Josh Norvock wins inaugural Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event
After putting on a dominant final table performance, Josh Norvock has come through for his third APT title, claiming victory in the first ever Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event for $34,860.
A quick glance at the Brisbane pro’s HendonMob will prove Norvock is no stranger to success – a whopping 16 of his 62 prior recorded results are first place finishes – with 2 previous APT titles including the Dracakis Players Championship, 3 APLPT titles, and a WPTL Spade to complete the mid-tier Triple Crown. Norvock also found re-re-repeat success in a 2021 Check Raise Poker series, winning three tournaments in three straight days, after taking out their Main Event the year before.
Norvock’s biggest single cashes were not on the top rung, however – a 4th place finish in the 2020 APL Million good for $69K, followed by a 3rd place finish in the Star Poker Summer Series for $30K – eclipsed now with this win.
Norvock’s US$317,269 in lifetime earnings is not from high stakes or high buy ins but from sheer consistency – a testament to discipline on the felt that perhaps often goes unnoticed, Norvock is 314th on Australia’s All Time Money List despite having never cashed in a tournament with a buy in above the $3,000 price point.
From all of us here at PMA, congratulations to Josh Norvock on a fine day at the office!
We’ll be back tomorrow morning to bring you action from Day 2 of the APT Main Event, from seat draw to Champion.
Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event – Results
| Place | Country | Player | Payout |
| Champion | Australia | Josh Norvock | $34,860 |
| 2nd | Australia | Mishel Anunu | $22,850 |
| 3rd | Australia | Lachlan Crilly | $15,250 |
| 4th | Australia | Sam Haddad | $10,900 |
| 5th | England | Jacque Ramsden | $8,700 |
| 6th | Australia | Didier Guerin | $6,650 |
| 7th | USA | Jordan Westmorland | $5,450 |
| 8th | Australia | Christos Andreadis | $4,350 |
A night night for Anunu
Just two orbits into heads up – yes, that is four hands – Mishel Anunu shoved his last 645,000 with A♦6♦ and received a snap call from Josh Norvock with the dominating A♥9♠.
“Let’s see if we can get a sweaty flop…” said the commentator.
Yeah… nope. J♠9♥9♦ leaving Anunu dead to a backdoor flush or a chop, then the K♥ confirmed the inaugural Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event Champion in Norvock.
Mishel won’t walk away empty handed, taking home a tad under $23K for his runner-up finish.
| Player | Chips |
| Mishel Anunu | BUSTED! |
C-rilly bad luck
Really bad luck for Lachlan Crilly as he picked up A♠10♠ three handed in the small blind.
The massive chip towers of Josh Norvock had already opened the action and would snap-call when Crilly jammed for 600,000.
Norvock wasn’t just opening any hand on the button – well, he probably was, but this time, he had A♦K♣.
Crilly made a consolation pair on the J♣4♠7♦Q♣10♣ board but the Broadway straight for Norvock took the Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event to heads up!
| Player | Chips |
| Josh Norvock | 7,535,000 |
| Mishel Anunu | 670,000 |
| Lachlan Crilly | BUSTED! |
Haddad off to dinner
Sam Haddad has had a couple of key doubles and chipped back up over 2million of late, before opening under-the-gun to 100,000 with A♣K♣.
Josh Norvock doesn’t fold much when he has a chip lead like this one and – looking down at 6♠6♦, definitely worth a flop – made the call.
The flop of 7♣6♣K♦ led commentators to exclaim “No! This is a fake hand!” and Norvock to check his set across to Haddad.
Haddad fired a continuation bet of 100,000 and to the surprise of none of the viewers, Norvock check-raised to 315,000. Haddad took the aggressive option with a raise to 1,075,000, leaving himself 1.4million behind. Wish we could have seen the faces of short stacks Lachlan Crilly and Mishel Anunu as the big stacks went at it.
Norvock took his time before calling, but snap-called Haddad’s jam on the 5♦ turn. Cue disbelief from both players when they saw each others holdings. Needing a club and nothing but a club, Haddad would see the 7♠ improve Norvock to a full house instead.
| Player | Chips |
| Josh Norvock | 6,860,000 |
| Lachlan Crilly | 690,000 |
| Mishel Anunu | 655,000 |
| Sam Haddad | BUSTED! |
Norvock skyrocketing
In another battle of the blinds – now 15,000/30,000 (30,000) – Mishel Anunu completed the small blind before Josh Norvock pumped it up from the big. Anunu, who had limped with J♦J♣, stepped on the gas, 3-betting back at Norvock to the tune of 190,000.
