Australian Wins WSOP 2005
Published: Friday, July 22, 2005 Online-Casinos.com
AUSTRALIAN WINS WSOP
Joseph Hachem takes Steve Dannenmann in marathon session
"Aussie, Aussie, Aussie. Oy, Oy, Oy" was the roar from Australian
spectators early (Vegas time) on Saturday morning as their countryman Joseph
Hachem was declared World Champion of the 36th (2005) WSOP, winning $7.5 million
and fame in the world of poker.
9 players took their seats at the final table at Binions at 4.00pm local time
in Vegas last Friday with Aaron Kanter holding the most chips after a gruelling
week of poker that resulted in 9 players surviving from a field of over 5600.
Every one of them would leave the table with at least a million dollars.
As previously reported, the following were the first to leave the final table
in this order:
Mike Matusow - 9th
Brad Kondracki - 8th
Daniel Bergsdorf - 7th
Scott Lazar - 6th
By the early hours of Saturday morning Irishman Andrew Black had gone with $1
750 000 in prizemoney for his 5th placing. The highest blinds in WSOP history
- $120 000 to 240 000 with an ante of $40 000 were declared.
Then it was the turn of 27 year old Aaron Kanter, who departed with $2 million,
leaving the field to Barch, Dannenmann and Hachem.
By 6.18 am last Saturday Tex Barch was on his way out the door in 3rd place
with $2.5 million, leaving Dannenmann and Hachem to fight it out in some very
exciting poker that saw record pots of $16 million and all-ins of $15 million
at hand number 212.
Hachem was in a strong position, with more than twice Dannenmann's chip count,
and around half an hour later at 6.46pm it was all over - Dannenmann walked
away 2nd with $4.5 million....and those Australian victory chants were rolling
around the room.
Hachem (39) is a former chiropractor turned professional poker player who was
born in Lebanon and lives in Australia. He has been playing poker for 10 years.
Married with four children, this is his first World Series of Poker.
