Gavin Smith (poker player)

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Gavin Smith
Gavin Smith at the 2007 World Series of Poker
Nickname(s)Birdguts, Caveman
ResidenceGuelph, Ontario
Born(1968-09-04)September 4, 1968
Guelph, Ontario, Canada[1]
DiedJanuary 14, 2019(2019-01-14) (aged 50)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
World Series of Poker
Bracelet(s)1
Final table(s)2
Money finish(es)18
Highest ITM
Main Event finish		52nd, 2004
World Poker Tour
Title(s)1
Final table(s)4
Money finish(es)10
Information accurate as of 27 June 2010.

Gavin Smith (September 4, 1968 – January 14, 2019) was 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, won the $2,500 Mixed Hold 'em event along with his first bracelet.[2][3]

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. Smith became a poker dealer in 1996 and set up his own poker club in 1998 in Kitchener, Ontario. Before that, he worked as a taxicab driver and on a golf course in Guelph, Ontario.

Poker career[edit]

Smith first came to note by winning tournaments in no limit Texas hold 'em and seven card stud in the 1999 and 2000 World Poker Finals at Foxwoods.[4][5]

World Poker Tour[edit]

In May 2005, he won the first prize of $1,128,278 in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Mirage Poker Showdown in Las Vegas, defeating Ted Forrest in the final heads-up confrontation.[6] In October 2005 he made the WPT final table again in the 2nd Annual Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship, where he finished third, behind Minh Ly and Dan Harrington.[7] He made a third WPT final table in January 2006, finishing fourth.[8] The three WPT final tables earned him the World Poker Tour Player of the Year award for Season 4.[9]

World Series of Poker[edit]

Smith first cashed in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in 2003 and would later cash in the $10,000 no limit hold'em main event in 2004, finishing 52nd.[10][11] He went on to cash in 2005 also (471st), as well as in 2007 (592nd).[12][13]

Smith boasted several other high finishes, including a runner-up finish in 2007 ($1,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em for $155,645).[14] The experience Smith gained in mixed-games when he started playing also served him well, as he had several high finishes in H.O.R.S.E. tournaments.[3]

Smith earned his first World Series of Poker 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 first-place finish.[15]

World Series of Poker bracelets[edit]

Year Tournament Prize (US$)
2010 $2,500 Mixed Hold'em (Limit/No-Limit) $268,238

World Series of Poker Circuit events[edit]

In May 2006, Smith finished runner-up in the World Series of Poker circuit event at Harrah's New Orleans, winning $293,930.[16]

Other poker related activities[edit]

Smith won the Big August Rec.Gambling Excursion (BARGE) Main Event in 2004, besting a field of 249 poker enthusiasts, in Las Vegas, Nevada.[17]

In July 2006, Smith won the World Pro-Am Challenge event at the Poker Dome Challenge, taking home the $500,000 first prize.[18]

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.[19]

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.[20]

Smith's lifetime live tournament winnings exceeded $6,321,000.[21] His 47 cashes as the WSOP accounted for $1,673,208 of those winnings.[22]

Prop bets[edit]

Smith co-starred with Joe Sebok on a show called "Prop Bets" on the Internet-TV site RawVegas.tv, mainly due to the above-mentioned prop bet at the 2006 World Series of Poker.

Smith won a bet with Sebok on who would win the most Card Player magazine points at the 2006 World Series of Poker. As a consequence, Sebok had to wear a bear outfit on Day 1B, among other funny-looking outfits, including Wonder Woman.

Smith had 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 Sebok.

Death[edit]

Smith died on January 14, 2019, at his home in Houston, Texas, at the age of 50.[23] He died in his sleep.[24]

As a tribute, the Gavin Smith Memorial Poker Tournament was held at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, as the first event of the 2019 World Series of Poker.[25]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Carty, Matt (January 16, 2019). "Guelph poker player Gavin Smith found dead in Texas". Global News. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  2. ^ Pempus, Brian (June 27, 2010). "World Series of Poker -- Gavin Smith Wins Event No. 44 ($2,500 Mixed Hold'em)". CardPlayer.com. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Gavin Smith's profile on The Hendon Mob". The Hendon Mob Poker Database. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  4. ^ "1999 World Poker Finals, No Limit Hold'em". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  5. ^ "2000 World Poker Finals, 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  6. ^ "2005 Mirage Poker Showdown, WPT No Limit Hold'em Championship". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  7. ^ "Bellagio Festa Al Lago IV, 2nd Annual Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship - No Limit Hold'em". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  8. ^ "2006 Gold Strike World Poker Open, Championship Event - No Limit Hold'em". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  9. ^ Feldman, Andrew (May 11, 2006). "Smith named WPT Player of the Year". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  10. ^ "34th World Series of Poker - WSOP 2003, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Split". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  11. ^ "35th World Series of Poker - WSOP 2004, World Championship Event". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  12. ^ "36th World Series of Poker - WSOP 2005, No Limit Texas Hold'em - World Championship Event". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  13. ^ "38th World Series of Poker - WSOP 2007, World Championship No Limit Hold'em". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  14. ^ "38th World Series of Poker - WSOP 2007, Pot Limit Hold'em". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  15. ^ "41st World Series of Poker - WSOP 2010, Limit/No Limit Hold'em". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  16. ^ "WSOP Circuit - WSOPC New Orleans, Championship Event - No Limit Hold'em". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  17. ^ "BARGE 2004, No Limit Hold'em". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  18. ^ "World Pro-Am Challenge, No Limit Hold'em". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  19. ^ PokerRoad Radio Podcast (July 12, 2010), Gavin Smith Farewell Episode; "Poker Road Radio - Gavin's Farewell Episode with guest Paul McGuire - PokerRoad". Archived from the original on July 15, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  20. ^ "Poker After Dark (PAD) Season III, Week 2 - 19th Hole". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  21. ^ "Gavin Smith's profile on The Hendon Mob". The Hendon Mob Poker Database. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  22. ^ "Gavin Smith". WSOP.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  23. ^ Holloway, Chad (January 15, 2019). "Poker Pro Gavin Smith Unexpectedly Passes Away at Age 50". PokerNews.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  24. ^ "Poker Champion Gavin Smith Dead At Age 50". CardPlayer.com. January 15, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  25. ^ Jadavji, Aleeyah (May 30, 2019). "Poker Community Comes Together for Gavin Smith's Children". PokerNews.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.

External links[edit]

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