Joe Hachem
Encyclopedia
Joseph Hachem is a Lebanese
-Australia
n professional poker
player known for winning the main event of the 2005 World Series of Poker
. He was the first Australian to win the main event, which earned him $7.5 million, then a record for all-time biggest tournament prize.
The next year, Hachem won his first World Poker Tour
title at the Bellagio Casino
's Five Diamonds Poker Classic
, earning him $2.2 million. He is one of only five poker players to win both a World Series of Poker main event and a World Poker Tour championship. Including his WSOP main event victory, Hachem has finished in the money in thirteen World Series events.
As of July 2011, Hachem's tournament winnings exceed $11,300,000, making him the ninth highest ranked player in live tournament career earnings.
on 11 March 1966. In 1972, at age six, Hachem and his family moved to Melbourne
, Australia
. He worked as a chiropractor
for 13 years before giving up the career after developing a rare blood disorder that affected the blood vessels in his hands. Around 1995, while taking time off to consider his future, Hachem started to play poker
with greater frequency, mostly in casinos, as well as on the Internet. He also ran a small brokerage business in Pascoe Vale
, Victoria
. Hachem said he was too temperamental when he first started playing poker and had to learn to control his temper. Around 2000, after years of casual playing, Hachem started playing regularly in tournaments at the Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex in Melbourne, where he often ended in the money. Hachem spent another five years playing regularly on the Melbourne tournament circuit before setting his sights on the World Series of Poker
in Las Vegas
, Nevada
.
, Hachem visited the Bicycle Casino
in Bell Gardes
, California
to play in a no limit
Texas hold 'em
game. One of the players made a joke that Hachem was stopping in before being crowned the new "Australian champion". Hachem entered the World Series of Poker a relatively unknown poker player. Two weeks prior to the main event, Hachem finished 10th in the $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold'em World Series event, winning $25,850.
Hachem won the 2005 World Series of Poker
$10,000 no limit Texas hold 'em Main Event, outlasting 5,618 other players. He won $7,500,000 for the first place finish, then a record for all-time largest poker tournament prize. He entered the tournament by paying the $10,000 entrance fee in cash. Hachem ended the first day of the tournament with 67,000 in chips, about twice the average, and he said the strong start gave him confidence going into the rest of the tournament. Hachem's chip stack stayed at the tournament average for most of the tournament until he reached the final table, which lasted a record 13 hours and 54 minutes. A number of fellow Australians provided moral support from the audience, chanting "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!".
Hachem was short-stacked for much of the final table, and was constantly being re-raised by professional player Aaron Kanter
. With four players left in the hand, Hachem was rejuvenated when he went all in with against Kanter, who had . Hachen caught a queen on the flop and doubled his chips. In a later interview, Hachem said he knew the hand was a turning point for him. He took the chip lead with three players remaining and after going heads-up against Steve Dannenmann
, it took Hachem only six hands to win the game. In the final hand, Hachem called a pre-flop raise from 300,000 to 700,000 chips with , one of the worst starting hands in Texas hold 'em. The flop came , giving Hachem a straight. When the turn brought the , Steve Dannenmann
made the top pair (with an open-ended
straight draw) with his starting hand of . Hachem bet, Dannenmann raised, Hachem moved all-in
and was called. In the end, Dannenmann could only tie if the river brought a 7 (giving him the same straight), but the on the river ensured Hachem the win.
After winning the tournament, Hachem wrapped himself in an Australian flag and shouted, "Thank you, America!" Hachem was the first Australian to win the World Series of Poker Main Event, and he immediately developed a strong fan base in Australia. During a post-tournament interview, WSOP commentator Norman Chad
declared, "Hachem turned 7-3 offsuit into $7.5 million. Pass the sugar!" Hachem himself first used the line, which came to be considered a catchphrase, after flopping a flush with against Andrew Black's three queens, and winning a large pot. (Actually, Hachem had said "Pass the sugar!" prematurely: had the board paired, Black would have had at least a full house, which would have eliminated Hachem.)
