As a Survivor player, he was noted for his strategic, dominant gameplay, with which he was able to manipulate other contestants while avoiding being voted against at Tribal Council, as well as his humor.
[2][3][4] Vlachos is also known for his long-lasting "Cops R' Us" partnership with fellow contestant and police officer Sarah Lacina, who won Game Changers, the two participating in the same three seasons they appeared on.
They married on June 2, 2012, and their daughter, Anastasia Marie, was born on February 16, 2013, five months before Vlachos left to film Survivor: Cagayan.
During this time, Vlachos formed an alliance, dubbed "Cops-R-Us", with fellow police officer Sarah Lacina.
Vlachos also became close with Trish Hegarty and was wary of the popularity of former NBA All-Star Clifford Robinson.
Vlachos was able to find the Aparri tribe's hidden immunity idol with help of the clue he found in the reward they received after winning a challenge.
[10] At the final tribal council, the jury ultimately chose him as the winner with a vote of 8–1, beating martial arts instructor Woo Hwang.
[14] Vlachos' strategy for this series was wildly unpredictable, beginning his search for idols immediately after arriving at the beach in full view of his tribemates, framing others by planting an idol in someone else's belongings, and feigning an intimate personal bond with multiple tribe members.
Despite this, Vlachos later stated in an interview with CBS that because she was voted out after him, the two of them became friends during the considerable time they spent on the pre-jury trip to Vietnam.
[18][19] Vlachos adapted his style to approach the season with a gameplay distinct from his Cagayan strategy, which involved an alliance with fellow police officer Sarah Lacina, surveillance from a spy nest and orchestrating attacks upon lower-threat targets.