Joe Hachem
- Facebook: JosephHachemOfficial
- Twitter: @JosephHachem
- Website: www.joehachem.com
- Birthdate: 11th March 1966
- Birthplace: Lebanon
- Residence: Melbourne Australia
- WSOP Bracelets: 1
- Biggest Win: $7,500,000
- Total Winnings: $11,819,530
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.
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 grueling 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 world’s 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. We describe the end of the tournament below, it ended with Joe starting a chant ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!’ when he came first with a pay out of $7.5 million.
Afterward the 2005 WSOP championship 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.’
His results after his 2005 triumph show he stilled has ‘the edge’ with plenty of final table finishes including first place and $2,182,075 in the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic in 2006 and in 2007 he won $120,000 and first place in the WSOP Poker after Dark II.
He played online as a pro at PokerStars.com for 6 years, at the time he said it helped him keep learning the game and the way it was subtly changing. His relationship with PokerStars ended in 2011. He is still very active at big tournaments and in March 2011 he came second in a WSOP big event in LA and got a $300,000 payout. In Jan in 2012 he managed 3rd and walked away with $339,726 at the Aussie Millions Championship final.
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. His book Book, Pass the Sugar came out in 2009, Joe’s story that you’ll find in his book proves that dreams can come true.
WSOP 2005
At the 2005 WSOP championship Joe Hachem was 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 $1 million.
The turn came out an A♠. Hachem put $2 million 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!’
Last updated May 2013