Mikko Ylamaki Takes Down Legends of the Game Event at No Filter Poker Series

After a quick-fire five-hour final day, Mikko Ylamaki of Finland has emerged victorious in the €3,500 No Limit Hold’em No Filter Legends of the Game event at the 2025 No Filter Poker Series Nordic & Baltic Championship Open.

Ylamaki was the last player standing in a high-quality field of 101 entrants, creating a €323,301 prize pool, which included current world champion Michael Mizrachi and poker legend Scotty Nguyen, both Hall of Famers, along with two-time bracelet winner Juha Helppi.

Ylamaki overcame a heads-up deficit to defeat fellow countryman Pasi Sormunen following a deal between the final two combatants, with Ylamaki taking the trophy and the sum of €76,657, while Sormunen must console himself with the runner-up prize of €68,393.

The result represents a new career-best cash for Ylamaki, primarily a PLO player, overtaking his €57,860 score for victory in a €550 buy-in event at the 2024 Kings of Tallinn festival here at Olympic Park Casino. (All figures courtesy of The Hendon Mob).

€3,500 No Limit Hold’em No Filter Legends of the Game Final Table Results

(*Denotes Heads-Up Deal)

Winner’s Reaction

Ylamaki was delighted with the win, and slightly shocked at overcoming such a stellar field.

“I feel great, it’s my biggest score and to be honest I feel a little bit confused still, it hasn’t sunk in. It’s always nice to win a tournament, the money is nice of course, but to beat a field with world champions and bracelet winners is really special.”

Ylamaki modestly described himself as a “fun” player when asked whether the result would have any impact on his future poker plans, and confirmed “when I play, 95% of the time its PLO. I’ll be jumping into the tournaments here for the rest of the week, maybe straight in today to the PLO 5k, we’ll see.”

Ylamaki concluded “Thank you to Mounir and No Filter, its a fantastic event. It was amazing to meet and play with great champions and all the legends, so for sure big memories made today.”

Ylamaki’s Road to Glory

Only 13 players returned for the final day, all of whom were guaranteed a minimum cash of €7,050, and Sormunen started the day as chip leader, while Ylamaki was near the bottom of the standings in ninth. It didn’t take long for the first casualty of the day to arise, as short-stack Lars Brodin ran into the queens of Tommi Lankinen.

Ylamaki got moving early, securing a double-up against Felix Seelentag despite being behind preflop. He quickly powered to the top of the standings when he was on the right end of a flopped flush over flopped flush scenario against Sormunen, Ylamaki holding the nuts.

After Rusen Yilmaz and Seelentag busted in eleventh and tenth respectively, the final table of nine was set, with Ylamaki coming in with the chip lead, followed by Lankinen.

Short-stack Guillermo Gordo busted in the first hand to all-singing, all-dancing American Duncan Horst, and Roope Tarmi and Mathias Siljander quickly followed suit, both exiting to Sormunen. Horst’s run came to an end in sixth when he ran ace-king into Lankinen’s pocket kings.

Ylamaki had a setback when he ran into a better pair to double Pasi Laihinen, but he quickly took revenge when he won a flip against the same opponent after flopping a set. Ylamaki subsequently left Laihinen short when he semi-bluffed the turn with the best hand and got a fold, and he proceeded to bust Antti Maki-Franti in fifth after having him pipped preflop.

Lankinen disposed of Laihinen in fourth, but was then caught bluffing by Sormunen, who finished Lankinen off shortly after.

That left Sormunen and Ylamaki to battle it out heads-up for the title, with Sormunen holding a slight lead. The players agreed the deal during the break, and came back to play for €14,000 and the trophy.

Although first blood went to Sormunen, everything went right for Ylamaki from there.

He first hit trips, with Sormunen bluffing into him, and drew level when he turned a one-card straight. Ylamaki took the lead after finding a good river call against Sormunen’s bluff raise, and he sealed the deal for the title when he outflopped the all-in Sormunen.

That concludes our coverage of this event, but be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews for our upcoming coverage of the Main Event of the 2025 No Filter Poker Series Nordic & Baltic Championship Open, commencing on Day 2 on October 21.