Nationality
Lebanese-Australian
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Born (date and place of birth)
March 11, 1966 in Lebanon
Residence (current location)
Melbourne, Australia
Children (number, ages)
Four children named Anthony, Justine, Daniel, and James
Year started playing poker
Around 1995
Age when started playing
Around 29 years old
Year turned professional
Around 2005 after winning WSOP Main Event
First major win (amount, tournament, year)
2005 World Series of Poker Main Event, $7.5 million
Who introduced to poker / first mentor
Introduced to poker more seriously by a close Australian friend who won a PokerStars satellite seat and encouraged him
First important tournament
Participated in WSOP 2005, first event was a $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em re-buy tournament finishing 10th; then won Main Event
Main motivation for turning pro
Transitioned to poker after developing a rare blood disorder affecting hands, combined with support from his wife to pursue poker seriously
Initial bankroll
Started with $10,000 of his own money for the 2005 WSOP trip
Poker education (courses, coaches)
Learned poker largely through playing online primarily at PokerStars and live experience on the Melbourne circuit
First sponsor/backing
PokerStars, signed shortly after 2005 WSOP Main Event victory
Total live tournament winnings
Over $12.7 million in live tournament earnings
Number of tournament wins
Multiple including at least WSOP Main Event 2005 and 1 WPT title (2006 Five Diamonds Poker Classic)
Number of final tables
At least 8 final tables at WSOP plus others in WPT and various tournaments
Largest tournament win (amount, tournament, year)
$7.5 million at 2005 WSOP Main Event
WSOP bracelets (number)
1 (2005 WSOP Main Event)
WSOP cashes (number)
34 cashes over career
WSOP final tables
8 final tables
Best WSOP Main Event result
1st place in 2005 WSOP Main Event; 5th place in 2006 WSOP Main Event
Super high roller results ($100K+)
No records specifically documented for $100K+ buy-in super high roller wins
High roller wins ($25K-$100K)
Several high roller finishes including top finishes at Aussie Millions high roller events
Online tournament winnings
Played online under "JoeHachem" primarily on PokerStars; exact online winnings not fully documented
Poker team
Formerly Team PokerStars Pro (until 2011)
Highest stakes played
Highly regarded as one of Australia’s best high stakes cash game players
Notable high stakes sessions
Participated in live cash games documented as highly skilled; specifics not fully public
"Big Game" participation
Participated in notable high stakes cash games in Australia
Country ranking
One of Australia's top-ranked poker players by earnings and influence
All Time Money List position
Among top 40 in All Time Money List for live tournaments
Main discipline (Hold'em, Omaha, Mixed games)
No-Limit Hold'em predominantly
Format specialization (tournaments/cash/online/live)
Live tournament play is main focus, with online play earlier in career
Preferred table size (6-max, full ring, heads-up)
Full ring and short-handed tournaments
Known formats (NLHE, PLO, HORSE, others)
No-Limit Hold’em, some Pot-Limit Omaha (notable cash in PLO Hi-Lo event in 2019), No-Limit tournament formats
Specialization limits
High buy-in professional level tournaments generally $1,000+ buy-ins and up to $100,000+ in some events
Online rooms where plays
PokerStars (formerly) under "JoeHachem"
Favorite casinos/locations
Crown Casino (Melbourne), Bellagio (Las Vegas), Rio (Las Vegas) and Australian poker venues
Style characterization (TAG, LAG, nitty, aggressive)
Disciplined, controlled, uses patience and difficult laydowns; strategic, conservative with controlled aggression
Known for bluffs/traps
Rarely bluffs without outs; advises caution on bluffing; strong value player
Mathematical or intuitive approach
Mathematical and disciplined approach with good control of temper and psychology
Style adaptability
Highly adaptable, utilizes timing, table image, and opponent tendencies effectively
Playing strengths
Emotional control, decision-making under pressure, difficult laydowns, strategic patience
GTO strategy usage
Uses modern theoretical approaches, emphasizes discipline over reckless bluffing
Poker software usage
PokerStars tools and online play for practice; specific software use not publicly detailed
Television appearances (list of shows with specific episodes/dates)
Featured on televised WSOP final tables, guest appearances including "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno"
High Stakes Poker participation (seasons/episodes)
Not recorded as participant on High Stakes Poker show
Poker After Dark appearances (episodes/dates)
No public records of Poker After Dark appearances
Documentary films featuring (titles and links)
Featured in poker documentaries about WSOP champions and Australian poker boom
Major publication interviews (publication names, article titles, links)
Multiple poker media interviews including PokerNews, CardPlayer Lifestyle, Poker.com
Podcast appearances (podcast names, episode titles, dates, links)
Podcast appearances on poker industry and player interviews
Facebook (account link)
Official Facebook page with fan engagement
YouTube channel (name, subscriber count, link)
Video interviews and poker analysis appearances
Posting frequency in social media
Moderate social media activity mainly around poker news and charity events
Type of content in social media
Poker insights, family life, charity involvement, motivational posts
Current sponsors (company names, deal details if public)
Former PokerStars pro (2005-2011)
Sponsorship contract history (previous sponsors, dates)
PokerStars (2005-2011)
Poker site ambassadorship (site names, contract details)
Served as PokerStars brand ambassador internationally
Own business (business names, descriptions, websites)
Operates a mortgage brokerage company alongside poker career
Educational materials (book titles with ISBN, course names with platforms, video series titles with links)
Created "Joe's Code" principles shared via The Poker Star TV show franchise
Training series participation (series names, platforms, links)
Creator and host of "The Poker Star" Australian poker reality TV show
Poker publication articles (publication names, article titles, publication dates, links)
Contributor to poker publications and interviews in major poker magazines
Conference speaking (conference names, dates, topics, video links)
Speaker at poker conferences and Australian poker events
Poker industry awards (award names, years, organizations)
Australian Poker Hall of Fame inductee (2009)
Hall of Fame inclusion (hall names, induction years)
Australian Poker Hall of Fame (2009)
Peer recognition (specific recognitions, award details)
Widely regarded as the "Godfather of Australian Poker"
Special achievements (achievement descriptions, recognition details)
First Australian to win WSOP Main Event; only six players have won both WSOP Main Event and WPT title
Records associated with name (record descriptions, verification)
Record $7.5 million prize for WSOP Main Event in 2005 at the time
Contribution to poker development (specific contributions, recognition)
Helped ignite and popularize poker boom in Australia; mentorship via TV show "The Poker Star"
Charity tournaments (tournament names, amounts raised, beneficiaries)
Active in charity poker events in Australia
Legacy in poker world (specific legacy aspects, community impact)
Legendary Australian poker figure; influential in establishing poker credibility in Australia and globally
Industry influence (specific influences, changes attributed)
Major influence in poker sponsorships, media involvement, and poker culture growth in Australia
WSOP (World Series of Poker) - all events all years
2006-07-15 | United States | World Series of Poker | Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino | $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event | 10000 | 1 | 7500000 | 5618 | | |||| 2006-07-20 | United States | World Series of Poker | Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino | $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event | 10000 | 5 | 1250000 | 8779 | | |||| 2005-07-04 | United States | World Series of Poker | Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino | $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Rebuy | 1000 | 10 | 25850 | | |
EPT (European Poker Tour) - all seasons
2012-01-29 | Australia | European Poker Tour (Aussie Millions High Roller) | Crown Casino | $100,000 Challenge | 100000 | 3 | 339726 | | |
Aussie Millions
2012-01-29 | Australia | Aussie Millions | Crown Casino | $100,000 Challenge | 100000 | 3 | 339726 | | |
Provided commentary and analysis for poker tournament broadcasts