Hachem and his World Series main event win have been credited with starting a boom in popularity for poker in Australia. Hachem continued playing home games with his friends after his main event victory. In 2008, it was announced a documentary film focusing on Hachem's 2005 World Series of Poker victory, as well as the eight other players at the main event final table, is under production. The film "Pass the Sugar", is set to be directed by Gil Cates Jr., who previously directed the 2008 poker-themed film, Deal.
Also in 2005, Hachem made the final table of a World Series of Poker circuit event
at the Paris Las Vegas
casino in Las Vegas. Hachem was the chip leader during much of the final table, but suffered a crippling setback against Kido Pham, who went all in with a Jack and ten. Hachem called with pocket kings, but lost when two jacks came up on the flop, costing Hachem almost all of his chips. He was eventually eliminated by Lee Watkinson
in fifth place, earning Hachem $88,172. After the match, Hachem said, "I came here wanting to avoid making any mistakes. The fact is, I didn't make a mistake. I'm proud of the way I played in this tournament, although it is very painful not to win.
, Hachem finished second in the $2,500 short-handed no limit hold 'em event, which drew 1,068 players. During the final hand, Hachem went all in with and was called by Dutch Boyd, who had . Although a favorite after the flop of , Hachem lost when Boyd caught a five of diamonds on the river. Hachem won $256,800 from the second place finish, but was nevertheless visibly disappointed by the outcome, and was comforted by his wife Jeanine and friend Greg Raymer
, the 2004 World Series of Poker champion.
Also in the 2006 World Series, Hachem finished fourth in the $2,500 pot limit hold'em tournament, which had a starting field of 562 players. In the final table, Hachem eliminated Lee Grove with a pair of kings and Alex Jacob
with three queens. But Hachem was eliminated after once again taking a bad beat on the river. He moved all in against John Gale
with on a , against Gale's . Gale eliminated Hachem after catching an ace of spades on the river. Hachem earned $90,482 for the fourth place finish, and Gale eventually won the tournament.
Hachem finished in 238th place at the 2006 World Series main event, earning him $42,882. In defense of his 2005 title, Hachem outlasted about 97% of the record field of more than 8,000 players in the tournament. Hachem was eliminated after his pocket Aces were outdrawn by Andrew Schreibman's pocket Jacks. He was the last remaining Main Event champion left in the field, as Greg Raymer had been the year before.
In December 2006, Hachem won $2,207,575 and his first World Poker Tour
title at the Bellagio Casino's Five Diamonds Poker Classic
. The victory made Hachem one of only five poker players to win both a World Series of Poker main event and a World Poker Tour championship, along with Doyle Brunson
, Carlos Mortensen
, Scotty Nguyen
and Dan Harrington
.
's Poker After Dark
on a table consisting of Main Event winners Doyle Brunson, Greg Raymer, Jamie Gold
, Huck Seed
and Johnny Chan
, whom he defeated heads up to win $120,000. In 2006, Hachem appeared in Poker Superstars III
, but failed to advance to the Super 16 round by only one point. In December 2007, Hachem won the Poker Stars Asia Pacific Poker Tour
Tournament of Champions, which included a field of such players as Raymer, Chris Moneymaker
and Isabelle Mercier
. In April 2008, Hachem came close to the final table of the PokerStars
EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final, finish in 11th place for more than $150,000.
Hachem finished in 103rd place in the 2009 World Series of Poker
main event, which drew a crowd of 6,494 players earning himself $40,288. Also in 2009, Hachem participated in the fifth season of High Stakes Poker
, a cash game
television series on the Game Show Network
. The season featured a buy-in of at least $200,000, the highest minimum requirement in the show's history. Also in 2009, Hachem produced and hosts the Australian reality show The Poker Star
, which characterizes Hachem as a poker mentor searching for the next big player. The show features a group of contestants living together in one house and competing in a series of poker-related challenges.
