Gavin Smith had a fun-loving personality and was always pleasant with the poker media. On Monday night, the Canadian poker pro passed away unexpectedly in his sleep. He was 50-years-old. The cause of death is currently unknown.
Many poker boom era fans remember Smith as a regular on televised poker shows such as “Poker After Dark.” He was also a Full Tilt Poker pro.
The loss of Gavin has certainly hit the poker community hard. Many fans and friends are mourning his passing on social media.
Poker Community Saddened
Gavin Smith left his mark on the poker world. Players from all across the globe have sent their condolences, including his friend Daniel Negreanu.
Gavin Smith was one of the more authentic human beings I’d ever met.
Rest In Peace my friend… pic.twitter.com/8sUlQhSxvS
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) January 15, 2019
Michael Mizrachi shared a memory of a final table he and Smith competed in back in 2006. In that event, the Gold Strike World Poker Open, “The Grinder” finished runner-up ($566,352) and eliminated Gavin in fourth place ($173,052).
I’m so Saddened by this devastating News about my Good Friend Gavin Smith. He was one of the first guys Ive met in poker. One of Greatest Memories Of Gavin And I was a WPT final table in… https://t.co/NuBvq1j7s0
— Michael Mizrachi – The Grinder (@TheGrinder44) January 15, 2019
Mike McDonald, like Smith, is an avid prop bettor and also a fellow Canadian. So, naturally, they got along great.
https://twitter.com/MikeMcDonald89/status/1085222887747919872
Smith left quite an impression on the poker world. When scouring through Twitter and Facebook posts regarding his passing, every comment appears to be positive towards the poker pro. Common words used to describe his character from the poker community include “entertaining,” “fun-loving,” and “genuine.”
WPT Tournament Director Matt Savage referred to Smith as “popular, gregarious, and generous,” and wrote that he “always went out of his way to be a friend.”
Vince Van Patten, the long-time WPT announcer, called Gavin, “one of the great personalities of poker.” Like so many others, he said Smith could “always make you laugh.”
One of the Best
Gavin Smith was more than just a fun-loving guy with a goofy, sarcastic personality. He was also one heck of a poker player.
He is one of the rare pros who earned both WPT and WSOP titles. In May 2005, he won the Mirage Poker Showdown for $1.13 million, the first of five World Poker Tour final table appearances. Five years later, he shipped his first and only WSOP bracelet ($2,500 Mixed Limit/No-Limit Hold’em for $268,238).
Smith finished his poker career with $6.3 million in cashes, good for 11th on Canada’s all-time list.
Away from the felt, Gavin had more important obligations. Last summer, he moved to Houston, Texas to raise his two sons. Due to this responsibility, he had to cut down on the poker. And he was completely okay with that because he considered his family more important.
“It’s difficult,” he told WPT.com in June. “I can’t travel around like I used to. You’ve got to pick and choose your events. You need to get a lot of support from other people to play.”
He will be missed dearly by his children and the poker community. Rest in peace, Gavin.