Norvock, holding A♥5♦, went for the big 4-bet, putting 505,000 worth of pressure on Anunu. A flat and it was off to the flop, where both players would check the 8♣A♦A♣ spread.
Anunu picked up a flush draw and would check again on the turn, but it was the 5♣ giving Norvock the check mark; and he slid out a bet of 500,000. Anunu gave it some thought before sliding in calling chips to see his flush complete as the 7♣ peeled off on the river.
Anunu checked again and with more chips in the pot than he had behind, Norvock jammed for 1.59million.
Anunu thought it over for several minutes, but eventually slammed in the call – which put 64% of the chips in play in Norvock’s stack, both Anunu and Sam Haddad now very short.
| Player | Chips |
| Josh Norvock | 5,280,000 |
| Lachlan Crilly | 2,297,000 |
| Sam Haddad | 390,000 |
| Mishel Anunu | 238,000 |
Rough for Ramsden
Action folded all the way around to Mishel Anunu in the small blind to create a blind-versus-blind battle with Jacques Ramsden.
With blinds still 10,000/20,000 (20,000) only a few hands after Guerin’s elimination, Anunu clicked it to 60,000 against the short stack of Ramsden with 10♣8♣. Ramsden had more than enough hand to defend though; looking down at Q♦Q♣, Ramsden played straight back at Anunu with a 3-bet to 180,000.
Anunu flat-called that 3-bet and then quickly checked the flop of 10♦4♣2♦. Ramsden slid out a bet of 150,000… and Anunu announced all-in, quickly called by Ramsden.
Looking good for a full double, Ramsden would feel the pain immediately as the 10♥ hit the turn before the 6♣ completed the board.
| Player | Chips |
| Mishel Anunu | 2,984,000 |
| Jacque Ramsden | BUSTED! |
Guerin gone
Lachlan Crilly opened the button, holding K♥K♦, before Didier Guerin looked down at 7♥7♣ in the small blind.
Guerin, now operating off a 34BB stack after having to fold to some pressure from Jacque Ramsden the hand prior, jammed for 677,000 to a snap-call from Crilly.
Guerin could not repeat the trick that he achieved earlier against Amin Riyazati when he flopped a set with an under pair to eliminate Riyazati on the bubble; the board this time spreading 10♣J♥6♥A♦8♠.
Crilly joins the stacks over 2million, both Mishel Anunu and Josh Norvock sitting at around 2.2million, whilst Ramsden and Sam Haddad sit under a million.
| Player | Chips |
| Lachlan Crilly | 2,015,000 |
| Didier Guerin | BUSTED! |
Westmorland exits
Josh Norvock actually opened the action under-the-gun on this hand with everyone’s favourite 6♣9♣;he would have to give those chips up very quickly.
Jordan Westmorland elected to jam his last 369,000 with A♦J♦ before the other short stack of Sam Haddad shoved behind for 513,000 with Q♠Q♦. Norvock spun his ‘happy meal’ holding into the muck to set up a short stack showdown.
The board of 9♦5♠6♠3♠10♣ was of absolutely no assistance for Westmorland, who will collect a $5,450 pay day for this seventh place finish – Westmorland also finished seventh in Wednesday’s TLPT Main Event for $36,000, in addition to a runner-up finish to Kahle Burns’ TLPT Opening Event win, that result worth $130,000 for Westmorland; he’s certainly had a successful series with one day to go.
| Player | Chips |
| Sam Haddad | 954,000 |
| Jordan Westmorland | BUSTED! |
Down to seven
Jordan Westmorland opened the action in middle position, raising to 26,000 with J♦9♦ and flat-called by Mishel Anunu with 9♠9♣.
Christos Andreadis then upped the ante with a 3-bet to 87,000 holding A♣K♥. Anunu was the only player to come along, and when the flop of 9♥2♣Q♦ spread out took a massive lead – choosing deception as he flat-called the continuation bet of 100,000 from Andreadis.
