Joseph Hachem: Down Under Doc On Top Of The Poker World

The World Series of Poker was revolutionized in 2004 as it brought in over three times as many entries as the previous year.  The consequences such an increase had on every aspect of the tournament are mind-boggling.  Suffice it to say, the ’04 series was a unique transitional event that will probably stand on its own in history.  2005, despite another huge participant increase, benefited from a year of experience and had adjusted a bit to massive changes.  As the dust finally settled, only Joseph Hachem remained from a field of over 5,500.

Joseph had been playing poker since his teenage years though he didn’t pick up the game of Hold’Em until he saw the movie Rounders.  He enjoyed playing and won enough to keep it profitable, though it was basically a hobby.  He was already pursuing a passion professionally, running a chiropractic business, and was happy to keep poker on the side.

His main passion was soon to face a fatal roadblock, however, as Joseph was diagnosed with a rare blood vessel disorder in his hands around the year 2000.  Joseph was forced to get out of the business due to his hand problem and focused more seriously on poker, though he also began working a mortgage broker.  For a while, his semi-professional poker existed peacefully with the world of mortgage lending. 

Most professional pokers are familiar with the poker bug and know how it can just slowly grow until it’s an obsession.  Joseph’s poker bug must have experienced a growth spurt in 2005 as he and a few family members made the trek from his home in Australia to Las Vegas.  The World Series of Poker was calling his name and Joseph had to answer.

Prior to big game, Joseph got a seat at WSOP Event 37, a $1,000 No-Limit Hold’Em tournament.  Placing 10^th, Joseph walked away with over $25,000 and a healthy dose of boosted poker confidence.  That confidence would come in handy, since Joseph was walking into what was, up to that point, the largest Main Event ever held and playing for largest prize payout.

In the end, Joseph did what he came to do and took home the bracelet and the $7.5 million prize.  As has happened a number of times in large poker tournaments, Joseph won with one of the worst starting hands in the game: 7-3 off-suit.  Needless to say, the hand probably doesn’t look as bad to Joseph at this point.

The increase in entrants at the WSOP Main Event has affected the entire tournament in a number of ways.  It’s also affected the title of champion in ways that extend beyond the obviously larger prize and the bragging rights.  The main event winner used to be considered the “world champion of poker,” as the title implies.  Lately, however, many players have begun to look at the bracelet as just another tournament.

In fact, it’s starting to seem like many of the less successful players will avidly observe the post-tournament play of the champion to see if they’re really as good as they “should be” for having won the main event.  This basically means that failure to follow up your WSOP win with more tournament wins, or least high-money places, leaves you open for attacks.  They generally begin online but frequently seem to trickle into so-called “respectable media.”

It seems a bit weird to be able to win the World Series of Poker and then have people looking for you to “prove yourself,” but then again life (and poker) can be weird.  In 2006, Joseph made it clear to the world, and any Internet writer looking for dirt, that his win was not a fluke or an accident.

For instance, he won a World Poker Tour title at the 2006 Doyle Brunson North American Poker Champions.  In doing so, he joined an elite group of players who have managed to snag both the WSOP Main Event and a World Poker Tour title.  Only Scotty Nguyen, Doyle Brunson and Juan Carlos Mortenson share the same distinction.

Joseph also entered the 2006 WSOP and, for many players, the year following a main bracelet win can be intense and grueling.  The vast majority of players recognize you and your mere presence at the table becomes a challenge to “beat the champ.”  In fact, some champions fear a “sophomore slump” with such intensity that they blow hands and fulfill their own worst fear. 

While everyone probably dreams of a repeat performance, each player sets their own standards to live up to.  Joseph’s results were far from disappointing and most players would be happy to do so well at any point in their career: he made it onto two final tables and placed in the money in four games total, including the main event. 

Aside from winning tournaments and raking in pots, Joseph is a generous and caring guy who doesn’t believe in frittering away the fruits of his labor.  While many players blow through the cash and go chasing the next win, Joseph is more than happy to simply spend time with his family, comprised of his wife and their four daughters, and make sure they’re healthy and happy.  In addition to his family, Joseph believes in giving back to the world and contributes to a variety of charities.

His family travels with him from casino to casino when the kids aren’t in school, which seems to be an annoyance to some people.  While difficult to believe, Joseph has been lectured by more than one stranger about the ills of exposing his children to poker.  It’s interesting to imagine what things were being exposed to the children of those lecturers while they were busy chastising Joseph.

Having bounced from an unknown contender-among-many in 2005 to a world champion and top money earner in a few short years, Joseph Hachem shows no signs of slowing down.  He’ll probably be exposing his daughters to a specialized poker variation (the world-class, high-paying kind) for countless coming years.