Joe Hachem

Joe Hachem was born in Lebanon on 11 March 1966 and moved to Melbourne, Australia at the age of six. He worked as a chiropractor for 13 years before being forced to give up the profession due to a rare blood disorder affecting the blood vessels in his hands. During his recovery, Hachem began playing poker with greater frequency, initially at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, and also online. He also ran a small brokerage business in Pascoe Vale, Victoria. After years of casual play, he started regularly entering tournaments at Crown Casino around 2000, consistently finishing in the money. His early success on the Melbourne circuit motivated him to travel to Las Vegas for the 2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Hachem entered the 2005 WSOP Main Event as a relatively unknown player. Two weeks prior, he finished 10th in a $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em event for $25,850, narrowly missing the final table. In the Main Event, he outlasted a record field of 5,619 players, paying the $10,000 entrance fee in cash. He ended Day 1 with 67,000 chips—about twice the average—and maintained a steady stack throughout. At the final table, which lasted a record 13 hours and 54 minutes, Hachem was short-stacked for much of the early play, facing persistent re-raises from professional Aaron Kanter. With four players remaining, Hachem moved all in with Q♦ 7♦ against Kanter's 9♦ 9♠, catching a queen on the flop to double his chips—a hand he later called the turning point of the tournament. He eventually took the chip lead and defeated Steven Dannenmann heads-up to win $7,500,000, then the largest prize in poker history. The victory made him a national hero in Australia, with fans chanting "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!" throughout the final table.

The following year, Hachem proved his win was no fluke. He finished fifth in the 2006 WSOP Main Event, earning $1,506,541, and then won the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic (WPT Season 5) for $2,207,575. That WPT title placed him in an elite group of players—alongside Doyle Brunson, Juan Carlos Mortensen, and Scotty Nguyen—who have won both the WSOP Main Event and a WPT Championship. Hachem remains one of only six players to achieve this double.

Hachem continued to cash in major tournaments around the world, taking on the role of Team PokerStars Pro for six years before leaving in 2011. His later results include a third-place finish in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo event at the 2019 WSOP for $201,041, as well as cashes in the 2023 WSOP Main Event (402nd, $40,000) and the 2023 WPT World Championship (223rd, $25,500). He also cashed in the 2024 WSOP Event #61: $2,500 Mixed Omaha Hi-Lo/Stud Hi-Lo for $5,999. As of 2026, Hachem's total live tournament earnings exceed $12,996,977, with 38 WSOP cashes and 12 WPT cashes, career best live cash of $7,500,000.

Hachem is recognized for his patient, disciplined approach, especially in deep-stacked tournaments. He excels at reading opponents and making well-timed bluffs, as demonstrated by his Q♦ 7♦ all-in against Aaron Kanter at the 2005 final table. His style blends solid fundamentals with psychological resilience, avoiding unnecessary risks while capitalizing on opportunities. Hachem has noted that he had to learn to control his temper early in his career, and his calm demeanor at the table became a hallmark of his game.

Nicknamed "The Boss," "Diamond Joe," and the "Godfather of Australian Poker," Hachem is widely credited with igniting the poker boom in Australia. His 2005 WSOP victory directly contributed to the record-breaking field of the 2007 Aussie Millions, which became the largest poker tournament outside the United States at the time. In 2009, he was an inaugural inductee into the Australian Poker Hall of Fame. Hachem has also served as a WSOP commentator and ambassador for the game, inspiring many amateur players with his journey from chiropractor to world champion. While he has not added a second WSOP bracelet, his 2005 Main Event win and continued presence in high-stakes events cement his status as a poker legend.