Poker made Hachem rich and famous

JOE Hachem wants to make one thing clear.

As we take our seats at one of the more expensive dining tables in town, as befits a man who says playing poker has left him about $20 million in front and counting, he tells me: "I am not a punter".

Although Hachem spends most days at Crown casino, which employs him as an "ambassador", he says he hardly ever has a bet.

He loves the springtime rituals of his home town - and will celebrate his 42nd birthday on Melbourne Cup eve - but he is just a social racegoer.

So if legendary country singer Kenny Rogers, who arrives in town any day now, is looking for the personification of his hit The Gambler then Joe won't be volunteering.

A man who plays cards for a living but doesn't bet sounds like the ultimate contradiction.

That's not how I remember it from the long-ago days when the boys would assemble after work, armed with a box of beer, in a smoke-filled back room of a dingy pub somewhere.

But that's the trouble, Hachem says, the game has an image problem.

That's why we are here in this

up-market Japanese restaurant where he is such a regular customer he doesn't need to consult the menu before ordering.

He is paying for me, a publicist and the manager of an online poker business, PokerStars.net, that also employs him. This is a heavy-duty "sell".

Hachem wants to convince me - and you - that his specialty, tournament poker of the Texas hold 'em variety, is a sport and would not be out of place in the Olympics.

Well, yes, that's often said about chess, too, but you wouldn't want to hold your breath waiting for the International Olympic Committee to start handing out gold medals for sitting at a table and moving pieces across a board.

Not much athleticism there.

Hachem's passion permits him to present a credible case.

In Las Vegas three years ago, this hitherto unremarkable Lebanese-born chiropractor and father of four from the northern suburbs won the World Series of poker. He pocketed $10 million.

Lucky him, eh? Nope, luck had nothing - well, not much - to do with it, he says.

"I played for 14 hours a day for seven days on end and had to beat 5618 people," Hachem says.

His point is that the performance required exceptional endurance, stamina, competitiveness and concentration, as well as strategy and an intense sense of psychology.

The winner was - and always is - the player who makes the fewest mistakes. It is hard to argue when he suggests that adds up to a legitimate definition of elite sport.

Hachem also points out that two courts, one in California and the other in Adelaide, have ruled poker is a game of skill and not chance.

He says that is why poker is attracting sports stars of many persuasions, especially retired ones.

The most prominent is cricketer Shane Warne.

"It fills the competitive void," Hachem says.

He says he has been approached for an autograph by American tennis star Andy Roddick, while Pete Sampras was "gobsmacked" watching him play.

Warne, now a mate, has taken to the game with a flair and skill that has exceeded expectations, Hachem says.

But asked if the former Test star would make a national team of 11, he suggests the right level would be about the thirds - at this stage.

They say the game takes a day to learn and a lifetime to master. So Warnie is constantly trying to improve.

"He beats himself up because he can't get it 100 per cent right," Hachem says. "He needs experience."

The point about betting is that there is none in tournament poker. Players contribute a pre-determined entry fee, which becomes the pot.

Once you're out, you're out and you can't lose your shirt trying to catch up.

That's why anyone and everyone can get involved at their own level, and progress. "I can't play golf with Tiger Woods, but you can play poker with me," Hachem says.

His much-publicised World Series triumph has, he says, sparked a boom, especially in pubs, where it has largely replaced trivia nights.

He says there are 450,000 tournament players and that's a figure quite a few Olympic sports can only dream of.

Hachem, Warne and celebrities including Dermott Brereton, Nathan Buckley, Tottie Goldsmith, Kevin Muscat, Glenn Robbins and anyone else with a spare grand to buy in, will display their skills at Crown on Monday night.

The proceeds will go to Warne's charitable foundation. To enter, go to www.crownpoker.com.au.

Australia Herald Sun

News Added: 24 October, 2008

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