Let’s continue our look back at the high drama of last weekend’s 36th World Series of Poker final which crowned Australian newcomer Joseph Hachem and made him a millionaire many times over.
THE SHOWDOWN The lead up to the showdown was the elimination of Tex Barch in a gigantic three way pot which left 39 year old Hachem and 38 year old Steven Dannenmann facing each other heads up. $16,300,000 worth of chip stack sat infront of Dannenmann up against almost $40,000,000 which virtually obscured Hachem from his opponent’s view. After thirteen hours of play the finale played out slowly with Steve raising before the flop and Joseph calling. The flop was six-five-four. Hachem checked and Dannenmann piled in with $700,000 firing Hachem into a retaliatory raise of a mind numbing $1,700,000! An ace at the fourth card (the turn) had Hachem heaving another $2,000,000 into the bulging pot.
HE GOES ALL-IN $30,000,000! Steve Dannenmann fired back with $5,000,000 forcing the Australian to go nuclear with a make or break $30,000,000! Inevitably Steve Dannenmann called only to see Hachem lay down a seven and a three, completing a seven high straight with the community cards. Dannenmann, with an ace and a three, had everything riding on the river (the last card). It had to be a seven! It wasn’t! The $7,500,000 mountain of $100 bills piled high infront of the raised shotguns of the security guards now belonged to the young Australian Jospeh Hachem, along with the white gold and diamond bracelet which marks out a World Series Champion from any other.
“I never gave up.” was Joseph Hachem’s understatement as his money was wheeled infront of him. Not a bad result for an onliner taking his first ever crack at the World Series.
“A million dollars changes my life,” muttered the bewildered Australian, “Let alone $7,500,000.” Play ended at 6:44 and at fourteen hours was the longest final round in the history of the World Series.
IN CONCLUSION It should be an inspiration to all new online poker players that the nine people at that final table, all of whom became instant millionaires, included a Swedish truck driver, a student, an accountant and a guy who used to massage backs for a living, who won it! No wonder he wrapped himself in the Australian flag, gawped at his wheelbarrow full of millions and said, “Is this all mine?” Yep! It surely is!
All The Aces Daily Poker Column: Wednesday 20th July 2005: WSOP Showdown
