John Hashem

John Hashem was born on May 15, 1987, in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. He studied software engineering at the University of Regina while playing as an offensive tackle for the Regina Rams. During the 2007-2008 season, he started 16 consecutive games, helping the Rams become the highest-scoring team in Western Canada. In 2009, he was selected in the third round of the CFL Draft by the Calgary Stampeders, later playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Montreal Alouettes. After retiring, he transitioned into coaching high school football, leading Leboldus High School to five consecutive provincial championships and joining the University of Regina's coaching staff as an offensive line coach in 2019.

In 2019, John Hashem achieved notable success in poker. That July, he entered the $10,000 buy-in World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, finishing 98th out of 8,569 entrants, earning $69,636. In October of the same year, he won the SIGA Poker Tournament ($800+$80 buy-in) at Dakota Dunes Casino in Saskatchewan, besting a field of 346 entrants for a $34,347 prize (approximately CA$45,769). In the final hand of the tournament, his pocket kings beat an opponent's Aces, and he went on to defeat Lyndon Knutson heads-up with pocket jacks to claim the title.

Outside of poker, John Hashem is also a software engineer and web developer. He founded the poker health website Highstakehealth, combining his athletic background to promote wellness. His family background: his mother Shannon Hashem is a biochemist, and his father Simon Hashem is an engineer.