Gavin Smith
Encyclopedia
Gavin Smith is a Canadian
professional poker
player who won the World Poker Tour
's Season IV Mirage Poker Showdown Championship event and the WPT Season IV Player of the Year award in 2005, then at the 2010 World Series of Poker
he won the $2,500 Mixed Hold'em event along with his first bracelet.
Smith learned how to play cards by playing cribbage
and rummy
with his father. He started playing poker at the age of 26, playing mixed games with co-workers. He became a poker dealer
in 1996 and set up his own poker club in 1998. He has also worked as a taxi
driver and on a golf course
.
Texas hold 'em
and seven card stud
in the 1999 and 2000 World Poker Finals at Foxwoods Resort Casino
.
(WPT) Mirage Poker Showdown in Las Vegas
, defeating Ted Forrest
in the final heads-up confrontation. In October 2005 he made the WPT final table again in the 2nd Annual Doyle Brunson
North American Poker Championship, where he finished 3rd, behind Minh Ly
and Dan Harrington
. He made a third WPT final table in January 2006, finishing 4th. The three WPT final tables earned him the World Poker Tour Player of the Year award for season 4.
(WSOP) in 2003 and would later make the money in the $10,000 no limit hold'em main event in 2004, finishing 52nd. He went on to cash in 2005 also (471st) as well as in 2007 (592nd).
Smith boasts several other high finishes including a runner-up finish in 2007 ($1,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em for $155,645). The experience Smith gained in mixed-games when he started playing has also served him well as he has several high finishes in H.O.R.S.E. tournaments.
Smith earned his first WSOP bracelet in the $2,500 Mixed Hold'em (Limit/No Limit) event at the 2010 World Series of Poker
, defeating Danny Hannawa heads-up, and earning $268,238 for his 1st place finish.
at Harrah's New Orleans
, winning $293,930. Smith had made a bet with Allie Prescott on who would win. If Smith won, Prescott would give him $70,000 per year for 10 years; if Prescott won, Smith would give him $100,000 per year for 10 years. Peter Feldman
went on to win the tournament.
Main Event in 2004, besting a strong field of 249 poker enthusiasts, in Las Vegas, NV.
In July 2006, Smith won the World Pro-Am Challenge event at the Poker Dome Challenge
, taking home the $500,000 first prize.
From April 2006 until October 2006, Gavin was one of the hosts of The Circuit radio show sponsored by Card Player Magazine. Beginning in 2007, Smith and Joe Sebok
co-hosted PokerRoad Radio with Joe Stapleton. Smith's final episode as a co-host on PokerRoad Radio was July 12, 2010.
He won Poker After Dark
´s Season 3 Week 2 "19th Hole" defeating Phil Ivey
in heads up play. It was his first time on the show.
Smith plays online poker
on several sites and has played under the alias birdguts as well as his own name on Full Tilt Poker
where he plays as one of their Full Tilt Pros.
Smith is good friends with Erick Lindgren
who helped bankroll him early in his career.
As of 2010, his total live tournament winnings exceed $5,375,000. His 17 cashes as the WSOP account for $874,278 of those winnings.
-TV site RawVegas.tv
, mainly thanks to the above-mentioned prop bet at the 2006 WSOP.
Smith won a bet with Joe Sebok on who would win the most Card Player Magazine points at the 2006 WSOP. As a consequence, Sebok had to wear a bear outfit on Day 1B, among other funny looking outfits including Wonder Woman
.
Smith has a tattoo on his upper right shoulder of a four leaf clover and the initials J.S. He had to get the tattoo after losing a prop bet to Joe Sebok.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player who won the World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
's Season IV Mirage Poker Showdown Championship event and the WPT Season IV Player of the Year award in 2005, then at the 2010 World Series of Poker
2010 World Series of Poker
The 2010 World Series of Poker was the 41st annual World Series of Poker , held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and ran from May 28 to July 17. There were 57 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Championship that began on July 5...
he won the $2,500 Mixed Hold'em event along with his first bracelet.
