Johan's Technicolored Dream-Shirt
What's in a shirt? Well, if you ask a select group of poker players railing the 2018 Aussie Millions final table, a special shirt can make all the difference when it comes to taking down a poker tournament.
A garish rainbowed garment adorns the shoulders of Belgian Johan Schumacher. Meet 'The Final Table Shirt.' You may remember it from such final tables as Thomas Boivin winning the A$1,150 Six-Max and Terry Schumacher [pictured] winning the A$2,500 Shot Clock Six-Max at last year's Aussie Millions.
Or, perhaps you remember it from a bigger stage - Australian Heidi May winning the 2017 WSOP Ladies Championship. May was also wearing the shirt yesterday evening at the $2,500 Shot Clock Six-Max Final Table, finishing fourth for A$41,405
We caught up with Michael Gathy on the rail of the final table to ask him a few questions about the shirt. Firstly, why Heidi May (an Australian) is wearing what had until then been a Belgian final tablist's shirt?
"She was staying at our house in Vegas," said Gathy. "We initially bought it when Kenny [Hallaert] made the WSOP final table [in 2016]. A lot of people don't know this, but there are actually two shirts."
Is that so that, if they travel separately, a shirt is always at hand should one of their group make a final table.
"We never travel separately! This one [points to Schumacher at the final table] is a lot more comfortable.
"It's probably been washed twice in a year; Heidi's girlfriend made us wash it," said Gathy with a smile, before shrugging. "Girls!"
And does not washing the shirt, which has seen three people win major titles in the space of a year, help those who put it on?
"It's probably an edge if people can smell you from far away!" said Gathy, "But [Johan's] got all he needs...and good coaches!"