Andreadis continued the line, shoving all in for 433,000 on the 6♠ turn – of course snap-called by Anunu, who already had the check mark. The meaningless 10♣ completed the board.
| Player | Chips |
| Mishel Anunu | 2,274,000 |
| Christos Andreadis | BUSTED! |
Shootout survivors
The Final Table of the Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event has been reached, after all four shoot-out tables have come to a conclusion.
Leading the field will be Queensland’s Josh Norvock. The accomplished Norvock most recent result was an APLPT title; taking out the Mini High Roller at APLPT Adelaide in July for $12,090. The Triple Crown winner will be chasing his third APT title, having previously won the Dracakis Players Championship in 2021 and a $200 PLO side event last year.
Seated (L-R): Christos Andreadis, Lachlan Crilly, Mishel Anunu, Josh Norvock
Mishel Anunu built on his stack from last night to take just a few big blinds less than Norvock to the final table, and Queensland’s Lachlan Crilly took his time, but took a ‘victory’ in the last of the shootout tables still playing, third in chips with 1,399,000. Jacques Ramsden became the other player to move on from that last table, with Thomas Ward hitting the rail.
APT Ambassador Didier Guerin scored the massive – and somewhat fortunate – knock out of Amin Riyazati on the bubble to advance with the only other stack over 1million.
It does appear that a redraw has taken place; seating PokerMedia Australia was provided for earlier posts has been completely shuffled – so an apology to those affected, but without further ado…
Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event – Final Table
| Seat | Player | Chips |
| 1 | Mishel Anunu | 1,598,000 |
| 2 | Jacques Ramsden | 619,000 |
| 3 | Josh Norvock | 1,680,000 |
| 4 | Christos Andreadis | 632,000 |
| 5 | Lachlan Crilly | 1,399,000 |
| 6 | Didier Guerin | 1,226,000 |
| 7 | Jordan Westmorland | 559,000 |
| 8 | Sam Haddad | 497,000 |
Guerin and Haddad lock up cashes
APT Ambassador Didier Guerin has carved a path through the feature table, dodging bullets (literally, against Alan Wilson) and stacking up to bag the majority of the chips between himself and Sam Haddad after Amin Riyazati hit the rail on the bubble.
Riyazati opened three-handed with 9♥9♣ from the button and snapped it off when Guerin jammed 3♠3♦ from the big blind. Riyazati was looking pretty good for a full double… until the APT Ambassador flopped 3♥8♥8♣ to leave Riyazati needing help.
It wouldn’t arrive on the K♥, 6♦ run out, and the featured shoot-out table drew to a brutal end.
One table is left still in action, being fought out between Team New Zealand’s Thomas Ward and Team International’s Jacque Ramsden, whilst local Lachlan Crilly will be trying his best to prevent one of the two foreign pros from making the Final Table.
Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event – Final tablists so far
| Seat | Player | Chips |
| 1 | Didier Guerin | 1,226,000 |
| 2 | Sam Haddad | 497,000 |
| 4 | Jordan Westmorland | 559,000 |
| 5 | Mishel Anunu | 1,598,000 |
| 7 | Josh Norvock | 1,680,000 |
| 8 | Christos Andreadis | 632,000 |
Wilsoooon!
With the big blind now at 16K, Alan Wilson found A♦A♣ under-the-gun and pumped it up to 35,000. Didier Guerin made the call with K♦9♦ on the button before Sam Haddad completed from the blinds.
The flop of K♣J♠K♠ was probably not what Wilson had in mind, but he did fire a continuation bet of 40,000 after Haddad checked. Guerin flat-called – Haddad getting out of the way – to see the 6♣ peel off on the turn.
Wilson slowed down, check-calling a Guerin bet of 88,000 on that turn, before leading for a 183,000 jam on the Q♣ river.
Guerin snap-called. Down to 3 on the Feature Table – effectively the bubble in a shoot-out format.
| Player | Chips |
| Didier Guerin | 843,000 |
| Amin Riyazati | 571,000 |
| Sam Haddad | 309,000 |
| Alan Wilson | BUSTED! |
Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event – Payouts
| Place | Payout |
| Champion | $34,860 |
| 2nd | $22,850 |
| 3rd | $15,250 |
| 4th | $10,900 |
| 5th | $8,700 |
| 6th | $6,650 |
| 7th | $5,450 |
| 8th | $4,350 |
Half Final Table set
Mishel Anunu, who bagged up just one T1K chip less than the chip leader last night, has cemented his seat on the Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event Final table.