Smith learned how to play cards by playing cribbage
Cribbage
Cribbage, or crib, is a card game traditionally for two players, but commonly played with three, four or more, that involves playing and grouping cards in combinations which gain points...
and rummy
Rummy
Rummy is a group of card games notable for gameplay based on the matching of similar playing cards. The Mexican game of Conquian is considered by David Parlett to be ancestral to all rummy games, which itself is derived from a Chinese game called Khanhoo and, going even further back,...
with his father. He started playing poker at the age of 26, playing mixed games with co-workers. He became a poker dealer
Poker dealer
A poker dealer distributes cards to players and manages the action at a poker table.-Professional dealers:Any casino with a poker room must hire a staff of dealers. Casinos generally pay dealers minimum wage. However, a dealer's primary source of income is not salary, but tips from players*...
in 1996 and set up his own poker club in 1998. He has also worked as a taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
driver and on a golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
.
Poker
Smith first came to note by winning tournaments in no limitBetting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
Texas hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
and seven card stud
Seven-card stud
Seven-card stud is a variant of stud poker. Until the recent increase in popularity of Texas hold 'em, seven-card stud was the most popular poker variant in home games across the United States, and in casinos in the eastern part of the country. Two to eight players is common, though eight may...
in the 1999 and 2000 World Poker Finals at Foxwoods Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino is a hotel-casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States. Together with the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, it is one of the largest casino complexes in the world in terms of floor space for gaming. The entire resort comprises of space. The casino has over 380 gaming tables...
.
World Poker Tour
In May 2005 he won the first prize of $1,128,278 in the World Poker TourWorld Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
(WPT) Mirage Poker Showdown in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, defeating Ted Forrest
Ted Forrest
Ted Forrest is an American professional poker player, currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada.- Tournament Wins:...
in the final heads-up confrontation. In October 2005 he made the WPT final table again in the 2nd Annual Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson
Doyle F. Brunson is an American professional poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.Brunson is the first player to...
North American Poker Championship, where he finished 3rd, behind Minh Ly
Minh Ly
Minh Hoang Ly is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player based in Temple City, California. He is a regular in "The Big Game" and is married to Lu Binh....
and Dan Harrington
Dan Harrington
Dan Harrington is a professional poker player, best known for winning the main event world championship at the 1995 World Series of Poker. He has earned one World Poker Tour title, two WSOP bracelets, and over six million dollars in tournament cashes in his poker career...
. He made a third WPT final table in January 2006, finishing 4th. The three WPT final tables earned him the World Poker Tour Player of the Year award for season 4.
World Series of Poker
He first cashed in the World Series of PokerWorld Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
(WSOP) in 2003 and would later make the money in the $10,000 no limit hold'em main event in 2004, finishing 52nd. He went on to cash in 2005 also (471st) as well as in 2007 (592nd).
Smith boasts several other high finishes including a runner-up finish in 2007 ($1,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em for $155,645). The experience Smith gained in mixed-games when he started playing has also served him well as he has several high finishes in H.O.R.S.E. tournaments.
Smith earned his first WSOP bracelet in the $2,500 Mixed Hold'em (Limit/No Limit) event at the 2010 World Series of Poker
2010 World Series of Poker
The 2010 World Series of Poker was the 41st annual World Series of Poker , held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and ran from May 28 to July 17. There were 57 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Championship that began on July 5...
, defeating Danny Hannawa heads-up, and earning $268,238 for his 1st place finish.
World Series of Poker Bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 2010 World Series of Poker The 2010 World Series of Poker was the 41st annual World Series of Poker , held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and ran from May 28 to July 17. There were 57 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Championship that began on July 5... |
$2,500 Mixed Hold'em (Limit/No-Limit) | $268,238 |
World Series of Poker Circuit events
In May 2006, Smith finished 2nd in the World Series of Poker circuit eventWorld Series of Poker circuit events
The World Series of Poker Circuit is a series of poker tournaments held annually at a variety of casinos since 2005 as a build-up to the World Series of Poker ....
at Harrah's New Orleans
Harrah's New Orleans
Harrah's New Orleans is a casino located in New Orleans, Louisiana near the foot of Canal Street a block away from the Mississippi River. It is a casino with approximately 2,100 slot machines, over 90 table games and a poker room. There are several places to eat ranging from buffet style to fine...
