Poker Stars signs Joe Hachem...

[Talking Poker]

Contact:
Craig Sinel / Scott Womer
The Bohle Company
310.785.0515 Ext. 211/216
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2005 World Series of Poker Champion Joe Hachem Signs with PokerStars.com Affiliation Gives The World's Top Tournament Poker Site The Triple Crown of World Champions

Los Angeles, Calif, Nov. 1, 2005 - Joe Hachem, the 2005 World Series of

Poker champion, signed an agreement with PokerStars.com, the world's largest
tournament poker site. Hachem, who won the record $7.5 million top prize
at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas in July, will represent
PokerStars.com as a sponsored player and ambassador.

The signing of Hachem gives PokerStars.com a triple crown. Currently,
2003 WSOP champion Chris Moneymaker and 2004 WSOP champion Greg Raymer
both serve exclusively as PokerStars.com representatives. The addition
of Hachem means that PokerStars.com has locked up the last three world
poker champions. In addition, Tom McEvoy, 1983 WSOP Champion and renowned
poker author, is also a part of Team PokerStars.

Joseph Hachem, age 39, was born in Lebanon. He emigrated to Australia
as a child, and now lives in Melbourne with his wife and four children.
Hachem worked as a mortgage broker and chiropractor before taking poker
seriously, first as a hobby and then as a semi-professional. He has played
actively at PokerStars.com since 2001. In the past four years, Hachem
has entered hundreds of poker tournaments at PokerStars.com and has played
many thousands of hands.

While former champions Moneymaker and Raymer won their way into the WSOP
directly through PokerStars.com, Hachem's road to fame and fortune was
paved by a close friend. Hachem decided to attend the 2005 WSOP when a
fellow Australian won his seat at PokerStars.com. Hachem paid a $1,000
entry into his first event at this year's WSOP and walked away $28,000
richer with a 10th place finish overall. Hachem's wife then encouraged
him to enter the world's most prestigious poker tournament, the $10,000
No Limit Texas Hold'em at the Rio Hotel and Casino. Hachem blitzed through
an all-time record field of 5,618 players and won the largest prize in
poker history.

"Joining Team PokerStars is a natural decision for me," said Hachem at
a press conference held recently in New York City's Times Square district.
"PokerStars.com is the site where I really picked up on the intricacies
of tournament poker. The wide selection of tournaments and games is so
great that I become a skilled player within a relatively short time-frame.
The truth is -- I never would have even have come to the World Series
of Poker if my Aussie friend not qualified online at the site. PokerStars.com
is the gateway to making poker dreams come true and becoming a world champion."

Since Hachem's victory, he has become an international celebrity. Hachem
appeared as a guest on The Jay Leno show and has been featured in hundreds
of media outlets throughout the world. During his year-long reign as the
champion, Hachem plans to continue playing in major poker tournaments,
making public appearances, and sharing his unique personal story with journalists.
At least one thing will not change for Hachem, he says he will continue
playing and developing his skills at PokerStars.com.

"This entire experience has been a dream come true for me," said Hachem.
"To join Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer is a real honor. I hope that
my association with PokerStars.com will encourage others out there to pursue
their goals in life, whatever they might be. It sure worked out for me."


About PokerStars

is the world's most innovative online poker
site. PokerStars was the first site to introduce features that became industry
standard such as sophisticated multi-table tournaments, integrated game
statistics, players' notes, personalized images, time bank for tournaments
and big bet ring games, satellite tournaments, multi-table sit and go tournaments,
and much more.

To date, PokerStars has dealt over three billion hands and run more than
14 million poker tournaments, awarding well over $1 billion in prize money.
PokerStars is one of the world's largest poker rooms, with 3.5 million
registered player accounts. PokerStars' support team is truly unique,
as help and assistance is available around the clock from people who know
and understand the game of poker and the importance of impeccable customer
service.

The PokerStars.com site is also one of the most secure. PokerStars uses
industry-leading security software to ensure the integrity of the system,
including encryption, card shuffle randomness and preventative measures
against cheating and collusion. Money covering player's balances is held
in segregated accounts managed by the Royal Bank of Scotland, ensuring
that PokerStars can fulfill its obligations to players at all times.

