Daniel Hachem is poised to follow in his father's footsteps and win the WSOP Main Event title.

Daniel Hachem, son of 2005 WSOP Main Event champion Joe Hachem, has advanced to Day 5 of the 2026 WSOP Main Event, aiming to become the first father-son duo in history to win the Main Event.

Get ready to hear the cheers of "Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!" again during the WSOP Main Event. But this time, the star isn't Joe Hachem.

The 2005 champion is now witnessing his son, Daniel Hachem, embark on a similar journey to his own 21 years ago. Daniel Hachem is one of two former Main Event champion sons still battling it out on Day 5. The other is Todd Brunson—son of Poker Hall of Famer and 1976 and 1977 champion Doyle Brunson—who has also reached this stage.

This isn't the first time young Hachem has made a deep run in a tournament where his father once won $5 million. Daniel made it to day six in 2019, finishing 79th out of 8,569 players. He also earned the minimum prize in 2022 and finished 179th in 2024. Hachem has done almost everything except reach the final table—but that could change in a few weeks.

The second Hachem WSOP Main Event champion?

Joe Hachem was one of three former champions to make it into Day 3 of the 2026 WSOP Main Event, playing with at least one of his sons—a tie with Phil Hellmuth and Michael Mizrachi. He didn't make it into Day 5 with his sons, but finished in 803rd place after being eliminated on Day 4, earning a $22,500 prize.

Never before in history has a father-son duo both won the WSOP Main Event. But if Daniel Hachem continues accumulating chips at his current pace, it will be the first time. PokerNews located this Main Event title contender during the fifth day break.

"I think people are really protecting their chips in this tournament. I think you can take advantage of that by playing aggressively," Hachem said when asked about his impressive record in the Main Event—he has won money four times and topped the list with a 79th place finish in 2019.

"I found it wasn't easy, but in this particular tournament, I was able to accumulate chips early on, which has become a regular occurrence for me. I just think people were playing too tight in this tournament, especially early on, and I thought there were a lot of chips I could win."

"It would be incredible to say that my father and I are the first father-son duo to win this event."

Speaking about the significance of following in his father's footsteps, Hachem added: "It means everything to me. Like you said, I've made it to the depth a few times, but not deep enough. To win this tournament, to be able to say that my father and I are the first father-son duo to win this event, that would be incredible."

Finally, if Daniel continues with the in-depth tour, will we see another bustling Australian family and friends group? Absolutely. "100%. I've already told a few friends that if I make it into the final 27, I'll fly them over. My family is already here. There's already a small Australian group here, so if I go for the in-depth tour, it's going to be quite a spectacle."

With approximately 300 players remaining on Day 5, Hachem boasts around 2.7 million chips and aims to make his deepest run to date in the Main Event. Follow the Australian player and the entire tournament with live coverage from PokerNews.

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