As of July 2011, Hachem's total live tournament winnings exceed $11,300,000, more than $7.9 million of which comes from the World Series of Poker events. He is ranked ninth in live poker tournament career earnings by The Hendon Mob
, a website which tracks tournament poker players.
s. Hachem said he rarely bluffs without any outs, and only does so when "you're confident the other guy can't stand the heat of a raise." Hachem said he tries to maintain the same poker face for each hand. During intense hands, he focuses on a point on the table, keeps his breathing under control and tries not to give away any information. Hachem has said he likes playing at featured tables in televised poker tournaments because, "Everyone wants to be on TV, and they are afraid to do anything silly so they don't get ridiculed. I try and take advantage of that." Hachem's talent and personality has drawn him a large fanbase, and many people often surround his table to watch him during tournaments.
He operates a mortgage company, and enjoys playing golf, especially with friends and other poker players.
Hachem represents the online poker website PokerStars, along with the two World Series of Poker main event winners before him, Greg Raymer
and Chris Moneymaker
. He plays under the name "JoeHachem" on the site.
Actor Matt Damon
, who starred in the 1998 poker film Rounders, is a fan of Hachem and has played poker with him. Damon said of Hachem, "Poker can bring out the worst in people, but when you see somebody who's just winning with grace and class and dignity, it's nice."
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
-Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player known for winning the main event of the 2005 World Series of Poker
2005 World Series of Poker
The 2005 World Series of Poker opened play on June 2, continuing through the Main Event No Limit World Championship starting on July 7. The conclusion of the Main Event on July 15 marked the close of play, and the largest prize in sports and/or television history at the time was awarded to the...
. He was the first Australian to win the main event, which earned him $7.5 million, then a record for all-time biggest tournament prize.
The next year, Hachem won his first World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
title at the Bellagio Casino
Bellagio (hotel and casino)
Bellagio is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in the Paradise area of unincorporated Clark County, Nevada, USA and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. It is owned by MGM Resorts International and was built on the site of the demolished Dunes hotel and casino.Inspired by the...
's Five Diamonds Poker Classic
World Poker Tour season 5 results
- Mirage Poker Showdown:* Casino: The Mirage, Las Vegas * Buy-in: $10,000* 4-Day Event: May 14, 2006 to May 17, 2006* Number of Entries: 384* Total Prize Pool: $3,724,800* Number of Payouts: 36* Winning Hand: K-5...
, earning him $2.2 million. He is one of only five poker players to win both a World Series of Poker main event and a World Poker Tour championship. Including his WSOP main event victory, Hachem has finished in the money in thirteen World Series events.
As of July 2011, Hachem's tournament winnings exceed $11,300,000, making him the ninth highest ranked player in live tournament career earnings.
Early life
Joseph Hachem was born in LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
on 11 March 1966. In 1972, at age six, Hachem and his family moved to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He worked as a chiropractor
Chiropractic
Chiropractic is a health care profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on general health. It is generally categorized as complementary and alternative medicine...
for 13 years before giving up the career after developing a rare blood disorder that affected the blood vessels in his hands. Around 1995, while taking time off to consider his future, Hachem started to play poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
with greater frequency, mostly in casinos, as well as on the Internet. He also ran a small brokerage business in Pascoe Vale
Pascoe Vale, Victoria
Pascoe Vale is a western suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moreland. At the 2006 Census, Pascoe Vale had a population of 13,558.- History :...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. Hachem said he was too temperamental when he first started playing poker and had to learn to control his temper. Around 2000, after years of casual playing, Hachem started playing regularly in tournaments at the Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex in Melbourne, where he often ended in the money. Hachem spent another five years playing regularly on the Melbourne tournament circuit before setting his sights on the World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
.
2005 WSOP
Just prior to entering the 2005 World Series of Poker2005 World Series of Poker
The 2005 World Series of Poker opened play on June 2, continuing through the Main Event No Limit World Championship starting on July 7. The conclusion of the Main Event on July 15 marked the close of play, and the largest prize in sports and/or television history at the time was awarded to the...