PokerStars an official member of the World Poker Tour, and the title sponsor
of the European Poker Tour (EPT) and the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
During the last three years, PokerStars.com sent more players to the World
Series of Poker than any other source or website. A whopping 1,116 entrants
qualified to play this year via PokerStars satellites. PokerStars is
the site where the 2003 and 2004 World Series of Poker champions won entries
into the World Series of Poker. The reigning world poker champion Joe
Hachem, has also been an active player at PokerStars since 2001. He recently
joined Moneymaker and Raymer as official representatives of PokerStars.com,
thus fortifying the company trademark, "Where Poker Players Become World
Champions."

[BDMK]

funny thing is, since he had apparently played online on stars for a while anyway, he could have either qualified online for it or, at least, as it was apparent he was going deep into the tourney he could have asked stars for a shirt.

anywho, as we speak, stars is breaking 65k players a nite nitely. gaining on party strong...only a matter of months now.

[Talking Poker]

You must work for Stars.

No way would I ever "ask" them for a shirt. They'd be PAYING me to wear one... and quite honestly, I'd rather wear Full Tilt gear.

[eddo31]

i wouldnt really care what site i was pimping with clothing, hats, whatever.

but i agree completely. if i was deep in the tourney (say 27 left), i would have aggressively approached the reps for stars, party, full tilt, ub, etc. i would prefer to go to a big site, as there is a much better chance that you can follow up the short term deal with a long term one, but i woul dhave pimped myself to pretty much anyone if they gave me the right price to wear their gear at the final couple of tables, especially because they know that they will get a much better bang for their buck that late in the tourney.

how much do you think that you could have made at that point in the tourney, just for wearing a shirt or hat? i wouldnt be surprised if you could have made 5k or more.

[Talking Poker]

You need to be on the tv table to make any money for wearing gear. But yes, I've heard numbers of $5k and up... The people you see wearing Stars gear (for the most part) are people who qualified online. Part of the "Free lodging in Vegas" deal was that they had to wear Stars gear all week...

[BDMK]

agreed! and i heard a few rumors to that effect...so its not out of the realm of reality altogether...

also, i was following all the major sites' blogs during the series, and it always cracked me up, especially towards the last few tables, how few other sites (ahem, ahem) tried to claim some of the team stars ppl as their own, simply based on the fact that they might have played there at some point in the past.

just proves again the point of 'site representation' and how important/potentially lucrative it is late in the series...

[BDMK]

no way man, id never work for them! if i did i wouldnt be able to play there.

but seriously now, if i were in hachem's shoes, id have tried to eke out a few thou etc from stars as i was approaching the last few tables.

and most definitely the final table...

[Talking Poker]

I'm sure he's doing just fine with the deal he got... (not to mention the 7.5 million).

When they got to the "final few tables," they were already guaranteed 300k. For the final table, they were already millionairres. Why whore yourself out for a couple thousand at that point, unless it's at least for a site you believe in? Like this one.

[Tony Cheval]

I would wear a clown suit with TalkingPoker.com all over it if you paid me 4 figures.

[PShabi]

Oh come on!

I shit all over those Full Tilt hockey jerseys!!!!!! Can't stand those things!

[jillaj]

I find most of the Tilt gear I see pretty fugly and tacky. Would wear it in an instant if they paid me though.

[Talking Poker]

I like the football ones. But that's not what I meant... At the final table, they could only wear 3"x1" logos anyway. All I was saying is I'd be more proud to be associated with Full Tilt than the other sites. Who WASN'T wearing Stars gear? They sent 1100+ people last year. I'd rather be associated with the people wearing the Full Tilt gear (mostly pros).

[Reel Deal]

I'm a bit too old to be running around in one of those Full Tilt jerseys... but once I rack-up enough points I will grab one of those black Full Tilt polo shirts.

[lightfungus]

I am looking now at party lobby: 42939
stars lobby: 42406


Looks like its happening soon.

[ChipFish]

I would be willing to bet the timeline is much shorter than "months".

[JDMcNugent7]

thats ur inside info- stars is buying out party
right?

[PShabi]

It's more like Stars is starting a VIP program and are going to be rewarding higher volume players. The FFP points are supposed to be getting some real value. Not sure if that means points for cash, or tourney packages or what.

But, basically, that's what's up next.

I wouldn't exactly call it "insider information" because there are Poker Stars people posting about it on various boards,

P.S.

JD,

How the fuck would Stars buy out Party?

[JDMcNugent7]

lol well it was a little sarcastic, i didnt think that was seriously what was happening, but i thought it might be sumthin along those lines

[BDMK]

i was just trying to be nice.

i see stars breaking 65k nitely btw 9pm and midnite est...thats probly including the playmoney gang, but still.

i think theyre already no. 1.