The inaugural WSOP Paradise festival in the Bahamas marked its first grand triumph with Allan Mello emerging as the champion of Event #2: Millionaire Maker in Paradise.
After an intense 15-hour battle, Mello bested a field of 3,496 players, turning his online and live poker skills into a life-changing $1,000,000 prize. The unique format of the event saw players initially compete online on GGPoker, with the final 100 qualifiers advancing to the live event in the Bahamas.
Mello’s path to victory culminated in a heads-up battle against Nazar Buhaiov from Ukraine. In a post-victory interview with PokerNews, an overwhelmed Mello shared, “I can’t believe I won this. I dreamed of this. Finally, I got my first bracelet and my biggest win of $1 million! So I am very happy.”
The decisive moment came when Mello masterfully called Buhaiov’s all-in bluff on a 67A 5 2 board, holding T-high. Mello took some time before calling and eventually showing a winner with 87 and a pair of seven.
“I was just trying to play my best,” he added. “And I was running hot, so I just needed to do my best and wait to see if I keep running hot (to) win the tournament.”
2023 WSOP Paradise Event #2 $1,500 Millionaire Maker Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1 | Allan Mello | Brazil | $1,000,000 |
| 2 | Nazar Buhaiov | Ukraine | $593,500 |
| 3 | Morten Norland | Norway | $263,500 |
| 4 | Maksim Vaskresenski | Poland | $158,500 |
| 5 | Maxime Parys | France | $128,000 |
| 6 | Clemen Deng | United States | $103,500 |
| 7 | Kasparas Klezys | Lithuania | $81,100 |
| 8 | Arnaud Enselme | France | $65,000 |
| 9 | Roland Israelashvili | United States | $50,000 |
