Gavin Smith

Gavin Smith was born on September 4, 1968, in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. He learned card games by playing cribbage and rummy with his father. Smith began playing poker at age 26, playing mixed games with co-workers. Prior to his poker career, he worked as a taxicab driver and on a golf course. In 1996, he became a poker dealer, and in 1998 he opened his own poker club in Kitchener, Ontario.

Smith first gained prominence by winning no-limit hold'em and seven-card stud tournaments at the 1999 and 2000 World Poker Finals at Foxwoods. His major breakthrough came on the World Poker Tour (WPT). In May 2005, he won the WPT Mirage Poker Showdown in Las Vegas, defeating Ted Forrest heads-up to earn $1,128,278. Later that year, in October 2005, he made another WPT final table at the 2nd Annual Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship, finishing third for $327,610. He added a fourth-place finish in January 2006. These three final tables earned him the WPT Season IV Player of the Year award.

Smith first cashed in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in 2003. In 2004, he finished 52nd in the $10,000 Main Event for his first major WSOP cash. He went on to cash in the Main Event again in 2005 (471st) and 2007 (592nd). His best WSOP finish before winning a bracelet came in 2007 when he was runner-up in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold'em event for $155,645. Smith's mixed-game experience paid off with several high finishes in H.O.R.S.E. tournaments. At the 2010 WSOP, he won his first bracelet in the $2,500 Mixed Hold'em (Limit/No-Limit) event, defeating Danny Hannawa heads-up and earning $268,238. Overall, Smith recorded 47 WSOP cashes totaling $1,673,208.

Smith won the Big August Rec.Gambling Excursion (BARGE) Main Event in 2004, besting a field of 249 players in Las Vegas. In July 2006, he claimed the World Pro-Am Challenge at the Poker Dome Challenge, taking home $500,000. He also finished runner-up in a WSOP Circuit event at Harrah's New Orleans in May 2006 for $293,930. Another notable result was a second-place finish in the 2008 C$10,000 North American Poker Championship in Niagara Falls for $542,129. His top five career cashes also include his WPT win and the Doyle Brunson third-place finish, giving him 17 six-figure cashes in total.

Smith was a regular on poker television shows, including Poker After Dark, High Stakes Poker, and Poker Night in America. He won Poker After Dark's Season 3 Week 2 "19th Hole" episode, defeating Phil Ivey heads-up. He also appeared on ESPN's WSOP broadcasts. Smith was known for his humorous and outgoing personality, frequently engaging in prop bets. One famous bet with Phil Laak challenged Smith to stuff 15 marshmallows in his mouth within 150 seconds, which he accomplished. He co-starred with Joe Sebok on the web series "Prop Bets" on RawVegas.tv. Smith also co-hosted PokerRoad Radio with Sebok and Joe Stapleton from 2007 until July 2010.

Smith was known as one of poker's most recognizable and beloved figures, with a reputation for being outspoken and entertaining at the table. He played aggressively and was comfortable in mixed games, a skill honed from his early days. His nickname "Birdguts" came from his online poker alias on Full Tilt Poker, where he was a sponsored pro. He also went by "Caveman." Smith's love of prop bets and his willingness to take on challenges made him a fan favorite.

Gavin Smith died on January 14, 2019, in Houston, Texas, due to a heart attack. He was 50 years old. His death shocked the poker community. In June 2019, just before the WSOP, the Rio Las Vegas hosted the Gavin Smith Memorial Tournament, attracting many top players to honor his memory. His lifetime live tournament winnings exceed $6,321,096, placing him among the all-time greats of the poker boom era. Smith's legacy as a talented player, entertaining personality, and beloved character endures in the poker world.