• Bet365$500
  

• Betfair£25
  

• BetssonN/A
  

• Blue Square£25
  

• Bodog10%
  

• Boylesports£200
  

• Ladbrokes£25
  

• StanJames£25
  

• Sportingbet£150
  

• Paddypower£30
  

• Pinnacle$500
  

• VCbet£100
  

• Spin Palace$1000review
  

• ParadiseCasinoVariesreview
  

• Betfred£1600review
  

• Casino Las Vegas$4,000review
  

• CasinoEuro€111review
  

• DublinBet€100review
  

• Europacasino$2,400review
  

• Intercasino$225review
  

• LadbrokesCasino$100review
  

• Littlewoodscasino£200review
  

• ParadiseCasino£100review
  

• RubyFortune$750review
  

• SwissCasino$4,000review
  

• VegasRed$10 free
  

• Absolute Poker$500review
  

• Bet365 Poker$500review
  

• Betfair Poker$1500review
  

• Blue Square Poker$500review
  

• Bodog Poker10%review
  

• Bwin Poker
  

• EverestPoker$100review
  

• Full Tilt Poker$600review
  

• Interpoker$100
  

• Ladbrokes Poker$1000review
  

• LittlewoodsPoker$100
  

• Pacific Poker$400review
  

• PaddyPowerPoker$600
  

• Paradise Poker$100review
  

• PartyPoker$500review
  

• Poker Heaven€500review
  

• Pokerstars$50review
  

• Stan James Poker$100
  

• Titan Poker$500review
  

• UBPoker$1,100review
  

• UltimatePoker$1,110review
  

• VCPoker$35review
  

• VulcanPoker$200
  

• William Hill Poker£250review
  

Go to Poker Stars now

(credit: Poker Stars)

Joe Hachem, the pro poker player from Australia that showed the crowd at the 2005 WSOP main event exactly how to get paid off with a straight, the man who put family ahead of poker and was rewarded for it, and the world champion who was as concerned with the way he would represent poker as how to spend his $7.5 million windfall. Read on as he answers our questions, courtesy of PokerStars, about life as a champ, the type of opponent he fears the most, and Aussie pride.
 
 
TourneyBlog: Joe, thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions for our readers. By now you have been hammered with the same questions over and over about your 2005 win, so we hope to pose a few fresher queries for you to entertain.
Joe Hachem: Happy to have a chat mate. 
 
TB: At the top of your website you address that very unique support system you had at the final table at WSOP 2005: “By now, you may think my name is Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!”  In some ways those shouts of pride and encouragement have become synonymous with you, to the point where you must hear it constantly from fans, well wishers and other players. Fess up- has this gotten under your skin yet? 
JH: No, I am so proud of being Australian that it thrills me every time I hear it shouted. I must admit though I think others may have become sick of it.

TB: It had been reported shortly after your win that Australia Itself embraced you after your victory, thanks to an internal wiring all Aussies have to love sports and competition. What was that like? 
JH: Absolutely!  Australians love our sports heroes and I was no exception. We are all very competitive ( I don’t know it must be in the water) and because we are so far away from the rest of the world and have such a small population I think it really elates us to have an Aussie to do well against the rest of the world. 
 
TB: Which victory was sweeter, winning the WSOP, or winning the legal battle that let you avoid paying taxes on the $7.5 million? 
JH: Quite frankly there was no legal battle. I just asked for a ruling and got it in my favor. Lets remember the US IRS kindly took 30% off the top from both my victories; a total of nearly $3m USD. 
 
TB: During your run on Poker Superstars III this year you mentioned that you played “so tight you bled”, but you couldn’t seem to catch a break. How much of your experience on the pro circuit would characterize as frustrating when you play your best, but the wins don’t come? Are those times balanced out by the wins?
JH: Realistically we can’t win anywhere near as often as we would like. Although that doesn’t stop me from wanting to win every single time I play, and I must admit (unashamedly) I expect to win even though that I know it’s not realistic. Every final table and every win is cherished because I understand how difficult it is to achieve. 
 
TB: In December of last year you won the WPT Doyle Brunson North American Poker Classic, to the tune of two million plus. Was there any special significance to winning a WPT event, considering you held a WSOP bracelet? 
JH: Of course. I had come close so many times during the previous 18 months and ended only with bitter disappointment. It was great validation to be able to take down such a prestigious title. 
 
TB: Recently Carlos Mortensen became the first player to hold championship titles in both the WSOP and the WPT- could you tell our readers, from the perspective of a pro player and WSOP champ, how special this accomplishment is?
JH: I love Carlos and am so happy for him, he deserves it as I believe he is consistently one of the best performing tournament players alive. It is so awesome to hold both titles and be the only one to do so.  
 
 
TB: After you won the 2005 WSOP you approached the prior champ, Greg Raymer, to discuss his experiences as the “face of poker.” During the 2006 WSOP Greg was seen in your camp, rooting you on. You both have had to deal with the downside of becoming a public figure- Greg with an attempted robbery, and you moving your family to reclaim some privacy as a result of some harassment. Do you ever look back at the change in your life after your win, and think “It wasn’t worth it.”?
JH: NEVER. I had a very happy and successful life before the victory and after that moment it has only gotten better. 
 
TB: Imagine for a moment you are once more back at the final table of the WSOP- not in 05, but this year or next, and sitting across from you is the last person you want to face in a heads up race for the championship, the one person who will prove to be the toughest to defeat- who is it?
JH: Any young guy who has won a $15 satellite on pokerstars.com and has nothing to lose. 
 
TB: A lot of players out there aspire to being pros, but some “just” want to make a big score or two on the tourney circuit. They are not interested in turning poker into a career, but love the game nevertheless and dream of winning a title and some life changing money. An advice for this kind of player?
JH: I think they are the smart ones. You need balance in your life, so having a life outside of poker is essential. Turning pro can be so hard to succeed at. 
 
TB: You waited a long time before coming to Las Vegas, but since your win in 05 you’ve been a frequent visitor. I did a little research, and discovered there are no less then Eight Outback Steakhouses –one of my personal favorite restaurants- in Vegas. The truth now- have you been, and just how authentically Australian are these places? 
JH: Unfortunately I have not been yet and I’m not sure why they have not asked me to be the face, but let me tell you this; Australians do not regularly eat kangaroo meat (I have never). 
 
 Mr. Hachem, I don’t think many would disagree with saying that you have been a great WSOP Champion and a lot of fun to follow in the various events you have played. Best of luck balancing the pros and cons of life as a champ, and at the tables as well!

Note: Pokerstars has a $50 cash match. Use code First2007 when you sign up to get $50 added to your account free!

Get $50 free when you sign-up to Pokerstars Read our Poker Stars review

Be the first to comment Share This      Print Article Share this Share this Email to a friend Email to a friend  Close  Del.icio.us  Google Bookmarks  Digg  Furl  Reddit  Ask  My Favorites  Yahoo MyWeb  StumbleUpon  Facebook  Live Bookmarks  Fark  Spurl  Mister Wong  Close Your name (required): Your email address (required): Send to email address (required, separate with commas): Add a personal message (optional): Tags: Joe Hachem,  Poker Stars,  WSOP  1566 Clicks

Add a new comment