Joseph Hachem
aka Diamond Joe
hometownMelbourne, Australia
birth date11 March 1966
Poker Facts
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WSOP Bracelets
1
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WSOP Money Finishes
13
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Highest ITM Main Event Finish
winnerin 2005
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WPT Titles
1
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WPT Final Tables
1
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WPT Money Finishes
6
By his own admission, when he first started playing poker, Joe Hachem was far too temperamental and really had to work to control his temper before he could take poker to a more serious and professional level.
Joe Hachem really shot to notoriety in 2005, when he won the World Series of Poker Main Event. Not only did the win earn him $7.5 million, he also became the first Australian to win a WSOP main event, and the record holder for the largest tournament prize.
In 2006, Joseph Hachem won his first World Poker Tour title. He took $2.2 million and became one of only a handful of poker players to win both a WPT championship and a WSOP main event. As early as 2009, Hachem's tournament winnings amounted to in excess of $10,850,000, which made him the fifth highest ranked player in terms of career tournament winnings.
Before his poker career, Joe Hachem spent thirteen years working as a chiropractor but was forced to reconsider his profession after developing a rare blood disorder that affected his hands. Hachem took time off work to think about his future, and it was during this period that he started to play poker much more regularly. In around 2000 he started seriously playing tournaments at Melbourne's Crown Casino, and five years later he won the WSOP main event.