WATCH: Joe Hachem Folds Kings Preflop At World Poker Tour ChampionshipWSOP Main Event Champion And WPT Winner Saves Himself On Money Bubble |
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After surviving from a record-field of 3,835 in the World Poker Tour Championship at Wynn Las Vegas, Joe Hachem found himself in an unenviable cooler situation on the money bubble with 481 players left.
Only 480 would make the money, earning a min-cash worth at least $18,700, and the 57-year-old Hachem was sitting relatively healthy with a chip count of nearly 34 big blinds.
The 2005 WSOP main event champion and 2006 WPT Five Diamond winner was at the featured table and looked down at pocket kings. Ben Bianco raised in front of him from under-the-gun, and Hachem three-bet, putting in a quarter of his stack.
The action folded back around to Bianco, who opted to move all in, having Hachem well covered.
Watch the hand below, courtesy of WPT.
Wow @JosephHachem, just wow. pic.twitter.com/b4g5Txg7Ot— World Poker Tour (@WPT) December 17, 2023
While most of us would have snap-called, Hachem had his suspicions. As he was deliberating, an announcement was made by tournament staff that hand-for-hand play was about to begin on the money bubble, adding more pressure to the decision.
Incredibly, Hachem managed to muck while only burning one time-extension, saying, “This is the sickest fold, but I know you just got it.”
Bianco then offered to show if Hachem did as well, and both players turned over their cards.
“You are a sick man!” exclaimed Bianco, who couldn’t believe that Hachem got away.
The fold quickly made the rounds on social media with numerous players giving Hachem props for the soul read, while some said it was the wrong decision in the longrun, even if he happened to be right in this instance.
High-stakes poker pro Rayan ‘Beriuzy’ Chamas was even forced to jump into his pool fully clothed after originally stating that there was no way Hachem would fold his kings.
I confidently said ill jump fully clothed into a freezing pool (6c) if Joe Hachem folds Kings here.
I swear he must have heard & wanted me to suffer
Wtf is this? https://t.co/XLJla7uCpM pic.twitter.com/JhGRaWTNot— Beriuzy (@beriuzy) December 17, 2023
Hachem has always taken pride in his ability to make big laydowns, and even credited that ability with his run to the 2004 WSOP main event title. It hasn’t always worked out, however, including at the 2008 WPT Championship, in a hand documented by Daniel Negreanu.
This time, however, his spidey-senses tingled at just the right moment, allowing him to sneak into the money. Hachem even made a few payjumps, ultimately busting in 223rd place for $25,500.
Later in the day he was asked by WPT reporters about the hand.
“It all came down to table dynamics,” Hachem said. “Sometimes you just know. I actually knew as soon as he raised.”
Earlier this year, Hachem finished runner-up in a WPT Prime event and this summer, he made a deep run in the WSOP main event. The Australian Poker Hall of Famer now has $12.5 million in career tournament earnings.
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