, Hachem visited the Bicycle Casino
Bicycle Casino
The Bicycle Casino is the world's second largest poker cardroom.Founded by George Hardie Sr. in 1984, located in Bell Gardens, California, the Bicycle Casino offers a wide variety of poker games and limits, as well as pai gow poker, panguingue and California blackjack.Financing to build the casino...
in Bell Gardes
Bell Gardens, California
Bell Gardens is a city in Los Angeles County, California. The population was 42,072 at the 2010 census, down from 44,054 at the 2000 census.Bell Gardens is notable for being one of only five Los Angeles County cities to permit casino gambling...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to play in a no limit
Betting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
Texas hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
game. One of the players made a joke that Hachem was stopping in before being crowned the new "Australian champion". Hachem entered the World Series of Poker a relatively unknown poker player. Two weeks prior to the main event, Hachem finished 10th in the $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold'em World Series event, winning $25,850.
Hachem won the 2005 World Series of Poker
2005 World Series of Poker
The 2005 World Series of Poker opened play on June 2, continuing through the Main Event No Limit World Championship starting on July 7. The conclusion of the Main Event on July 15 marked the close of play, and the largest prize in sports and/or television history at the time was awarded to the...
$10,000 no limit Texas hold 'em Main Event, outlasting 5,618 other players. He won $7,500,000 for the first place finish, then a record for all-time largest poker tournament prize. He entered the tournament by paying the $10,000 entrance fee in cash. Hachem ended the first day of the tournament with 67,000 in chips, about twice the average, and he said the strong start gave him confidence going into the rest of the tournament. Hachem's chip stack stayed at the tournament average for most of the tournament until he reached the final table, which lasted a record 13 hours and 54 minutes. A number of fellow Australians provided moral support from the audience, chanting "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!".
Hachem was short-stacked for much of the final table, and was constantly being re-raised by professional player Aaron Kanter
Aaron Kanter
Aaron Kanter is a professional poker player from Lodi, California.Kanter's first major success in poker came at the 2005 World Series of Poker main event, where he finished in 4th place and earned $2,000,000...
. With four players left in the hand, Hachem was rejuvenated when he went all in with against Kanter, who had . Hachen caught a queen on the flop and doubled his chips. In a later interview, Hachem said he knew the hand was a turning point for him. He took the chip lead with three players remaining and after going heads-up against Steve Dannenmann
Steve Dannenmann
Steven Paul "Steve" Dannenmann is a CPA from Severn, Maryland who gained attention in the poker world for his success in the 2005 World Series of Poker, finishing runner-up to Joe Hachem in the Main Event in his first attempt...
, it took Hachem only six hands to win the game. In the final hand, Hachem called a pre-flop raise from 300,000 to 700,000 chips with , one of the worst starting hands in Texas hold 'em. The flop came , giving Hachem a straight. When the turn brought the , Steve Dannenmann
Steve Dannenmann
Steven Paul "Steve" Dannenmann is a CPA from Severn, Maryland who gained attention in the poker world for his success in the 2005 World Series of Poker, finishing runner-up to Joe Hachem in the Main Event in his first attempt...
made the top pair (with an open-ended
Open-ended (poker)
Open-ended refers to a situation in poker where the player has four of five cards needed for a straight that can be completed at either end. For example, a player with 3♥ 4♥ 5♣ 6♠ is open-ended, because a deuce or a seven would give the player a straight...
straight draw) with his starting hand of . Hachem bet, Dannenmann raised, Hachem moved all-in
Betting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
and was called. In the end, Dannenmann could only tie if the river brought a 7 (giving him the same straight), but the on the river ensured Hachem the win.
After winning the tournament, Hachem wrapped himself in an Australian flag and shouted, "Thank you, America!" Hachem was the first Australian to win the World Series of Poker Main Event, and he immediately developed a strong fan base in Australia. During a post-tournament interview, WSOP commentator Norman Chad
Norman Chad
Norman Chad is an American sportswriter and syndicated columnist who is seen on the sports channel ESPN. He also was an occasional guest host on the ESPN show Pardon the Interruption and has appeared as both host and movie critic on the ESPN Classic series Reel Classics.He writes a weekly...
declared, "Hachem turned 7-3 offsuit into $7.5 million. Pass the sugar!" Hachem himself first used the line, which came to be considered a catchphrase, after flopping a flush with against Andrew Black's three queens, and winning a large pot. (Actually, Hachem had said "Pass the sugar!" prematurely: had the board paired, Black would have had at least a full house, which would have eliminated Hachem.)
