The absence of the Aussie Hundreds of thousands during the last six years has been felt by the whole Australian poker group. Even Tony Hachem admits he harbored doubts it might ever return.
Nevertheless, in its absence, Australian poker has modified. It is modernized and professionalized. Whereas the group waited for the return of its crown jewel, new manufacturers and excursions emerged to fulfill a hungry taking part in public.
Chief amongst them is the Australian Poker Tour (APT), a challenge Hachem has helped remodel from native roots right into a nationwide powerhouse.
The Evolution of the Australian Poker Tour
“Poker’s large in Australia,” Hachem informed PokerNews. “Once I first bought concerned within the Australian Poker Tour, it was a glorified pub poker tour. We have now cemented our place as a premium tour, and our purpose is to offer gamers a premium expertise.”
“I feel most poker gamers, not simply Australian poker gamers, they’re going to play in a storage if the prize pool is correct!”
A key focus for the Tour is taking the poker out of casinos and into what Hachem calls a “sporting surroundings.”
“I feel most poker gamers, not simply Australian poker gamers, they’re going to play in a storage if the prize pool is correct. And that is a reality. For the time being, irrespective of how a lot I can bounce up and down and say it is a sport, when poker is performed out of a on line casino it is considered a sure approach.”
He continues, “It would not should be that approach. Poker has a lot essential considering. In poker you carry the identical talent set you do in life, sport, enterprise—no matter it’s, you carry it to the poker desk. It is that competitors.”
Redefining Poker as a “Sport of Minds”
By using a mannequin with no rake, the Hachem Administration Group has sought the approval of the Victoria Gaming Fee to permit tickets to be offered by means of a proper ticketing system, similar to attending a sports activities match.
“Should you’re taking part in participant vs participant, and never in opposition to the home or the home would not take a lower, for me that is a sport. It is a sport of minds. It has been deemed as that by the Worldwide Thoughts Sports activities Affiliation and the World Poker Federation. Meaning we are able to go to the federal government and say ‘Hey, that is how poker needs to be checked out.'”
Not taking a lower opens up the door to mainstream sponsors, in accordance with Hachem.
“I feel if we are able to reeducate the mindset of gamers, and if we get the backing of the federal government, we are able to change the panorama.
“We could say Mercedes-Benz places up $2 million. We bought 100 of the most effective gamers world wide competing in opposition to each other. The place’s the playing? It is not a foul factor to play event poker. We’ll work to make poker a good recreation that gamers can maintain their head up excessive. It is all a mindset.”
A World-Class Event Expertise
Hachem intends for the APT to supply a event expertise similar to every other main world tour.
“In Europe, you’ve got bought the European Poker Tour, and gamers journey particularly to play on that tour. And event gamers, they know they should journey to play in the most effective tournaments, probably the most well-run occasions. Australia’s no totally different; now we have gamers touring state to state as an alternative of nation to nation.
“Simply talking to various professionals world wide, they really need to come and play on the APT and a few need to companion with us.”
The Australian Poker Tour beforehand collaborated with 2025 WSOP Foremost Occasion Champion, and Aussie Hundreds of thousands ambassador, Michael Mizrachi.
“Mizrachi was a large ambassador of the APT previous to profitable the WSOP,” stated Hachem. “He is an excellent good friend. We truly named ‘The Grind’ occasion after him.”
They’re additionally seeking to collaborate with poker operators in every state. Hachem’s message is evident: “We need to be the tour that they companion with.”
From media presence to potential broadcast offers, Hachem nonetheless has formidable targets for the Tour.
“The Hachem Administration Group’s purpose has all the time been, we need to give again. In Victoria, we maintain a minor gaming allow to place these occasions on. We’re the one firm in Australia that does that.”
The Legacy of the Aussie Hundreds of thousands
The Aussie Hundreds of thousands stays an occasion near the Hachems’ hearts.
“I communicate on behalf of Joe, and all of the Australian poker group, once I say the Aussie Hundreds of thousands is near our hearts. By means of our collaboration with the Aussie Hundreds of thousands and Crown, we hope to develop it. We have performed an instrumental half, with our model and our attain as a nationwide tour, and we’ll proceed to play that half.”
The trajectory of stay poker in Australia is rising, however the return of the Aussie Hundreds of thousands might precipitate a pointy rise in 2027 and past.
“It is a bit just like the World Collection of Poker. You realize, after the Moneymaker Growth, got here Greg Raymer and Joe Hachem. I do know a whole lot of American gamers have been irritated they could not come out for the Aussie Hundreds of thousands this 12 months. Subsequent 12 months, I feel, numbers will enhance. However, look, there may be a whole lot of poker occurring for the time being. We’re specializing in rising organically.”
With the Aussie Hundreds of thousands wrapping up, Hachem’s focus is again on the Australian Poker Tour and increasing its efforts nationwide.
“We’re taking a look at including state ambassadors and nationwide ambassadors. As a result of poker in Australia is not restricted to Melbourne. We’re a tour, and we simply need to preserve transferring and rising the game of poker.”
Will Shillibier
Managing Editor
He graduated from the College of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He additionally holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports activities Journalism.
