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“I was going to call you!”

The voice is distinctly Australian. Even the Americans who routinely confuse the Brits with the Aussies would have not trouble determining where Tony Hachem comes from.

He’s holding up an eight of clubs, one of two of his cards in the big blind. An American in middle position had raised. Hachem squeezes his cards intently and with every promised intention of protecting his forced 2,000 bet. Apparently whatever metric Hachem uses to measure blind defense has given him no-go.

“You had me beat,” says the raiser, but Hachem doesn’t believe it. His beard surrounds a wide smile. He could just as easily be playing in a home game if it weren’t for the Aussie-rules NASCAR get-up. On his shoulder is a Team PokerStars Pro Australia patch. On one breast is an Aussie Millions logo. On the other breast is a PokerStars.net logo. His hat is black on black with a Nike swoosh. He’s a walking billboard and one of Australia’s greatest poker ambassadors.

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There was a time six years ago when the only Hachem poker people outside of Australia knew was Joe. That’s changed in the last few years. Where older brother Joe put Australian poker on the map, Tony has kept it there.

Since 2006, Tony Hachem has racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in cashes, joined Team PokerStars Pro, and won the Australia-New Zealns Poker Tour Player of the Year Award twice in consecutive years. It seems as if every time somebody throws a poker tournament in Australia or New Zealand, Hachem is there and going deep.

Hachem has cashed in the Main Event once before. In 2007, he finished in 552nd place for a $20,000 min-cash. Now he’s made it to Day 3 and looking to once again do the Hachem name proud. Though he suffered a setback after getting his set cracked a bit ago, he still has more than 200,000 in chips. Moreover, he’s still smiling standing to hug Jeff Lisandro, and joking with his table.

While Hachem works here, the people back home in Australia are preparing for Melbourne’s first-ever APPT event on July 29. Time will tell how much WSOP money Hachem will be taking to the APPT, but rest assured, he’ll be there. The name Hachem still defines Aussie poker, but now it has two faces.

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TWEET OF THE HOUR
Barry Greenstein: If the wsop main event is like eating a banana split, then the bellagio cup 10k is like eating the wax display of one.

BUST OUT OF THE HOUR
Joe Cada, the Team PokerStars Pro and 2009 WSOP World Champion, is out.

NAME FACTS OF THE HOUR
At the start of play today there were:
9 players called Stephen
8 players called Brad or Bradley
4 players called Simon (plus Sam Simon)

THE HE’S HAVING FUN TWEET OF THE HOUR
Matthias de Meudler: “Spent the morning/afternoon at the pool. Now cash games at the Wynn. I like this routine:) “

MOST COMMONLY USED WORDS BY THOSE MAKING PHONE CALLS AT THE BREAK
“Flop comes”

“I raise”

“Some guy”

“Ten big blinds”

“I couldn’t get a read”

STATISTIC OF THE HOUR
Number of people queuing for the mens bathroom: Somewhere about 65

Number of men queuing for the mens bathroom that was formerly the ladies bathroom: 10

BAD TIMING OF THE HOUR
The security guard driving a battery powered cart, going against the flow of people streaming out of the Amazon Room.

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