Hachem and his World Series main event win have been credited with starting a boom in popularity for poker in Australia. Hachem continued playing home games with his friends after his main event victory. In 2008, it was announced a documentary film focusing on Hachem's 2005 World Series of Poker victory, as well as the eight other players at the main event final table, is under production. The film "Pass the Sugar", is set to be directed by Gil Cates Jr., who previously directed the 2008 poker-themed film, Deal.
Also in 2005, Hachem made the final table of a World Series of Poker circuit event
World Series of Poker circuit events
The World Series of Poker Circuit is a series of poker tournaments held annually at a variety of casinos since 2005 as a build-up to the World Series of Poker ....
at the Paris Las Vegas
Paris Las Vegas
Paris Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, USA, that is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp....
casino in Las Vegas. Hachem was the chip leader during much of the final table, but suffered a crippling setback against Kido Pham, who went all in with a Jack and ten. Hachem called with pocket kings, but lost when two jacks came up on the flop, costing Hachem almost all of his chips. He was eventually eliminated by Lee Watkinson
Lee Watkinson
Lee Watkinson is an American professional poker player, originally from Longbranch, Washington.At the 2004 World Series of Poker , Watkinson finished 2nd in the $5,000 pot limit Omaha event...
in fifth place, earning Hachem $88,172. After the match, Hachem said, "I came here wanting to avoid making any mistakes. The fact is, I didn't make a mistake. I'm proud of the way I played in this tournament, although it is very painful not to win.
2006 tournaments
At the 2006 World Series of Poker2006 World Series of Poker
The 2006 World Series of Poker began on June 25, 2006 with "satellite" events, with regular play commencing on June 26 with the annual Casino Employee event, and the Tournament of Champions held on June 28 and 29...
, Hachem finished second in the $2,500 short-handed no limit hold 'em event, which drew 1,068 players. During the final hand, Hachem went all in with and was called by Dutch Boyd, who had . Although a favorite after the flop of , Hachem lost when Boyd caught a five of diamonds on the river. Hachem won $256,800 from the second place finish, but was nevertheless visibly disappointed by the outcome, and was comforted by his wife Jeanine and friend Greg Raymer
Greg Raymer
Gregory Raymer nicknamed "Fossilman," is a professional poker player. He is best known for winning the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event.-Early life:...
, the 2004 World Series of Poker champion.
Also in the 2006 World Series, Hachem finished fourth in the $2,500 pot limit hold'em tournament, which had a starting field of 562 players. In the final table, Hachem eliminated Lee Grove with a pair of kings and Alex Jacob
Alex Jacob
Alex Jacob is an American professional poker player.Among his biggest poker accomplishments are winning the Peter A. Fabrizio Memorial Poker Classic in 2003 and finishing runner-up at the 2006 World Poker Tour tournament in Foxwoods Resort Casino on April 9 2006, winning $655,507...
with three queens. But Hachem was eliminated after once again taking a bad beat on the river. He moved all in against John Gale
John Gale (poker player)
John Gale is an English professional poker based in Bushey, Hertfordshire.Gale is a relative newcomer to poker, having only begun playing Texas hold 'em in mid-2004. He first made a name for himself by qualifying for the World Poker Tour 2005 PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure tournament in The...
with on a , against Gale's . Gale eliminated Hachem after catching an ace of spades on the river. Hachem earned $90,482 for the fourth place finish, and Gale eventually won the tournament.
Hachem finished in 238th place at the 2006 World Series main event, earning him $42,882. In defense of his 2005 title, Hachem outlasted about 97% of the record field of more than 8,000 players in the tournament. Hachem was eliminated after his pocket Aces were outdrawn by Andrew Schreibman's pocket Jacks. He was the last remaining Main Event champion left in the field, as Greg Raymer had been the year before.
In December 2006, Hachem won $2,207,575 and his first World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
title at the Bellagio Casino's Five Diamonds Poker Classic
World Poker Tour season 5 results
- Mirage Poker Showdown:* Casino: The Mirage, Las Vegas * Buy-in: $10,000* 4-Day Event: May 14, 2006 to May 17, 2006* Number of Entries: 384* Total Prize Pool: $3,724,800* Number of Payouts: 36* Winning Hand: K-5...
