2005 World Series of Poker winner says he's got target on his head

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A year ago, Joseph Hachem was a mortgage broker who surreptitiously played poker online to support his family. After winning last year's World Series of Poker main event and $7.5 million, the Australian says he's now treated like a rock star - but he's got a price on his head.

Players nowadays are targeting him for the chance to say they toppled a giant, he says. That makes the likelihood of a repeat win this year very small.

"The reality is, the chances (against) me winning again are astronomical," Hachem, 40, told The Associated Press.

"If I get crazies who are going to try to bust me and make ridiculous plays, I'll either have a lot of chips, or I'll be out of the tournament very early."

The mother of all poker tournaments, the World Series of Poker, kicked off the first of 45 events on Sunday at the Rio casino-hotel, as Hachem faced 26 other elite players for a 2-day, $2 million prize pool Tournament of Champions.

Thousands of poker players from around the world are expected to call Las Vegas home over the next two months before the final table in the $10,000-buy-in main event plays down for the grand prize Aug. 10.

Hachem beat 5,618 players to win the main event last year. This year, organizers say seating will allow for up to 9,000 players - which would make the odds of winning even slimmer.

About 20,000 players signed up for various events last year, and preregistration this year is well ahead of that pace, said World Series of Poker spokesman Gary Thompson.

"I've read a lot of commentaries that say poker has peaked," said Thompson. "I think this will put the lie to that. Poker has not peaked. Its popularity continues to grow."

Numerous televised poker shows and the explosion of online poker play have broadened the field.

Costa Rica-based Bodog.com president Calvin Ayre is so confident that a professional poker player will not win the WSOP main event, he's taking bets on it at 15-to-1 odds. Those backing any non-pro to win will have to put up $9,999 to win just $100 in return.

"That's just based on the sheer volume of people in this tournament," said Ayre, who adds Bodog.com will pay the $10,000 main event buy-in for about 800 people, most of whom will qualify on its site.

"You know, poker is a game of skill, but you put enough people in there and still, the luck element starts to work against the pros."

Wynn Las Vegas sports book director John Avello said the top professionals probably have no more than a 100-to-1 shot at winning the main event. Nevada sports books are not allowed to take wagers on the tournament.

"There's no question about it. The pros are going to need some luck to make it to the final table," he said. "The novice players, they may have luck on their side and they still may not get there."

Hachem said he risked all of his chips, and elimination, seven times last year. He may have to face more do-or-die decisions this year as players seek notoriety by playing him head-to-head.

"I've got this big target, like this," he said in an interview, forming an 'O' with his hands over his face. "You won't see my face because it's so big. People just aiming at it all day.

"They've seen me play on TV, they think they know how I play. And plus they want to go home and tell a story. Whether I bust them or they bust me, it's irrelevant."

courtesy of Ryan Nakashima

News Added: 26 June, 2006

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