Michael Gathy

Michael Gathy was born in Brussels, Belgium, and now resides in St. Julian's, Malta. Before turning professional, he studied medicine but left medical school when his online poker earnings began to grow. He learned the game online after receiving a $50 starting bonus from a poker website, reading strategy articles to improve his skills. His early success in mixed cash games online convinced him to pursue poker full-time.

Gathy is one of the most successful Belgian players in World Series of Poker history, with four gold bracelets. He became the second Belgian ever to win a WSOP bracelet, following Davidi Kitai, when he took down Event 21: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em in 2012. That event drew 2,799 entrants, and Gathy earned $440,829 after defeating a final table that included former bracelet winners John Esposito and Eric Baldwin.

In 2013, Gathy won Event 34: $1,000 Turbo No-Limit Hold'em, marking the first time a WSOP bracelet was awarded for a turbo-format event. He defeated 1,629 entrants, including final-table opponents Jake Cody and Jason Duval, to collect $278,613. Notably, he wore the same green T-shirt he had worn during his first bracelet victory.

His third bracelet came in 2016 in Event 35: $5,000 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em. Gathy outlasted a field of 541 players to win $560,843, with fellow Belgian Thomas Boivin finishing one spot short of the final table in seventh place. That same year, Gathy also recorded two runner-up finishes at the WSOP.

Gathy secured his fourth bracelet in 2020 during the WSOP Online series, winning Event: $500 The Closer No-Limit Hold'em. The tournament attracted 4,012 entries and paid $272,504. This win made Gathy one of only two players (alongside Dominik Nitsche) to win four No-Limit Hold'em bracelets in the decade from 2011 to 2020.

Prior to his WSOP success, Gathy won the PokerStars Belgian Poker Series Grand Final in Namur in 2011, taking home €175,000. His largest live cash to date is $598,900, which he earned for a fourth-place finish in the 2021 PGT PokerGO Tour Championship.

In recent years, Gathy has continued to perform at a high level on the international circuit. In 2025, he finished second in a WPT World Championship 8-Max event for $166,944 and placed fourth in a Triton Poker Series high-roller event. He has also cashed in the Aussie Millions and other major tours.

Beyond live tournaments, Gathy is a prolific online player. He has won multiple Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) and World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) titles on PokerStars, further demonstrating his versatility across formats.

Gathy is known for a balanced and aggressive playing style, with particular strength in post-flop play. He effectively uses position to pressure opponents and reads their tendencies with precision. His ability to adapt to different formats and opponent types has made him a consistent threat in both live and online tournaments. In the poker community, he is regarded as a low-key, disciplined professional who avoids controversy and focuses on technical excellence.

With total live tournament earnings exceeding $6 million (according to The Hendon Mob), Gathy ranks fifth on Belgium's all-time money list. He is also ranked 366th on the all-time money list globally. His Somuchpoker Index (SPI) rank as of 2026 is 2,806 points, placing him 1,055th worldwide. Gathy's transition from a turbo-specialist in his early career to a seasoned high-roller competitor on the Triton and PokerGO tours underscores his adaptability and longevity in the game.