Joe Hachem Biography

Joe Hachem plays online exclusively at Poker Stars.
Originally from Lebanon, Joe Hachem moved to Australia in the 1970's and built a career as a chiropractor. Unfortunately, he developed a medical condition that affected the blood vessels in his hands, making it hard for him to continue with the physical demands of his job. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise however, as it left Joe with more time to play poker.

Having played casually for many years, Joe began entering live tournaments at the famous Crown Casino in Melbourne, around the year 2000. After a few years of small but consistent cash finishes, Joe headed to Las Vegas for the 2005 World Series, a trip that would change his life forever. He made a good start, finishing just short of the final table in the $1,000 No Limit Hold'em event, cashing for over $25,000 with a 10th place finish. A few days after, Joe would get to live out every poker player's dream. A field of over 5,000 players entered the Main Event that year, all hoping to take down what was set to be the biggest prize pool yet. After days of gruelling action, it was Joe who would emerge as the new world champion, taking home the gold bracelet and $7,500,000 in prize money.

Proving that his World Series success was far from a fluke, Joe has had a phenomenal amount of success since. He returned to the WSOP* in 2006 and came close to winning another bracelet, finishing 2nd in the $2,500 Shorthanded Hold'em event. He also finished 4th in the $2,500 Pot Limit Hold'em event for a further $90,482. Joe rounded off the year with a massive victory at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic, earning $2,207,575 for his 1st place finish. In April 2008, he almost made the final table of the PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final, taking away over $150,000 for finishing in 11th place. Joe then came close to winning another major title in March 2011 when he finished as runner-up to fellow Team Pro Victor Ramdin at The Big Event Main Event for a cash of $300,000.

When he does take a break from poker, Joe enjoys spending time with his wife and four kids. He's also become a keen golfer, regularly hitting the greens with friends and fellow poker players.

In the space of just a few years, Joe has gone from amateur player to now being one of the biggest tournament earners of all time. Far from a one hit wonder, his World Series victory was just a taste of what was to come from Australia's favourite poker export. Joe is a member of Team PokerStars Pro and plays online using the screen name 'JoeHachem'.

Event

Position

Prize

Date

Aussie Millions	3rd	$347,040	Jan 22, 2012
No Limit Hold'em $100,000 Challenge
The Big Event	2nd	$300,000	Mar 5, 2011
Main Event - No Limit Hold'em
Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic / WPT Event Season 5	1st	$2,182,075	Dec 19, 2006
WPT No Limit Hold'em Championship Doyle Brunson North American Classic
37th Annual World Series of Poker	2nd	$256,800	Jun 30, 2006
Event #5 - WSOP Short Handed
36th Annual World Series of Poker	1st	$7,500,000	Jul 15, 2005
Event #57 - WSOP No Limit Hold'em Championship

* Only tournaments with winnings more than $200,000 are listed.

Meet Joe Hachem on Poker Stars