One of the most prestigious poker tournaments in the brick and mortar world in the 21st century (and previously as well) is the World Series of Poker. The event draws thousands of enthusiastic poker players from the world over each and every year. Indeed, the 2005 World Series of Poker features over 5,600 dedicated participants.

The winner of the World Series of Poker 2005 tournament was Joe Hachem. In winning in the World Series of Poker tournament in 2005, Hachen took home a record breaking prize of $7.5 million.

Brief Bio: Joe Hachem

Hachem is garnering the reputation as being one of the best poker players anywhere in the world. This perception of Hachem actually began to take hold even before his historic winnings in the 2005 World Series of Poker tournament. Many poker experts believe that Hachem will remain a force to be reckoned with on the tournament circuit for years to come.

Hachem was born in March, 1966, in Lebanon. As a boy, he moved with his family to Melbourne, Australia. (Australia remains his home today.)

Prior to taking up professional poker, Hachem was a practicing chiropractor in Australia. He saw patients until about a decade ago when he developed a rare blood disease that prevented him from effectively working with his patients. At that time, and in order to kill time, he took up playing poker as a hobby. According to a number of interviews he has given over the course of the past couple of years, he never envisioned the day that he would be playing poker professionally -- let along winning a large scale tournament like the World Series of Poker.

Hachem is married and has four children.

Joe Hachem and His Career as a Professional Poker Player

Prior to taking home the coveted World Series of Poker prize, Hachem played poker for a mere ten years. As mentioned, he took up poker at that time as a means of passing the time.

2005 actually marked Hachem