. The victory made Hachem one of only five poker players to win both a World Series of Poker main event and a World Poker Tour championship, along with Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson
Doyle F. Brunson is an American professional poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.Brunson is the first player to...
, Carlos Mortensen
Carlos Mortensen
Juan Carlos Mortensen is an Ecuadorian professional poker player of Danish descent and the only Hispanic Main Event winner of the World Series of Poker. Mortensen is known for his loose play, bluffing tactics, and interesting chip-stacking style.Mortensen moved from Spain to the United States in...
, Scotty Nguyen
Scotty Nguyen
Thuận B. "Scotty" Nguyễn is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who is a five time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, most notably as the winner of the 1998 World Series of Poker Main Event and the 2008 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship...
and Dan Harrington
Dan Harrington
Dan Harrington is a professional poker player, best known for winning the main event world championship at the 1995 World Series of Poker. He has earned one World Poker Tour title, two WSOP bracelets, and over six million dollars in tournament cashes in his poker career...
.
Other poker events
Hachem won the "World Series of Poker Champions II" tournament on NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Poker After Dark
Poker After Dark
Poker After Dark was an hour-long poker television program on NBC. The show made its debut on January 1, 2007, and was cancelled as another victim of the "Black Friday" criminal case due to the show's sponsorship by Full Tilt Poker, one of that case's defendants. on September 23, 2011 For its first...
on a table consisting of Main Event winners Doyle Brunson, Greg Raymer, Jamie Gold
Jamie Gold
Jamie M. Gold is an American television producer, a talent agent, and poker player, based in Malibu, California. He is known for winning the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event and currently divides his time between his activities as president of production for the entertainment company,...
, Huck Seed
Huck Seed
Huckleberry Seed is an American professional poker player best known for winning the main event of the 1996 World Series of Poker.-Early Life:...
and Johnny Chan
Johnny Chan (poker player)
Johnny Chan rather than his Chinese birth name. born in Guangzhou, China in 1957) is a Chinese American professional poker player. He has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, including 1987 and 1988 World Series of Poker main events consecutively....
, whom he defeated heads up to win $120,000. In 2006, Hachem appeared in Poker Superstars III
Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament
The Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament is a series of no limit Texas hold 'em poker tournaments. The first season is available on NTSC DVD. It airs on Fox Sports Net in the United States, Rogers Sportsnet in Canada and ftn in the United Kingdom.-Crew:...
, but failed to advance to the Super 16 round by only one point. In December 2007, Hachem won the Poker Stars Asia Pacific Poker Tour
Asia Pacific Poker Tour
The Asia Pacific Poker Tour started in 2007 and is the first major poker tour in this region. Like its counterparts, the European Poker Tour, Latin American Poker Tour, and North American Poker Tour, it is sponsored by PokerStars. The tour was created by President Jeffrey Haas and Director of...
Tournament of Champions, which included a field of such players as Raymer, Chris Moneymaker
Chris Moneymaker
Christopher Bryan Moneymaker is an American poker player who won the main event at the 2003 World Series of Poker . His 2003 win is said to have revolutionized poker because he was the first person to become a world champion by qualifying at an online poker site...
and Isabelle Mercier
Isabelle Mercier
Isabelle Mercier is a professional poker player.Mercier originally learned to play poker as a child, but prior to turning to a poker career, she earned an undergraduate law degree from the Université de Montréal and practiced commercial law for six months...
. In April 2008, Hachem came close to the final table of the PokerStars
PokerStars
PokerStars is the largest online poker cardroom in the world. PokerStars' satellite tournaments produced the 2003 World Series of Poker champion, Chris Moneymaker. 1983 champion Tom McEvoy, 2005 champion Joe Hachem, 2009 champion Joe Cada and 2010 champion Jonathan Duhamel and others also represent...
EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final, finish in 11th place for more than $150,000.
