A Family Affair for the Hachems at the 2026 Aussie Millions

Two’s company, three’s a crowd. But for the Hachems, it’s just a family reunion.

Three members of Australia’s most famous poker family made Day 3 of the 2026 Aussie Millions Main Event: 2005 WSOP Main Event champion Joe Hachem, his brother Tony, and Joe’s son James.

A Family Affair

While Joe’s other son Daniel, a 2024 WSOP runner-up, is out of the country, his other son Anthony is also in action at the 2026 Aussie Millions, with the Hachem presence at the Crown Melbourne a formidable one.

“It feels special to have us all here playing together”

“Daniel’s in Los Angeles at the moment,” Joe told PokerNews. “He missed the Aussie Millions, unfortunately. And Anthony’s now playing in the $2,500. It feels special to have us all here playing together.

“The whole plan for the Main Event was that if one Hachem doesn’t get you another Hachem will!”

For James, the pressure of the Main Event is amplified by his seating assignment; he is currently grinding at a table neighboring his father’s.
“He’s literally sitting right behind me,” James said. “I’m a little bit nervous because if I make a wrong decision, I know he’s going to come tap me on the shoulder.”

Nevertheless, it was the two of them who made the money, with Tony falling just short. James says that although he only plays tournament poker once every few years, so it’s “very, very cool” to get to play alongside his father and uncle.

“Ever since my dad won the WSOP, I think it’s been an amazing journey for him and he continues to show up for poker, and it’s pretty cool getting to play right next to him in the table beside him.”

Playing at the “Massive” 2026 Aussie Millions

Tony Hachem, a veteran of the felt in his own right, was quick to praise his brother’s enduring impact on the game. “There’s no better ambassador than my brother. I can’t brag about Joe enough,” Tony said.

“There’s no better ambassador than my brother.”

Beyond the family bond, Tony highlighted the explosive growth of the local circuit. As a key figure with the Australian Poker Tour (APT), which partnered with the Aussie Millions for the 2026 season, he has seen the community evolve firsthand.

“The tour’s been amazing and partnering with the Aussie Millions for 2026 was a no brainer for us. Since COVID, the poker scene in Australia has developed in a big way. Live tournament poker is huge these days,” Tony explained.

“The Australian poker community has got right behind the Aussie Millions. I mean, we love it — it’s massive. Congrats to everybody at Crown that got behind Harold and Daniel and their team.”

Based in the United Kingdom, Will started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. He now works as Managing Editor.

He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.