A game long associated with quiet screens and solitary play took center stage this weekend as the first-ever World Solitaire Championship brought hundreds of competitors from around the world to a live international final, marking an unusual crossover between casual gaming and large-scale competitive events.
The tournament, organized by Israeli tech company Papaya, followed a month-long global qualifying round that drew more than half a million players through the mobile app Solitaire Cash. From that field, 400 finalists advanced to the live championship held at Temple House in Miami, where competitors faced off in person in a production designed to mirror major televised competitions.
Participants were flown to the United States from multiple countries and hosted for the weekend at the Fontainebleau Hotel. The event featured live rounds, audience viewing areas and broadcast coverage, with a total prize pool of $300,000 awarded to top performers.
Oriel Bachar, Papaya co-founder and CEO, said the goal was to transform a familiar digital pastime into a structured international competition based purely on player ability. “We took a game the entire world knows and turned it into a live championship built on fairness, precision and technology,” he said. “Beyond the production itself, what stands out is seeing a global community formed online come together physically to compete and connect.”
The competition relied on standardized devices configured specifically for the event, alongside technical monitoring intended to prevent external tools or unfair advantages. Results were determined strictly by performance metrics such as speed, accuracy, strategic decisions and consistency.
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International Solitare champs on stage at the live finals in Miami
(Photo: Jc Ariano from HXECUTE)
According to company data, roughly 80% of participants were women — a demographic trend organizers say reflects the broad and diverse audience drawn to skill-based mobile tournaments. What has historically been viewed as a solitary activity, they argue, has evolved into a social and competitive global community.
The championship also drew international attention with the appearance of Israeli actor Lior Raz, known as a star of "Fauda" and the upcoming film "Gladiator 2," who attended the event’s opening cocktail evening as guest of honor.
The production featured American broadcast personalities Lauren Laracuente of “GlitterXplosion” as commentator, Jenny Dell as field reporter and Chris Puckett as lead host. Several international content creators and performers also attended, including mentalist Wayne Hoffman, reality TV personality Yara Zaya and parkour athlete Lorena Abreu.
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Shai Gottesdiener, Lior Raz, Noa Shomrony Gal and Ben Kazael at the first-ever World Solitaire Championship
(Photo: Jc Ariano from HXECUTE)
Papaya develops mobile platforms for skill-based tournaments using matchmaking algorithms that pair players of similar levels. The company says its format emphasizes competitive performance rather than chance, positioning the model separately from gambling-based gaming.
The Miami event will be broadcast in cable syndication across the United States in the coming weeks, expanding the championship beyond the live audience and signaling what organizers describe as a new category of televised competitive gaming.
Among company representatives attending the event were Ben Kazael, Raz Revah, Noa Shomrony Gal and Shai Gottesdiener.