dubbed “Drama in the Bahamas.”
Can WSOP Main Event champion @TheGrinder44 beat the reigning @myvipwtos World Tournament of Slots champion at her own game? We found out at the “Drama in the Bahamas”🌴👇 pic.twitter.com/nvvBIKeHvp
— PokerNews (@PokerNews) October 24, 2025
When the timer started, both players locked in for a three-minute sprint. Side by side on identical slot machines, they hammered the spin button, chasing the highest credit count before the clock ran out. When the final numbers flashed on screen, Mizrachi edged past the 2024 champ, sealing the win as the crowd erupted.
For context, the World Tournament of Slots is a multi-day, invite-only spectacle hosted by PLAYSTUDIOS, the gaming company behind mobile hits like myVEGAS Slots and POP! Slots. According to the official press release, the event brought together 500 players from around the world, each one earning their spot through months of app-based qualifying rounds. Once in the Bahamas, they competed through timed heats, each lasting just a few minutes. The goal was simple: rack up as many credits as possible before the buzzer hit zero, with the top score claiming $1 million and the title of “World’s Greatest Slot Player.”
The 2025 edition had all the spectacle you’d expect — celeb cameos, social streams, and a surprise double wedding that included Vanna White. By Sunday night, the 68-year-old Wheel icon returned to the main stage to crown the new champion, Hector Barahona.
🎰Hector Barahona is the NEW @myvipwtos World Tournament of Slots Champion and has won $1,000,000. His excitement is positively infectious. Congratulations Hector (and Hector’s family😄)!@myVEGAS @MGMSlotsLive @MyKONAMISlots @PopSlotsCasino pic.twitter.com/BiYsSfRq0h
— PokerNews (@PokerNews) October 26, 2025
“I’m gonna do so many things,” Barahona told PokerNews following his big win. “Of course I’m going to help out my family and my cousins. I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do — everything, I don’t know yet, but I definitely like to make other people happy, so I’m going to use it to do that.”
