It is not uncommon to see celebrities from all walks of life take a seat at the poker table and battle it out with the pros these days. Yet, most of them do it for fun and rarely have great success at the poker tables.
Unlike them, Argentinian rapper Alejandro Lococo, also known as Papo MC, took the poker world by storm in recent years with multiple scores that many players spend a lifetime waiting for.
His recent success at the Triton Million in the Bahamas put Lococo back into the spotlight, but the truth is he’s been a major fixture of the poker world for quite some time.
But who exactly is Alejandro Lococo, how did he earn the respect of the poker community, and what makes him one of the best “celebrity” poker players out there?
We take a look back through the years and discover exactly how Papo MC became the poker superstar he is today!
Who Is Alejandro Lococo?
Going by the artist name of Papo MC, Alejandro Lococo is an Argentinian freestyle rapper, known for great success in battle rap, a form of rap that has two artists engage in a battle of words and create a spectacle for the fans.
Lococo has been very successful at this art form and has amassed millions of fans across social media platforms. His performances regularly see thousands of people come out and pay for the privilege of watching him perform, and his art is known throughout South America.
Lococo’s competitive spirit is easy to see when he takes to the stage, and it is this same spirit that has allowed him to perform so admirably at the poker tables.
His first stints with poker were in his home country of Argentina, where he played a number of low-stakes poker tournaments from 2016 to 2019, building up the skillset that would allow him to crush on the big stage.
Lococo’s Breakthrough Year at the WSOP
In 2021, Alejandro Lococo made the trip to Las Vegas to play in the World Series of Poker (WSOP). This was not his first time at the WSOP, but it would certainly be the most memorable one.
Lococo entered the $10,000 Main Event along with thousands of other hopefuls and ended up making a very deep run, eventually busting out in 7th place and winning $1.225 million for his efforts.
It was German pro Koray Aldemir that would go all the way and capture the coveted Main Event bracelet, but Lococo’s incredible run was one to remember for a player who never considered himself a pro.
Before this Main Event run, Alejandro’s best tournament score was about $35,000, which meant his main event cash outmatched his entire previous poker career.
Papo MC Continues His Poker Career
Poker players often come and go, and we have seen countless players make a final table of a big event, only to never be heard from again.
Lococo was not going to let this be the case for him, as he decided to show the poker world he is not a one hit wonder, but rather a competitor of the highest order.
In early 2022, Lococo was back in the mix, this time playing at the European Poker Tour (EPT) in Prague.
He entered the €1,100 Eureka Main Event and went on to win it outright, besting a field of over 3,000 and taking home a massive first-place prize of €417k. While this was not the biggest cash of his poker career, the win was an extraordinary feat for any player.
To cement his win, Lococo went on to win a €2,200 side event for another €88k, once again demonstrating he plays every tournament he enters to win it.
In the summer of 2022, Lococo was back at the WSOP, and he was once again the central point of quite a few stories. Papo MC made another super-deep run, this time busting out in 39th place, just shy of the final table.
Most professional poker players dream of making a single deep run in the Main Event, let alone two, which makes Lococo one of the few who have managed to pull off such a feat.
Cherry on the Cake Comes at Triton Million
For several years, Alejandro Lococo has been showcasing his poker skills and building up to a massive score that would propel him in the all-time money rankings.
In December 2024, Lococo entered the biggest event of his poker career, the $525k Triton Million, an invitational event organized by the Triton Poker Series and WSOP in the Bahamas.
Lococo was one of the late additions to the roster of VIP players who were invited to the event, and he made sure not to let the invitation go to waste.
Alejandro went all the way in a field that included a mix of professional poker players and VIPs from all walks of life, and eventually took down the title for just over $12 million, one of the biggest prizes in tournament poker ever.
His victory was celebrated by a contingent of South American poker players, including fellow Argentinian Nacho Barbero, as well as his friends and fans all over the world.
Throughout the final table live stream, the majority of spectators were rooting for Lococo to go all the way, and the energy translated into success, as he steamrolled a stacked final table that included the likes of Alex Foxen and Benjamin Heath.
What’s Next for Alejandro Lococo?
In a short time, Lococo has achieved more success in poker than most poker players do in their lifetime, but he is showing no signs of slowing down.
Asked about his success at the Triton Million, Lococo expressed his thrill to win his first WSOP bracelet in such a fashion, but also reiterated he is not stopping anytime soon.
The rapper also recognized he is not the best poker player in the world, and that his opponents may be able to outplay him in the long run, but that he was fortunate to run good early in his career.
Run good or no, Lococo has proven time and time again he has what it takes to compete with the best of them, and we can look forward to seeing plenty more of his performances on the circuit in the years to come.
