Saturday, July 16, 2005

Australian poker player Joseph Hachem outlasted nearly 6,000 other players and a final table that lasted until nearly 7:00 AM local time to win the 36th World Series of Poker main event title. Hachem won a top prize of US$7.5 million.

On the sixth hand of heads-up play against American Steve Dannenman, Hachem made a seven-high straight on the flop, which held up until the river to give him the win. Dannenman took home US$4.25 million for the second place finish.

Hachem became the first non-American player to win the main event since Spaniard Carlos Mortensen won the title in 2001. He is also the first since Mortensen to win without qualifying through an Internet poker portal.

Notable finishers include Irish professional Andrew Black in fifth place, American professional Mike Matusow in ninth, American professional Phil Ivey in 20th, and 2004 champion Greg Raymer in 25th.