Nicolas Milgrom Makes Big Comeback To Win PokerGO Mixed Games Kickoff Event

Nicolas Milgrom was down to just a couple of big bets at one point during heads-up play in the kickoff $5,000 H.O.R.S.E. event at the 2025 PokerGO Tour Mixed Games series, having lost a big stud pot on seventh street. Bracelet winner Jerry Wong took more than a 9:1 chip lead after that hand, but Milgrom was not going to go down without a fight. The Frenchman managed to battle all the way back and capture the title, earning a career-best score of $159,250 as the champion.

Prior to this victory, Milgrom’s highest recorded payday came when he took down a $2,200 buy-in limit Omaha eight-or-better title at last year’s World Poker Tour World Championship festival for $55,487. He now has more than $492,000 in career cashes.

This was the third final table and second title of 2025 for Milgrom, with his other triumph coming in a $400 H.O.R.S.E. tournament at the Wynn Signature Series. With 605 Card Player Player of the Year points, he is now sitting inside the top 150 in the 2025 POY race standings presented by Global Poker.

The strong turnout for this event resulted in a prize pool of $650,000 that was paid out amongst the top 19 finishers. Plenty of big names cashed, including Ari Engel (18th), Jim Collopy (13th), Benny Glaser (12th), Mike Gorodisnky (11th), Jeff Madsen (8th), Josh Arieh (7th), and Steve Zolotow (6th).

The final day began with five players remaining and Wong out in front. It took well over an hour for the first knockout of the day to take place. Wong raised from the cutoff during a round of limit hold’em with 97 and Huabao Chen three-bet holding A3 on the button. Walter Chambers four bet with QQ out of the big blind and was called in both spots. The flop came down 876 and Chambers led out with his overpair. Wong raised with his pair and open-ended straight draw and Chen called all-in for less with the nut flush draw. Chambers called and the turn brought the 6. Chambers check-called the turn and the 5 completed Wong’s straight. Chambers check-called again and the massive pot of 6,000,000 was shipped to Wong, who was already atop the leaderboard. Chen earned $39,000 as the fifth-place finisher.

Chambers lost another big hold’em pot to fall to just a few big bets ahead of the next round switch in games. He was able to survive the Omaha eight-or-better round, but Chambers was eventually knocked out during razz. He got all-in for just over a single big bet with (Q-5)8 facing the (5-2)10 of Milgrom. Chamber’s best five-card low by the end was J-8-7-5-2, which was second-best to the 9-8-5-2-A of Milgrom. Chambers headed to the payout desk to collect $52,000 for his fourth-place showing. The Baton Rouge, LA resident is approaching $1.6 million in lifetime cashes thanks to this latest deep run.

That left Benjamin Miner as the clear short stack. His last stand came a few hands later, with his final chip getting in on fifth street in razz with his (A-2)5-Q-J trailing the (J-3)2-8-4 of Wong. Miner continued to catch bad, hitting a 10 on sixth street and another queen on the end to end with a J-10-5-2-A. Wong paired on sixth, but improved to 8-4-3-2-A thanks to an ace on the river. Miner was awarded $71,500 for his podium finish. This is the fifth-largest cash of his tournament career.

Heads-up play got underway with Wong holding better than a 2:1 chip lead over Milgrom. The early action favored Wong, but Milgrom won a sizable pot in seven card stud with just a pair of sevens to erase those losses and then some.

The two soon clashed again in the same game, with Milgrom’s buried kings leading Wong’s split queens up until Wong rivered trip queens.

Milgrom:(KK)5J7Q(8)
Wong: (Q5)QJ26(Q)

The action saw Wong complete and then three-bet over Milgrom’s raise.on third street. Milgrom just called and then flat called Wong’s bet on fourth street. Wong led again on fifth street, and called when Milgrom raised. Wong called on sixth after Milgrom’s board gave him the betting lead. Milgrom then check-called on seventh street and was shown the bad news. He fell to just over two big bets after the hand.

Milgrom doubled with aces up besting a pair of kings for Wong in a stud eight-or-better pot to rebuild a bit. He was soon all-in again with a flush draw and made low, but was unable to best the pair of nines of Wong ended up chopping the pot.

The next big showdown saw Milgrom double up in razz, with his 10-9-4-2-A earning him the pot worth 8,400,000. Not too long after that, he won a massive stud pot to move into a commanding lead. The hand began with Milgrom bringing it in with buried kings, while Wong called with three to a straight. Wong led out on fourth street and Milgrom raised. Wong called and picked up an open-ender on fifth street. He bet and Milgrom raised. Wong made it three bets and Milgrom came back over the top. Wong called and then check-called on sixth street. Milgrom improved to two pair on the end and bet, and Wong folded after missing his draw (his hole card was not picked up by the broadcast).

Milgrom: (KK)4256(4)
Wong: (75)6Q42(X)

Wong was left with roughly 2.5 big bets after folding on the end. That soon went in with his buried nines against the split tens of Milgrom in stud. Milgrom raised and Wong completed. Milgrom raised and Wong called. Wong check-raised on fourth street and called all-in when Milgrom three-bet. The final boards for the final hand looked as follows:

Milgrom: (Q10)105107(7)
Wong: (99)K886(J)

Milgrom made tens full of sevens to secure the pot and the title. Wong earned $97,500 as the runner-up, increasing his lifetime haul to nearly $6.6 million.

Final Table Results

Photo credit: PokerGO.