Six alarms. One night.

That’s how LunaChicken, one of our Skillz Pearl Tier players, describes the night he turned a $1 entry into a $10,000 grand prize win in the Blackout Bingo Championship, one of the biggest live tournaments we’ve ever run on the platform.

A Six-Year Journey to the Big Stage

Long before the championship, LunaChicken had already built a deep history with Blackout Bingo, playing for more than six years and racking up enough experience to earn Skillz Black Tier coins along the way, a badge reserved for some of our most dedicated, longtime players.

Knowing the event mattered, he wasn’t taking any chances on missing it.

“I had about 6 alarms set on my phone the night of the grand finale to make sure I didn’t miss the event!” 

“I was super excited but realized there were far more experienced and skilled players than me, so I was just hoping to make it past the 1st few rounds.”

That mindset, low expectations, high focus, turned out to be exactly the formula for an incredible run.

The Final 60 Seconds

As the tournament progressed, round after round, the unexpected kept happening.

“As the tournament progressed, I couldn’t believe I kept winning, and once I made the final round, that 60 seconds or so as the timer counted down to the start were the most stressed I’ve felt in a long time.”

If you’ve ever played a live Skillz tournament, you know that feeling. The countdown clock becomes deafening. Every second matters. And for LunaChicken, those final seconds before the championship round were the most intense of the entire competition.

The Moment Everything Changed

When the results came in, the reaction was immediate and loud.

“When the results came back, I was in shock at first then screamed so loud, I woke up my entire family. I’m on the east coast so it was 10:30pm in our house.”

A $10,000 win at 10:30pm on the East Coast is the kind of moment that doesn’t just change your night, it changes your whole week. Even the family dog got caught in the celebration.

“I scared my dog half to death with my outburst. Fun fact, my username comes from our precious dog. Her name is Luna, she’s a 10 year old Sheltie, and she’s terrified of thunderstorms, fireworks, and oddly enough sneezes. Hence my username of LunaChicken, as that’s what we call her.”

It’s a fitting origin story for a username that just became synonymous with a $10,000 Skillz win.

Why Blackout Bingo?

For LunaChicken, Blackout Bingo isn’t just a game he plays, it’s the only Skillz game he’s ever played.

“Blackout Bingo is the only Skillz game I’ve ever played. I love the different ways it can be played, and it’s a great stress reliever for me.”

That kind of loyalty and familiarity with the game clearly paid off in a big way.

Advice for New Players

So what’s the advice from someone who turned a $1 buy-in into a five-figure win?

“My advice to new players is once you understand this is not your regular Friday night Bingo game, just have fun playing it! If you want to improve your skills, join some events and watch the replays of the top 10 to learn different strategies.”

It’s simple, practical advice: treat Blackout Bingo as the competitive game it is, lean into live events for experience, and study the top performers to sharpen your own strategy.

A Community Celebration

Even after the dust settled, the celebration didn’t stop online.

“Thanks to everyone in the chat room after the event who offered congratulations! It was overwhelming, and I’m still a bit in shock that I came out on top!”

That sense of community, players cheering each other on in real time, is exactly what makes Skillz live events so special.

Want to Be Our Next Big Winner?

Stories like LunaChicken’s are exactly why we run live tournaments like the $1 to $10K Blackout Bingo Championship, to give every player, no matter their tier or experience level, a real shot at a life-changing win.

Want to know when the next live event drops, get tips from past winners, and connect with other competitive Skillz players? Join our Facebook community to stay in the loop on upcoming tournaments, exclusive promotions, and more winner stories like this one.

See you in the next event, your $10,000 moment could be next.