Gavin Smith - Poker Player Profile
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.
Related Poker News:
- Gavin Smith - World Poker Tour Player Of The Year
- Catching up With WPT Player of the Year Gavin Smith
- WSOP Updates – Spotlight Series - Farewell to Good Guy Gavin Smith
- Gavin Smith on Life Outside of Guelph
- WSOP Updates - Spotlight Series - 1,001 Gavin Smith Stories
- Phil Hellmuth 2010 WSOP Entrance and Interview
- World Poker Tour LA Poker Classic Day 1: Gavin Smith Wins
- WSOP Updates – Spotlight Series – A Day With Gavin Smith
- Whiskey Company Lets Lucky Winner Face Off with Canadian Poker Pro Gavin Smith
- Gavin Smith Named World Poker Tour Player of the Year
- Gavin Smith Video Interview with Bernard Lee
- Gavin ‘Birdguts’ Smith wins Mansion Poker Challenge
Useful poker information:
- TAPPED [OUT] - Out of money. Can refer to a player running out of money in the course of a hand, thus still active for the main pot; or can refer to a player who has lost his bankroll and can no longer play.
- FILL - To draw a card that makes a five-card hand (straight, flush, full house, straight flush).
- BET - To put money into the pot, pursuant to the rules of the game, thus maintaining a chance of winning the pot.
- SPLIT [OPENERS] - In draw poker, to discard one or more openers, usually to draw to a straight or flush. Normally requires the opener to declare the act and retain the discards so that the act of opening can later be validated.
- TIGHT - [1] A style of play that entails playing fewer hands than average. Antonym: LOOSE. [2] A FULL HOUSE.
- DRAW - [1] A class of poker games characterized by players being dealt 5 cards face-down and later having the opportunity to replace some of the original 5. "Draw poker" and "Five-card draw" are examples of usage. [2] In stud and Hold'em games, the set of cards that will be dealt later can be collectively called "the draw". [3] To discard some number of cards and have dealt an equal number of replacements.

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