Interview with Joe Hachem at APPT Macau

By Ben Blaschke in Macau
02 September 2008

Australia’s 2005 WSOP champion Joe Hachem is about to embark on season two of the Asia Pacific Poker Tour before heading back home for December’s Grand Final at Star City Casino from December 2-7. Ben Blaschke caught up with Hachem in Macau.

Well Joe, the APPT is about to kick off as we count down to December’s grand final at Star City but how has the year been for you so far?

“I’ve had a real good year so far actually. The World Series was a bit disappointing but up until then I had a 5th, a 20th and an 11th in major events which was good – being able to be in the mix. I bubbled a couple of final tables at the World Series but couldn’t really make anything happen. That’s okay though, I’m pretty happy.”

What’s your favourite time of year? Is it the WSOP or the summer events in Australia?

I’d have to say the World Series. It’s all of that build-up and you’ve got six weeks of competing. Unfortunately by the time I get home I’m usually exhausted. As much as I love getting back home and playing, it’s not really the best time of year for me.”

And there are more tournaments every year now too.

“Well I’m being smart about it. I’m making sure I break my time up. October and November this year I’m going to do absolutely nothing. I’ll play in the APPT event in Auckland but that’s it, because I need the break to recharge and get away from poker, away from my laptop and away from my cell phone. It looks pretty from the outside and it is a great life but it’s also exhausting if you don’t pace yourself. It’s the travelling, the time zones, a strange bed, strange food as well as doing interviews, signing autographs. After all of that, you still need to sit at the poker table and perform.”

How have players in Australia and the region as a whole changed since your WSOP success in 2005?

“Well there was definitely a huge poker boom in Australia and NZ and now through Asia. In-fact, even being in Macau there are so many Australian players that have come here for the event. That just shows how poker is growing. There are still many, many amateurs who are still just finding their feet so poker is really undeveloped but there are players emerging who have talent. They’ve shown that they can go deep in tournaments. I think eventually – it may take a few years – I think the quality of play overall with improve to a world class level. At the moment it’s still rudimentary but that’s to be expected.”

When you went back to defend your WSOP main event crown in 2006 you said that a lot of players tried to put moves on you because you were the defending champion. Do you still find that?

“People are more scared of me now. The first year everybody wants to make a move on you, now that I’m established people don’t want to be involved with me unless they’ve got a good hand. Occasionally someone will try to pull a move but you can spot it a mile away. The majority of times if they bet at me, they’ve got it. It makes it pretty easy for me to stay out of trouble – unless I get stubborn and make a mistake.”

Does that make it harder for you to make moves on other people?

“It used to be that way but these days I actually get away with more than what I used to because people are scared now. My image on television is of the guy that has always got it when I’m betting. They don’t show my big bluffs because usually at that point in the tournament – at the final table – I’m not making big plays. I’m just trying to coordinate myself into the final two so that I can win. They don’t show what goes on earlier and you can’t go that deep without making a few moves. But I mean a few moves – it’s not every hand. That’s where people get locked into this mindset of ‘Oh I have to make a move – I have to show that I can play’. The best players in the world don’t do that, they just make moves every now and again.”