Joe Hachem Headlines Final Table of $2,500 Victorian Champs Main Event
As the $2,000 Joe Hachem Monster Stack event was playing down to a winner, the 2005 WSOP Main Event champion was busy chasing a different title at the 2026 Victorian Poker Championship. Joe Hachem (2,735,000) is among the final table contenders returning to battle for the $2,500 Victorian Champs Main Event title today, as nine players remain to battle for the trophy when action resumes at 2:00 p.m. local time.
It's busy a busy series at Crown Melbourne, which wraps up today with four events playing down to a winner. The Main Event saw 715 entries create a prize pool of AUD 1,573,000, with the top prize of AUD 350,000 awaiting tonight's champion.
Two players return with almost 40 percent of the chips in their bags, as Hun Wei Lee (9,955,000) and Bobby Zhang (8,455,000) see their stacks towering above the rest of the field. Zhang secured the final knockout of Day 3 to set the final nine, while Lee was busy at the other table adding to his chip lead. The pair will now be sitting side by side, surrounded by shorter stacks and notable opponents.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jyrki Hilakari | Australia | 1,435,000 | 12 |
| 2 | Bobby Zhang | Australia | 8,455,000 | 70 |
| 3 | Hun Wei Lee | Australia | 9,955,000 | 83 |
| 4 | Ben Richardson | Australia | 4,545,000 | 38 |
| 5 | Michael Tomeny | United States | 4,010,000 | 33 |
| 6 | Nektarios Dimitrakis | Australia | 4,130,000 | 34 |
| 7 | Joe Hachem | Australia | 2,735,000 | 23 |
| 8 | Zac Miravet | Australia | 2,430,000 | 20 |
| 9 | Higor Seibel | Brazil | 5,125,000 | 43 |
Sitting in third place is Brazil's Higor Seibel (5,125,000), who held the lead to begin Day 3 and remained among the top stacks all the way to the final table. Seibel is followed by Ben Richardson (4,545,000) and Nektarios Dimitrakis (4,130,000), who round out the top five stacks entering the last day of action.
Michael Tomeny (4,010,000) sits closely behind in sixth, with Hachem holding 23 big blinds when cards go back in the air.
Zac Miravet (2,430,000) is next on the leadboard, while Jyrki Hilakari (1,435,000) returns to his seat as the short stack with 12 big blinds.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $350,000 |
| 2 | $210,000 |
| 3 | $135,000 |
| 4 | $90,000 |
| 5 | $72,500 |
| 6 | $58,000 |
| 7 | $47,500 |
| 8 | $38,000 |
| 9 | $30,500 |
Action resumes with 20 minutes left in Level 28, as blinds remain at 60,000/120,000 along with a 120,000 big blind ante. Players will continue to navigate 60-minute levels and will receive breaks after every two hours.
Players will also receive three additional time bank cards to begin the final day, worth 30 seconds each as time clocks remain in play.
The final table can be seen on the Crown Resorts YouTube channel, with action airing on a 30-minute delay. Live reporting will also follow this delay to remain in line with the stream.
All of the contenders have locked up at least AUD 30,500 for their efforts thus far, with six-figure prizes awaiting for the top three spots.
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The final table is set, and the PokerNews team will have full coverage of the final day at Crown Melbourne so don't miss a minute of the Main Event action.