Lococo Hails "Best WSOP Main Event Of My Life" After Another Deep Run
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Poker players dream of playing in the WSOP Main Event. Some dream of cashing and others dream of making the final table.
Alejandro Lococo's dreams may well have come true after his back-to-back runs in 2021 & 2022 but the Argentinian PokerStars Ambassadors says that it's his deep run in the 2024 WSOP Main Event that he considers his best performance.
Lococo With Yet Another Deep Run
Lococo shot to prominence with a seventh-place finish in the 2021 WSOP Main Event, taking home $1,225,000. The following year, another deep run saw him finish 39th for $214,200.
He may not have broken six figures this year, but he still cashed in 313th place for $45,000. After his elimination Lococo spoke with PokerNews and hailed 2024 as the "best Main Event of his life."
"My game was the best it has ever been"
"I know it's tough to make a deep run in this kind of tournament," said Lococo. "My game was the best it has ever been. This time, I played better than before."
"I'm happy because I know this was the best Main Event in my life.
"Best Hand of my Life"
Lococo came into Day 5 with just over two million chips — double the amount he had the year he made the final table, but slightly behind the 10 million he started Day 5 two years ago with.
Nevertheless, the Argentinian remained determined to add another deep run to his poker resume. According to the Argentinian, he was playing his best poker and this allowed him to play what he called the best hand of his life.
"I said to him, 'I was bluffing you, but now I think I'm gonna call you'"
With blinds at 15,000/30,000, Lococo opened A♣3♣ from under the gun. The small blind and big blind called, and the flop came Jx3x2x.
"It checked to me, and I continued for 40,000," explained Lococo. "The small blind calls and the big blind check-raises to 145,000.
"It's a good spot for him to raise there," said Lococo, who then three-bet to 390,000. The small blind folded but the big blind moved all in for around 1.3 million.
"I said to him, 'I was bluffing you, but now I think I'm gonna call you'. I thought a lot that hand and decided to hero-call him. He had A♣4♦. He had seven outs."
It was "an amazing spot" according to Lococo, who covered his opponent. Having started the hand with 2.3 million, he would have chipped up to 4 million if he had won.
"I lost it," Lococo told PokerNews. "And I was left with 880k."
Did Alejandro Lococo Pull Off Best WSOP Main Event Bluff Since Moneymaker?
However, Lococo was determined to recover. And Lococo had recovered before. Earlier on Day 5 he'd lost out with pocket queens to pocket nines after his opponent flopped quads only to chip back up.
"After [the ace-three hand], I said to myself 'OK, you have to play your best game again'. So I focused. I breathed. And I was still playing my best game."
However, Lococo's Main Event came to a run in an unavoidable fashion. After a raise and a three-bet, the button four-bet only for Lococo to wake up with pocket kings in the small blind. He moved all in and the button called with aces.
"There's really nothing to do there," said Lococo. "The king came on the river, but the ace came on the flop."
Lococo Upbeat Despite Main Event Exit
Despite the cruel exit, Lococo remains optimistic and enthusiastic about his poker ability and poker in general.
"My poker level keeps on growing, so I want to keep competing"
"I've played this tournament five times," he said. "I've made the final table, I've made Day 6 and now Day 5 hero-calling good and busting with a cooler.
"I did my best. I can't be sad — this game is like that. There exist other players that play better than me, and they lose in the same way or worse.
"My poker level keeps on growing, so I want to keep competing. If you're sad because you busted a 10,112-play tournament in 300th place, it's poker!"
And would he do anything differently if the 2025 Main Event started tomorrow?
"No. For sure 100% no. This was the best main event in my life. I'm really happy with it. It's tough to beat 10,000 people. I'm still going to try all my life!
