More than 20 years have passed since the man from Down Under earned his place among poker's immortal few by winning the 2005 WSOP Main Event, yet memories of that electric night at Binion’s remain as vivid as ever.
Hachem's was a victory that helped define a golden era. Riding the shockwaves of the Chris Moneymaker-inspired Poker Boom, another charismatic, relatable world champion had emerged — the first, and still only, Australian to win the game's greatest prize.
If poker fans could borrow Doc Brown’s DeLorean for a night, there's no doubt July 16, 2005 would be a popular destination.
However, sweet as nostalgia can be, Hachem's focus is firmly on the road ahead. The Aussie Millions has finally returned after a 6-year hiatus, and Hachem— the Godfather of Australian poker — couldn’t be more excited for the grand homecoming.
Catching up with PokerNews, the former world champion reflected on two decades in the spotlight, his strong views on the 'poker owes me nothing' crowd, family, legacy, and a burning desire to 'pass the sugar' once again.
Calum GrantVincent Wan wins 2020 Aussie Millions Main Event
Vincent Wan won the 2020 Aussie Millions Main Event, defeating heads-up opponent Ngoc Tai Hoang to win A$1,318,000 after a marathon 414-hand day that spanned a total of 15 hours.
Known as "Wonky", Wan is well-known at Crown Casino in Melbourne for winning two six-figure Royal Flush Jackpots, but earned his first seven-figure score in what was by far the biggest cash of his career.
2020 Aussie Millions Main Event Final Table Results
Veteran poker executive Danny McDonagh will return to a familiar role in 2026 after being confirmed as tournament director for the relaunch of the Aussie Millions, stepping back into the series he helped build into a global poker powerhouse.
Widely regarded as one of the most experienced tournament directors in the Asia-Pacific region, McDonagh was a key figure in the early rise of the Aussie Millions. And as the festival prepares for its first full edition in more than six years, the Crown Melbourne Casino has leaned on a trusted hand to help guide the festival into its next era.
Danny McDonagh
McDonagh spoke exclusively to PokerNews, and told us about his fond memories of the early explosion in Main Event player numbers from 2004 to 2007.
"It went up from 133 to 263, then to 418 and to 747 — all down to the fact that local players had the chance to compete against the cream of professional poker players, all thanks to the three-phrase satellite program," said McDonagh. "The satellite program continues to be very popular today at Crown."
He also spoke of the spectators who were able to come and rail the action.
"It made the event a real buzz! Some are railing a close friend or relative, while others are coming specially to see some of the biggest names in poker in action. Local players were very welcoming of international players. This, combined with Melbourne city and the fabulous Crown complex, helped make the Aussie Millions a must-visit stop for so many players.
"Personally it's very exciting to be coming to my hometown Melbourne as Head TD for the Aussie Millions."
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The 2026 Aussie Millions Poker Championship officially returned to the felt inside the Crown Melbourne poker room on Thursday night, opening in style with an invite-only Celebrity Challenge for Charity.
The night concluded with a $25,000 donation to Street Side Medics, made via the Crown Resorts Foundation, marking a meaningful start to the first Aussie Millions festival held since 2020.
A field of 24 VIPs took their seats in a fast-paced hyper-turbo tournament, with trophies awaiting both the winner and runner-up. The lineup featured a mix of celebrities, elite poker professionals, media personalities, and Crown leadership.
(And yes, there may have been a few champagne corks flying along the way).
Aussie Millions Charity Poker Event
Among those spotted in the field were Andrew Bassat, Tom Hawkins, Jackson Warne, Martin Pakula, Agostino Giramondo, Dimitri Macarenhas, Campbell Brown, Eli Katoa, Glen Boss, Jason Richardson, and Van Marcus.
Australia’s poker royal family was also well represented, with Joe and Jeanie Hachem joined by Tony, James and Antonia Hachem, alongside Street Side Medics CEO Nic Brown, who later joined Crown executives David Tsai and Ed Domingo for the closing donation presentation.
Joe Hachem
For a moment, it looked like Joe — still Australia’s only WSOP Main Event champion — looked like he might've repeated his WSOP heroics.
The 2005 world champion built momentum quickly but bricked his open-ended straight draw, ultimately losing to the flush made by Antonia.
Antonia Hachem
With Joe sidelined, the responsibility of carrying the Hachem banner shifted to James and Antonia, both of whom navigated their way to the final table. Antonia’s run ended in one of the opening hands of the FT, while James pushed deeper into contention before eventually bowing out in fifth place.
That set the stage for a fitting finale between two figures well known in Australian sporting circles.
Bassat finds a double
Andrew Bassat, co-founder of recruitment giant Seek Limited and current president of St Kilda Football Club, squared off heads-up against Tom Hawkins, a Crown Ambassador and one of the most accomplished players in the history of the Geelong Football Club, where he spent his entire 17-year career becoming one of the sport’s most prolific scorers.
Hawkins held the early advantage going into heads-up play and appeared to be closing in on victory but a pair of timely double-ups flipped the momentum. The final hand saw Bassat’s ten-nine offsuit river a pair to overcome Hawkins’ king-four suited to bring proceedings to a close.
The first major tournament of the 2026 Aussie Millions Poker Championship is officially underway, with Day 1A of the $1M GTD $1,500 Opening Event now in progress at Crown Melbourne.
A total of 104 entries took their seats at the start of play, with that number expected to grow as late registration remains open until the start of Level 10.
Players begin with 40,000 chips and will play 15 levels of 40 minutes each, with breaks scheduled after every three levels. Survivors at the end of the day will bag their chips and return for Day 2 alongside qualifiers from the remaining starting flights later this weekend.
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