Player Profile: 2005 Winner of the World Series of Poker
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's first turn at play in the World
Series of Poker. While it certainly is not heard of for a person
to win such a large tournament his first time in the door,
Hachem is marking territory as a very formidable player in the
21st century.
Hachem is the first Australian who has won the United States
based World Series of Poker, although not the first non-U.S.
citizen to take home the first place prize.
Joe Hachem and Online Poker Playing
Although Hachem is making his mark in the poker tournaments of
the brick and mortar world, he has set his sites on the world of
online gaming and poker playing. According to Hachem himself: "I
started in casinos (in the brick and mortar world). But, in the
past two years, I've been playing online a lot."
Hachem made his remarks following his victory in the 2005 World
Series of Poker competition. Hachem joins a growing number of
poker professionals who have cut their card playing teeth in
casinos the world over who are becoming more heavily involved in
online poker playing and Internet based poker tournaments. At
this point in time, Hachem spends at least some time each week
playing poker online.
Hachem and other well known professional poker players are
joining the literally thousands of men and women who are taking
up poker playing online each and every year. With the tremendous
rise in the number of people taking part in online poker, even
large casino operators like Harrah's are getting into the game.
(Harrah's has announced its intention to play a large role in
the online casino market -- including poker -- on into the
future.)
A growing number of poker enthusiasts (both professional and
amateur) envision the day when online poker tournaments will in
fact carry with them hefty prizes like the multi-million dollar
purse offered in the World Series of Poker in 2005. Indeed, some
insiders from the world of professional poker suggest that the
day when Internet based tournaments will match the prizes found
in the brick and mortar world is not all that far off.
At the present time, Hachem intends to continue playing poker
professionally. (When not at the table, Hachem owns and operates
a brokerage firm in Australia. He has no immediate plans to end
that particular business despite his great success in poker in
2005.)
Hachem intends to continue to play in high profile tournaments
-- both in the brick and mortar world and online.
According to interviews with Hachem his family remains the focus
of his life. When asked what he sees himself doing down the
road, he has replied simply (in multiple interviews):
"Look after my family, my mum, my kids."
Certainly, it goes without saying that a bright future is in the
cards for Joe Hachem.