Joe Hachem is a Lebanese-Australian poker player who has earned more than $10,000,000 playing the game, including a $7.5 million purse for taking the 2005 World Series of Poker by storm. Interestingly enough, Hachem cannot truly be called a professional poker player. Joe claims that poker is only a “hobby” he enjoys while seeking another career to pursue.

Joseph “Joe” Hachem, born in Lebanon November 3, 1966, moved to Australia in 1972 where he grew up to become a very successful chiropractor. Unfortunately, a rare blood disorder forced Hachem to leave the business he so loved. While examining his options for a new career, Joe began playing poker very frequently, especially in online poker rooms.

The big debate as to whether Joe Hachem was a “professional poker player” came up in mid-2005, when Hachem defeated the entire field of 5,618 players at the World Series of Poker to become the WSOP Champion. According to the Australian government, since Hachem was only pursuing a hobby - not a career - the $7,500,000 he won from the event would not be taxable. Of course that did not stop the US government from claiming 30% of the prize in taxation, but the whole tax-free issue has caused a great deal of debate and debacle in his home country.

Though not classified as a “pro”, Joe Hachem is certainly an elite poker player who chose one heck of a good hobby! Since 2000, Hachem has accumulated 28 cashes in major poker tournaments, racking up an impressive $10,414,659
in career - I mean “hobby” - winnings.

Joe Hachem and the WSOP
Joe Hachem is best known for his extremely lucrative World Series of Poker (WSOP) Championship at the 2005 WSOP, triumphing over a field of 5,618 players to take down the Main Event and collecting an enormous purse - the largest prize in WSOP history at that time - $7,500,000. Even more memorable was the fact that the 2005 WSOP was Hachem’s first successful year in the tournament, plus he did not win a seat through online poker qualifiers, as most winners usually do. Hachem actually paid the full $10k buy-in.

During most of the final table, Joe found himself short-stacked against the opposition, not taking a chip lead until only 3 players remained. In a very bold move - some might even say ’stupid’ - Hachem called a Pre-Flop raise, costing him $700,000 while holding 7c-3s. His instincts proved dead-on, Flopping 6h-5d-4d, for a complete Straight. Going heads-up against Steve Dannenmann’s A-3, the Turn offered an Ace, giving Dannenmann a Straight draw that could only tie Hachem’s Straight with a 7 on the River. Hachem bet, followed by a raise from Dannenmann. Hachem went all-in, called by Dannenmann. When the River came up a 4, Dannenmann’s 2-pair could not compete, and Joe Hachem took the pot, the tournament and his first WSOP Bracelet.

Earlier in the 2005 WSOP, Joe earned himself $25,850 for a 10th place finish in Event #37 No Limit Hold’em. Prior to the opening of the WSOP Championship tournament, Hachem was also awarded $88,172 for finish in the 5th position in a WSOP Circuit Event at Ballys Las Vegas Poker Tournament.

On a side note, Hachem developed the catch-phrase “pass the sugar”, having stated such prematurely on a hand that he eventually went on to win, but could have lost on a bad river. When Hachem took down the 2005 WSOP, commentator Norman Chad bolstered, “Hachem turned 7-3 offsuit into $7.5 million. Pass the sugar!”

Hachem entered the 2006 WSOP, earning a large cash early on in Event #5. Joe went heads-up against Russ “Dutch” Boyd and, on the final hand, his A-Q could not defeat Boyd’s A-5 on the River, A-K-9-J-5. Hachem took 2nd place and $256,800 for his efforts. Twelve days later in Event #18 PL Hold’em, Joe Hachem managed a 15th place finish for $9,664. In Event #29, also PL Hold’em, Hachem made the final table to finish in 4th, pocketing another $90,482. The 2006 WSOP Main Event saw Joe finish in 238th place overall, taking his final WSOP cash of the year at $42,882.

Hachem’s name was not nearly so prominent in the 2007 WSOP, having earned only one cash for a 100th place finish in Event #52 NL Hold’em for a small purse of $3,227.

Joe Hachem and the WPT
Joe Hachem’s history with the World Poker Tour (WPT) is short but eventful, having cashed only 3 times in a WPT event throughout his poker playing years. On January 6, 2006, during WPT Season 5, Hachem was awarded $12,000 for 67th place at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Skipping ahead to March 14, 2008 - WPT Season 6, Hachem pocket $20,000 at the Bay 101 Shooting Start tournament for a 20th place finish in the NL Hold’em Championship. However, it was the cash between those two events that put Joe Hachem’s name into the WPT history books.

Jumping backwards a bit to the 5th season of the WPT, it was December 19, 2006. Hachem was playing in the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic NL Hold’em Championship. From a field of 583, the last three men standing (er, sitting) were Daniel Negreanu, Jimmy Hanna and Joe Hachem. Negreanu was the first to go, leaving Hanna and Hachem in heads-up. Hachem triumphed over Hanna to take his first WPT Title and his second multi-million prize purse of $2,182,075.

Joe Hachem’s Other Achievements
Joe Hachem has played a number of major poker tournaments in his home country of Australia, including several finishes in the money at the Crown Aussie Millions Championship. Hachem’s first cash came in January of 2003, earning $1,344 for an 8th place finish in an early Limit Hold’em event. His next prize came in the 2005 Aussie Millions, again taking a small cash of $1,253 for a 15th place finish in PL Hold’em. Joe’s final, and most lucrative win, came in the 2006 Aussie Millions, pocketing $45,560 finishing 23rd in Event #9 NL Hold’em Championship.

Joe Hachem has been awarded most of his cashes from Australian poker tournaments, including 4 cashes at the Australian Poker Championships, spanning 2000 to 2002, and 4 cashes in the Victorian Poker Championships; twice in 2004 and twice again in 2007. The 2007 Victorian Championships was the most lucrative, awarding $49,205 when Hachem finished 3rd in Event #13 NL Hold’em.