He will be joined by accomplished pro Jordan Westmorland, as the pair were the final two survivors in their table. Westmorland, who finished runner-up in The Lord Poker Tour Opening Event on Monday, an event which was won by Kahle Burns.
Martin Ward, who served as the ‘Icon player’ for Queensland in last Friday’s “State Of Origin” tournament, will not be progressing; Ward was eliminated on the bubble in his shootout table recently. Progressing from that table will be 2021 APT Dracakis Players Champion Josh Norvock and overnight chip leader Christos Andreadis.
It’s also worth noting that Norvock dominated his table to carry the biggest confirmed stack to the Final Table so far.
Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event – Final tablists so far
| Seat | Player | Chips |
| 4 | Jordan Westmorland | 559,000 |
| 5 | Mishel Anunu | 1,598,000 |
| 7 | Josh Norvock | 1,680,000 |
| 8 | Christos Andreadis | 632,000 |
No Hachem victory
None of the Hachem family will be claiming victory in the Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event. The titular 2005 World Champ was eliminated during yesterday’s session, and while brother Tony Hachem did make the shootout phase of the tournament, he had a lot of work to do with a short stack.
Jamming his last 66,000 under-the-gun with A♦4♥, blinds at 5,000/10,000 (10,000) at the time, Hachem was isolated by Alan Wilson, who 3-bet shoved from the cut-off with 6♥6♦.
Once everyone else folded, the Feature Table was reduced to 5 players as the board ran out 5♦Q♦J♠K♦4♣ to give Hachem nought but a consolation pair on the end – ever classy, fist bumps all round before Hachem departed.
| Player | Chips |
| Alan Wilson | 265,000 |
| Tony Hachem | BUSTED! |
Shoot To Thrill
The Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event returns to the action today for the next phase of it’s unusual format.
24 players remain from 82 entries, and the tournament will now split into four 6-Max tables. Once 2 players are left on each of the four tables, those 8 players will combine to create the Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event Final Table.
Kicking off the action on the APTLive stream, commentated by Australian Poker Schedule‘s Craig Abernethy and viewable on your choice of Twitch, YouTube, or the APTLive Facebook page, is the table including the short stack of APT CEO Tony Hachem, accompanied by both of the remaining APT Ambassadors in Didier Guerin and Jarrod Thatcher.
Hachem found himself coolered in a large pot which went the way of Mishel Anunu very late last night, details of which can be found in yesterday’s blog.
Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event – Feature Table lineup
| Seat | Player | Chips |
| 1 | Didier Guerin | 173,000 |
| 2 | Jarrod Thatcher | 555,000 |
| 3 | Amin Riyazati | 239,000 |
| 4 | Tony Hachem | 71,000 |
| 5 | Sam Haddad | 483,000 |
| 6 | Alan Wilson | 202,000 |
Joe Hachem Annual Feature Event – End of Day 1 chip counts
| Player | Chips |
| Christos Andreadis | 743,000 |
| Mishel Anunu | 742,000 |
| Thomas Ward | 735,000 |
| Jarrod Thatcher | 555,000 |
| Josh Norvock | 532,500 |
| Travis Endersby | 506,000 |
| Chris “Dipper” Zenonos | 498,000 |
| Sam Haddad | 483,000 |
| Martin Ward | 464,000 |
| Dexter Mcmillan | 365,000 |
| Lachlan Crilly | 294,500 |
| Amin Riyazati | 239,000 |
| Bede Connelly | 218,500 |
| Fred Chaptini | 208,000 |
| Jacque Ramsden | 202,500 |
| Alan Wilson | 202,000 |
| Matthew Wakeman | 201,000 |
| Jordan Westmorland | 193,000 |
| Luke Edwards | 181,000 |
| Didier Guerin | 173,000 |
| Nick Winsor | 153,000 |
| Andrew Batey | 143,000 |
| Sam Crowny | 102,500 |
| Tony Hachem | 71,000 |
Be the first to comment