Hachem finished in 103rd place in the 2009 World Series of Poker
2009 World Series of Poker
The 2009 World Series of Poker was the 40th annual World Series of Poker . It was held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and ran from May 27 to July 15. There were 57 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event...
main event, which drew a crowd of 6,494 players earning himself $40,288. Also in 2009, Hachem participated in the fifth season of High Stakes Poker
High Stakes Poker
High Stakes Poker is a cash game poker television program broadcast by the cable television network GSN in the United States. The poker variant played on the show is no limit Texas hold 'em. It premiered on January 16, 2006 and ended on December 17, 2007 and it returns back on March 1, 2009 and is...
, a cash game
Ring game
Ring game may refer to:*Ring game , a general class of multi-player pocket billiards gambling games*Ring game, a.k.a. cash game, a poker game played with "real" chips and each player's own money at stake, as opposed to a poker tournament with a prize money pool...
television series on the Game Show Network
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
. The season featured a buy-in of at least $200,000, the highest minimum requirement in the show's history. Also in 2009, Hachem produced and hosts the Australian reality show The Poker Star
The Poker Star
The Poker Star is an Australian reality game show broadcast on One from 26 September 2009. It is created and hosted by former World Series of Poker Champion Joe Hachem, who will also act as judge and mentor to the contestants. New Zealand poker champion Lee Nelson will also appear as a judge...
, which characterizes Hachem as a poker mentor searching for the next big player. The show features a group of contestants living together in one house and competing in a series of poker-related challenges.
As of July 2011, Hachem's total live tournament winnings exceed $11,300,000, more than $7.9 million of which comes from the World Series of Poker events. He is ranked ninth in live poker tournament career earnings by The Hendon Mob
The Hendon Mob
The Hendon Mob are a group of four professional poker players from London, England:* Joe Beevers* Barny Boatman* Ross Boatman* Ram VaswaniThe name of the group was first publicised by the Evening Standard newspaper in September 2000....
, a website which tracks tournament poker players.
Poker style and technique
Hachem said he believes his discipline and control helps him make good decisions at the right time. He credited his success at the 2005 World Series of Poker in part to his ability to make difficult laydowns. Hachem has also advised amateur players against bluffing too often or without any outOut (poker)
In a poker game with more than one betting round, an out is any unseen card that, if drawn, will improve a player's hand to one that is likely to win. Knowing the number of outs a player has is an important part of poker strategy. For example in draw poker, a hand with four diamonds has nine outs...
s. Hachem said he rarely bluffs without any outs, and only does so when "you're confident the other guy can't stand the heat of a raise." Hachem said he tries to maintain the same poker face for each hand. During intense hands, he focuses on a point on the table, keeps his breathing under control and tries not to give away any information. Hachem has said he likes playing at featured tables in televised poker tournaments because, "Everyone wants to be on TV, and they are afraid to do anything silly so they don't get ridiculed. I try and take advantage of that." Hachem's talent and personality has drawn him a large fanbase, and many people often surround his table to watch him during tournaments.
Family and personal life
Hachem has been married since 1989 to Jeanie, who he has known since both were teenagers. They have four children named Anthony, Justine, Daniel and James. Hachem said his wife was extremely supportive of his decision to seek a career in poker and participate in the World Series of Poker in 2005. His children also play poker, and Hachem said he believes it teaches them discipline and how to handle adversity.He operates a mortgage company, and enjoys playing golf, especially with friends and other poker players.
Hachem represents the online poker website PokerStars, along with the two World Series of Poker main event winners before him, Greg Raymer
Greg Raymer
Gregory Raymer nicknamed "Fossilman," is a professional poker player. He is best known for winning the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event.-Early life:...
and Chris Moneymaker
Chris Moneymaker
Christopher Bryan Moneymaker is an American poker player who won the main event at the 2003 World Series of Poker . His 2003 win is said to have revolutionized poker because he was the first person to become a world champion by qualifying at an online poker site...
. He plays under the name "JoeHachem" on the site.
Actor Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
, who starred in the 1998 poker film Rounders, is a fan of Hachem and has played poker with him. Damon said of Hachem, "Poker can bring out the worst in people, but when you see somebody who's just winning with grace and class and dignity, it's nice."