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The Bahamas in December – turquoise waters, luxurious resorts, and the world’s best poker players battling for millions and those coveted gold bracelets. That’s the scene at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise, and right in the thick of it, a name echoes loud and clear: Alejandro Lococo (cover image).
Lococo, the Argentinian battle rapper known for his lyrical fire and quick wit, has just achieved what many thought impossible. He conquered Event #2: $1 Million Triton Million Invitational, a unique $500,000 buy-in tournament where the WSOP and Triton series collided. The victor received both a Triton trophy and—for the first time ever—a WSOP bracelet. This groundbreaking win came with a staggering $12.07 Million prize, instantly catapulting Locococo to #2 on Argentina’s all-time money list.
🔥 @PapoMcArg‘s moment of glory! 🇦🇷 Watch as he captures his first-ever Triton title, making history with a $12,070,000 payout and all the emotions of an unforgettable victory. 🏆♠️
What a way to debut at Triton! 🌍@WSOP pic.twitter.com/PFEJsowPkV
— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) December 10, 2024
This wasn’t just any tournament. A collaboration between WSOP and Triton, this event drew 96 of the world’s elite high-stakes players and wealthy VIPs, creating a unique clash. Imagine the tension as poker legends like Alex Foxen and Benjamin Heath went head-to-head with deep-pocketed giants like David Einhorn and Sosia Jiang. The prize pool: a mind-blowing $48 Million!
With a WSOP Main Event final table appearance and $2.80 Million in live tournament earnings (now a towering $14.90 Million), Lococo walked a fascinating line between the world of seasoned pros and high-rolling VIPs.
And trust his gut, he did. Lococo navigated the intense pressure with an almost unnerving calmness. The astronomical stakes and his opponents’ reputations didn’t seem to faze him. Instead, he relied on instincts honed through years of battling opponents on the rap stage, reading his adversaries with an almost sixth sense.
A Twist of Fate and a Daring Run
Believe it or not, this victory almost never happened. Lococo had initially planned to be in Prague for the EPT, but fate, it seems, had a different plan in store.
And align it did. Lococo pulled off audacious bluffs, outmanoeuvring some of the most respected names in the game.
His victory was met with a roar of approval from a contingent of Spanish and South American pros, including Juan Pardo, Adrian Mateos, and Argentina’s all-time money leader, Nacho Barbero. Lococo, known for his fierce national pride, acknowledged the support of his countrymen.
Interestingly, Lococo sensed he had a real shot at winning from the moment he registered.
He steadily climbed the ranks. After Day 1, he was 34th out of 67 survivors. By Day 2, he had surged to third out of 14. On Day 3, he started the 9-max final table in fourth place.
The Final Table Showdown
Lococo’s journey to the top was a captivating story itself. Picture him on Day 3, hoodie pulled low, baseball cap shading his eyes, like a poker-playing Eminem ready to take on the world. The final table was set within an hour, with big names like Stephen Chidwick, Esti Wang, Chance Kornuth, and David Einhorn falling by the wayside.
Michael “Texas Mike” Moncek, the dominant force of the first two days, saw his reign come to an end in ninth place at the hands of Heath. Sosia Jiang followed, her king-queen falling to Daniel Dvoress’s ace-king. Dvoress continued his surge, eliminating Aleksejs Ponakovs and Alex Foxen in quick succession.
But then, Lococo seized control. He took out Elias Talvitie, who had mounted an impressive comeback but ultimately fell to Lococo’s rivered straight.
🇦🇷 @PapoMcArg seems destined for GLORY! Needing to hit a straight against Elias Talvitie’s top pair, the perfect card appears to fall right from the heavens! 🙏
Now, with his massive chip lead, he sets his sights on $12,000,000, the Triton Trophy, and a WSOP bracelet! 💰🔱🏆 pic.twitter.com/afHesDOsa1
— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) December 10, 2024
Daniel Dvoress and Sinan Unlu were next, leaving Lococo heads-up against Benjamin Heath with a commanding chip lead.
Canadian power house @DDvoress out in 4th‼️@PapoMcArg in the CO raises J♥️ J♠️ to 1.6M || Dvoress in the BB goes all in for his remaining 15M || Lococo Calls and Dvoress is looking for help…
Final Table Judgement: K♥️ 7♦️ J♣️ 7 ♥️ Q♠️
A heart-wrenching exit for Dvoress,… pic.twitter.com/ICqg2SVhbv
— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) December 9, 2024
Final-Table-Slayer in the Triton MILLION🔱
Lococo opened K♣️ 6♥️ on the Button for 2M ||
Ünlü J♣️ 5♠️in the BB goes all in with his remaining 2.9M || Lococo callsFor Ünlü’s Tournament Life – 7♦️ Q♦️ 8♣️ 10♣️ 7♣️ @PapoMcArg takes it down with K♣️ 6♥️ and knockouts another… pic.twitter.com/lbv86E9Lwe
— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) December 9, 2024
Heath, a formidable high-stakes pro, needed a miracle to overcome the deficit. He got his chance in the final hand, holding ace-king to Lococo’s king-deuce. But the poker gods, it seemed, were on the rapper’s side. A deuce on the flop sealed Heath’s fate and crowned Lococo the champion.
This victory elevates Lococo to second place on Argentina’s all-time money list, and he’s hungry for more.
“History 📚 has been made. Ladies and gentlemen,
Alejandro. Lococo.
His $12,070,000 🔱Triton Million win💥🙌🍾🥂🎉”@PapoMcArg pic.twitter.com/wqhOfxuQJU
— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) December 10, 2024
Other Notables
India’s high-roller extraordinaire, Santhosh Suvarna, made a strong run but couldn’t make it into the money, falling in 37th place on Day 2. He quickly jumped into Event #3: $100,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Super High Roller, but again busted two places short of the money. However, these setbacks are unlikely to deter the Indian all-time money list leader, who has his sights set on a third WSOP bracelet and the 2024 GPI Player of the Year (India) title.
Hustler Casino Live co-founder Ryan Feldman had the unfortunate distinction of being the bubble boy, eliminated by the eventual champion, Alejandro Lococo.
Many heavy hitters fell before the final table, including four-time bracelet winner Chance Kornuth (10th for $985,000), Adrian Mateos (11th for $985,000), Esti Wang (12th for $865,000), David Einhorn (13th for $865,000), Stephen Chidwick (14th for 792,000), Phillip Nagy (15th for $792,000), Punnat Punsri (16th for $755,000) and Mikita Badziakouski (17th for $755,000).
You can relive the excitement of the final day by watching the replay on Triton Poker’s YouTube channel.
Final Table Results (USD)
This year marks the second running of the WSOP Paradise series, and Lococo’s win will be remembered as one of its most iconic moments. The series continues with more thrilling action and life-changing prizes up for grabs.
Content & Images Courtesy: WSOP & PokerNews
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