Joe Hachem Thinks Poker Will Get Bigger in Australia
- Filed under: APPT, High Stakes News, Joe Hachem, Online poker, Poker, Uncategorized
- Date: Dec 10,2009
In his article in The Sydney Morning Herald Joe Hachem reminds us that in just 23 years ago there was no poker being played in casinos in Australia. It is hard to imagine that poker, which is so prevalent game in Australian casinos nowadays, hit the floors in 1987.
The WSOP and WPT bracelet winner thinks that the popularity of poker has not yet reached the level of popularity that the sport has achieved in America, but the popularity and number of competitors are growing in Australia.
Joe Hachem is the godfather of the Australian poker scene.
As a professional poker player, the PokerStars pro is happy that the popularity of his profession is growing. He is satisfied about the growth of popularity so far, as the standard of the events available in Australia has continued to improve and tournaments also attracts more international talent.
Hachem thinks the key element to the growth of poker in Australia has been the internet and online poker, which he thinks is “a great way to learn, polish your game, and even compete in some serious tournaments”.
For Hachem, tournaments are the best format of poker. Today there is plenty of big tournaments for Australians to choose from. There is annual Aussie Millions in January and PokerStars sponsored Asia Pasific Poker Tour, the biggest poker tour in the region. Hachem thinks at the present a professional player could play a full season of events only in Australia without travelling to international tournaments “and boast an impressive record of events”.
Even though Hachem is pleased with the way things are now, he hopes that the wins of Australians Grant Levy and Martin Rowe in APPT in past years will produce more local talent. He believes that with more great local wins, more people will support poker and the popularity of poker will continue to rise in Australia.
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