, winning $293,930. Smith had made a bet with Allie Prescott on who would win. If Smith won, Prescott would give him $70,000 per year for 10 years; if Prescott won, Smith would give him $100,000 per year for 10 years. Peter Feldman
Peter Feldman
Peter Feldman is a professional poker player from Harper Woods, MichiganFeldmans's first major success in poker came in a 2006 World Series of Poker circuit event, where he won the tournament $532,950. Since then, Feldman has cashed in some World Poker Tour events and in the 2006 and 2007 World...
went on to win the tournament.
Other poker related activities
He won the Big August Rec.Gambling Excursion (BARGE)Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
Main Event in 2004, besting a strong field of 249 poker enthusiasts, in Las Vegas, NV.
In July 2006, Smith won the World Pro-Am Challenge event at the Poker Dome Challenge
Poker Dome Challenge
The MANSIONPoker.net Poker Dome Challenge was a 43-week series of speed poker tournaments offering a grand prize of $1,000,000 USD. The tournament aired in the United States on Fox Sports Network from May 2006 to March 2007. The tournament featured a number of technological gimmicks in an effort to...
, taking home the $500,000 first prize.
From April 2006 until October 2006, Gavin was one of the hosts of The Circuit radio show sponsored by Card Player Magazine. Beginning in 2007, Smith and Joe Sebok
Joe Sebok
Joe Sebok is a professional poker player from San Francisco, California. His stepfather, Barry Greenstein, is also a professional poker player. He is known as "The Cub" because he calls Greenstein "Bear." Beginning professional play in 2005, as of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed...
co-hosted PokerRoad Radio with Joe Stapleton. Smith's final episode as a co-host on PokerRoad Radio was July 12, 2010.
He won Poker After Dark
Poker After Dark
Poker After Dark was an hour-long poker television program on NBC. The show made its debut on January 1, 2007, and was cancelled as another victim of the "Black Friday" criminal case due to the show's sponsorship by Full Tilt Poker, one of that case's defendants. on September 23, 2011 For its first...
´s Season 3 Week 2 "19th Hole" defeating Phil Ivey
Phil Ivey
Phillip Dennis "Phil" Ivey Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title and appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables...
in heads up play. It was his first time on the show.
Smith plays online poker
Online poker
Online poker is the game of poker played over the Internet. It has been partly responsible for a dramatic increase in the number of poker players worldwide...
on several sites and has played under the alias birdguts as well as his own name on Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker is an online poker card room that opened in June 2004 with the involvement of poker professionals Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Jennifer Harman and Chris Ferguson...
where he plays as one of their Full Tilt Pros.
Smith is good friends with Erick Lindgren
Erick Lindgren
Erick A. Lindgren is an American professional poker player. He has won two World Poker Tour titles, one World Series of Poker bracelet, and more than seven million dollars in tournament earnings during his poker career.-Poker career:He won his first major tournament at the Bellagio in 2002 and...
who helped bankroll him early in his career.
As of 2010, his total live tournament winnings exceed $5,375,000. His 17 cashes as the WSOP account for $874,278 of those winnings.
Prop bets
Smith co-stars with Joe Sebok on a show called "Prop Bets" on the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
-TV site RawVegas.tv
RawVegas.tv
RawVegas.tv was first launched on January 19, 2007 and is the first venture for Raw Networks LLC, a Las Vegas-based Internet television studio that creates and produces short form video content exclusively for the Internet...
, mainly thanks to the above-mentioned prop bet at the 2006 WSOP.
Smith won a bet with Joe Sebok on who would win the most Card Player Magazine points at the 2006 WSOP. As a consequence, Sebok had to wear a bear outfit on Day 1B, among other funny looking outfits including Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
.
Smith has a tattoo on his upper right shoulder of a four leaf clover and the initials J.S. He had to get the tattoo after losing a prop bet to Joe Sebok.