World Tournament of Slots: PokerNews Meets Stephanie Hall, 2024 Winner
We're super excited for the World Tournament of Slots 2025 Main Registration set for later today, as 500 players begin the journey to topping the slots and scoring the $1 million prize!
But before we learn who's playing and when, our very own Chad Holloway took the opportunity to sit down with 2024 WTOS champion, Stephanie Hall to get her thoughts on this year's competition.
PokerNews Meets Slots Champion, Stephanie Hall
Speaking to PokerNews Podcast host Chad Holloway, Stephanie reflected on the excitement (and slightly surreal feeling) of being back at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort and having the opportunity to defend her crown as the world champion of slots. She revealed that her aim was to follow her beloved Green Bay Packers, who won Super Bowls I and II, and notch back-to-back WTOS wins.
She also let us in on a little secret: her husband also plans to enter the tournament, so it could be husband against wife in the later rounds, depending on their respective progress!
"We've got a couple of chances, we're kind of battling each other, but at the same time someone's going to win it and the feeling is just amazing."
How about some tips for playing tournament slots?
We all know slots aren't skill games and your chances of winning are based on random luck, but Stephanie was forthcoming in offering some handy tips for giving yourself the best chance of coming out on top:
"So the 3 minutes feels like forever, and your arm is going to go dead. Push through the pain, don't stop hitting the button, and just focus."
Sounds simple right? But having already seen some players practising, in addition to footage from last year's competition, proves this is not a tournament for the faint-hearted.
Never chase losses
Always set limits
Take regular breaks
Top of the Slots: Hall vs. Mizrachi
As an added attraction on top of the main event, tournament organizers myVIP have arranged a special competition, bringing together Stephanie with 2025 World Series of Poker Winner, Michael Mizrachi. The two titans will go head-to-head in a special slots battle, which promises to offer even more slots excitement.
And even though she's the reigning champ, Stephanie confided that she was apprehensive about testing herself against 'The Grinder':
"I've heard so much about him, how amazing he is, and I'm excited to go head-to-head. I'm a little nervous because he's a little more skilled than me, but that's all right."
This promises to be one of the main attractions at WTOS 2025, and as always, PokerNews will be on the ground to capture the action live!
WTOS 2024 Recap: Stephanie Hall Conquers All
Stating as such in our interview, Stephanie was just a casual slots player from Idaho when she decided to spin for a place at the 2024 myVIP World Tournament of Slots, and had no idea that she would end up as the millionaire winner.
Playing on the POP! Slots free app, she used her myVIP Rewards points to enter a tournament with other myVIP slots players. From there, she was lucky enough to scoop a free seat at the 2024 tournament. Speaking with WTOS myVIP Host Tiffany about her win, Hall said:
“When I saw my name on the list, I’m pretty sure I screamed and jumped around. It’s all kind of a blur.”
The 2024 tournament brought together 500 keen slots players from the US and beyond, so the odds were already stacked against Stephanie, but she emerged as the grand finale winner on the final night. She recalled the magical moment when her name was called:
“I paused for a minute like, do I stand up? Am I gonna fall over? We worked our way up to the stage, and had so many friends cheering me on as I walked up there. It was an amazing time, it was life-changing."
Starting 'Training' Now for WTOS 2026!
Want to be in with a shout of playing for $1m in the Bahamas next year?
Your best bet is getting some practice in with the free slots apps from premier app brand, Playstudios. There are four free slot apps to choose from, each offering a host of free slot games, social tournaments, and the chance to earn some real-life rewards through the myVIP Rewards scheme.
If you need further convincing, here's Stephanie again on how she found herself at the 2024 tournament:
"I play POP! Slots and I entered. I used my loyalty points to enter a tournament to try to win a trip to the Bahamas."
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