Joe Hachem

Joe Hachem Profile
	Web: www.pokerstars.com Birthdate: March 11th 1966 Birthplace: Lebanon Residence: Melbourne, Australia Tournaments Won: 2 WSOP Bracelets: 1 Total Winnings: $10,394,659

Joe Hachem’s family left their native Lebanon for Melbourne, Australia in 1972 and he has lived there since. Initially a chiropractor, Hachem was forced to give up this vocation when he developed a rare blood disorder that affected the dexterity of his hands. He became a mortgage broker and concentrated more of his spare time on poker, playing at the Crown Casino in Melbourne and online at PokerStars.com. He came fourth in Australasian Poker Championship and continued to reach the final table several times before participating in the 2005 WSOP tournament.

Joseph Hachem had waited a long time for his moment. Not just the 14 gruelling hours at the final table of the 2005 WSOP championship but also to leave Australia to enter the tournament. He had decided to wait until his four children were older before making the trip half way across the world to enter the most prestigious poker event. After finishing tenth in a smaller WSOP event, Hachem used his winnings to make the journey to Vegas with a friend who had won through a PokerStars.com satellite event. Short stacked for much of the final day, he finally managed to double up when he knocked out Aaron Kanter, hitting a queen to make a pair on the flop and beating Kanter’s pocket nines. Through careful and methodical play, Hachem was chip leader by the time he had reached the heads up with Steve Danneman.

The sixth hand of the heads up against Danneman was the decisive one despite Hachem holding just a 7♣ 3♠. With a A♦ 3♣ in his hand, Danneman raised $700,000. Inexplicably, Hachem called and though he didn’t show it must have been amazed when the flop came out 4♦ 5♦ 6♥. Calmly checking, he let Danneman bet another $700,000 before raising him $1million. The turn came out an A♠. Hachem put $2million into the middle, raised his eyebrows and gave a wry smile after watching his opponent break into a big grin. ‘Are you having fun?’ he asked Danneman who re-raised. Hachem went all in and Danneman responded likewise. The Australians in the crowd, sensing victory for their man, started yelling their support. “Quiet, quiet. There’s one more card,’ Hachem commanded. The audience hushed aware that another seven would split the pot. The river card was 4♣ and Hachem had won what was a record-breaking $7,500,000. To an ecstatic crowd he shouted his catchphrase ‘Pass the sugar!’ and grabbing the Australian flag started up a chant that rang around the hall, ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!’

Afterwards, there was some speculation over whether Hachem was a professional player and so would be taxed accordingly but the fact of that matter remains between Hachem and the Inland Revenue Service. But by November 1st 2005, he definitely was professional when he signed for PokerStars.com. He has become an advocate for internet poker and believes that it helped him become a skilled player in a relatively short time-frame. He thinks the internet poker boom is helping the game evolve and says that some of the younger players are ‘whizz-kids’ who ‘do things you haven’t even thought of yet.’ He still regularly plays online at PokerStars.com claiming it helps him keep learning the game and the way it is subtly changing. His results after his 2005 triumph show he still has ‘the edge’ with nine final table finishes including first place and $2,182,075 in the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic in 2006. Despite all his winnings and travel opportunities, he remains a likeable man who says that the most important thing in his life is staying true to his family. 

You can play online poker with Joe Hachem at Pokerstars.

Joe Hachem WSOP Tournaments & Top Ten Finishes
	Event* Date Position Winnings Canadian Open Poker Championship Mar 6th 2008 6th $16,401 Asian Poker Tour APPT Macau Nov 22nd 2007 8th $24,288 The Victorian Championships Event 13 Aug 2nd 2007 3rd $49,205 38th Annual WSOP Event 52 Jul 2nd 2007 100th $3,227 Bellagio Five Diamond Classic WPC WPT Event Season 5 Dec 19th 2006 1st $2,182,075 37th Annual WSOP Event 39 – Championship WSOP Final Aug 10th 2006 238th $42,882 37th Annual WSOP Event 29 – WSOP Pot Limit Hold’em Jul 19th 2006 4th $90,482 37th Annual WSOP Event 5 – WSOP Short Handed Jun 30th 2006 2nd $256,800 Melbourne Hold’em Championship Main Event April 30th 2006 3rd $20,396 Scandinavian Open EPT/PokerStars Season 2 Jan 22nd 2006 7th $5,060 Ballys Las Vegas Poker Tournament Event 11 – WSOP Circuit Event Nov 22nd 2005 5th $88,172 36th Annual WSOP Event 42 – Championship WSOP Final Jul 15th 2005 1st $7,500,000 36th Annual WSOP Event 37 Jul 4th 2005 10th $25,850 2004 Victorian Poker Championship Aug 22nd 2004 9th $2,164 Melbourne Hold’em Championships May 8th 2004 6th $298 Melbourne Hold’em Championships Pot Limit Hold’em May 6th 2004 5th $746 Crown Australasian Poker Championship Pot Limit Hold’em Jan 2nd 2003 8th $1,344 Australasian Poker Championships Jan 10th 2002 5th $4,518 Australian Poker Championships Oct 26th 2001 3rd $3,269 Australasian Poker Championships Pot Limit Omaha Aug 25th 2000 4th $3,944

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