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 courseinGuelph, Ontario.
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]
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]
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]
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.
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]
