Gavin Smith is a Canadian poker pro from Guelph, Ontario. At a young age, Gavin’s father taught him cribbage and rummy, which no doubt later facilitated his interest in poker. After earning a bachelor’s degree in economics, Smith got a job as a poker dealer, a position that would truly shape his future in the game. In 1998, after dealing for a year, and then running his own poker club for the year after that, Gavin Smith decided to take the plunge and play poker for a living.
In his initial stages as a pro, Gavin befriended fellow player Erick Lindgren, who helped him with both the strategic and financial aspects of the game. This friendship would later lead to the two men signing with Full Tilt Poker, where they’re both currently sponsored pros. After focusing on cash games for the first part of his career, Smith has since dedicated his game to tournament play after having success as early as 1999, winning events in No Limit Holde’m and Seven Card Stud in ’99 and 200 at the World Poker Finals hosted by Foxwoods Resort Casino. In 2005, Gavin Smith finally broke through, winning the WPT Mirage Poker Showdown for a cool $1.1 million, and finishing 3rd and 4th at two other WPT final tables. These accomplishments earned Smith World Poker Tour Player of the Year honors for Season 4.
In addition, Gavin Smith is credited with 14 WSOP cashes – his best finish is a 2nd in the 2007 $1500 Pot Limit Omaha – and a $500K win at the World Pro-Am Challenge event at the Poker Dome Challenge. In May 2006, Smith famously made a bet with Allie Prescott at the World Series of Poker circuit event, offering to pay her $70K for ten years if she won, on the condition that he’d get $100K for ten years from her should he win. Smith went on to finish 2nd for $294K, but the bet prompted a RawVegas.tv to hire himself and Joe Sebok to host a show called “Prop Bets.” On the show, the two pros go head-to-head in various ridiculous competitions, with the loser having to pay an equally crazy price, such as getting a tattoo, or wearing a bear suit to a live poker tournament.
Gavin Smith now resides in Las Vegas, but he still maintains his roots back in Canada, returning home a few times a year. And whether he’s playing poker, giving back to the community, or yakking it up on his show, Gavin is ever the gentleman, humanitarian and friend.
