WSOP Gold -- Gavin Smith Overcomes Adversity to Win First BraceletCanadian Pro Speaks Candidly About His Life |
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Moments after he won event no. 44 to finally secure his first WSOP bracelet, Gavin Smith couldn’t help but get caught up in the emotion of the moment. After he was handed a microphone, Smith praised his heads-up opponent, thanked his friends and supporters, and tried to hold back the tears.
It was a touching scene for one of the most popular pros in the game.
Just days before his win, Smith sat down with Card Player to discuss the demons he was battling, and how he was determined to get his life in order so that he could finally win his first bracelet.
Desperately Seeking Bracelet No. 1
Coming into this summer, Smith boasted tournament winnings totaling more than $4.5 million. He was even named the World Poker Tour’s Player of the Year in Season 4 (’05-’06) for his impressive results. However, he had never won that one crucial piece of hardware, earning him the unfortunate distinction of being “one of the best never to win a bracelet.”
While some pros who are without a bracelet downplay its significance, Smith made no secret of his desire to win a WSOP event even before he reached the final table.
“It’s important to win a bracelet just to prove people wrong, you know?” said Smith. “I’m not in what I consider to be the elite group yet.”
To help him maintain his focus, Smith has gone the path of several poker pros before him, turning to mindset coach Sam Chauhan for assistance. He admits that he hasn’t completely bought into all of his methods — “I’m not into the meditation,” he makes clear — but credits Chauhan for helping him stay positive.
As for Smith’s poker-related goals, his response is similar to that of most pros — “I want to win a bracelet. I want to win the main event.”
Less than a week later, he would achieve that first goal.
After Smith defeated Danny Hannawa heads-up to win the $2,500 mixed hold’em event, WSOP Media Director awarded the Full Tilt pro his first career bracelet and couldn’t help but comment on the spectacle that had surrounded the final table.
“Look at this place. Look at this, standing room only,” said Dalla. “This is really remarkable to see the love…that they have for you. To share this moment with you, to see how emotional you are and how much this means to you… sir, it is a great pleasure, it is a great honor to give you gold bracelet no. 1.”
Staying Focused Enough to Win
On the surface, Smith appears as easy-going as they come. He’s jovial, with a happy-go-lucky attitude and a reputation for partying, drinking, and prop betting.
But deep down, Smith battles his demons.
“I think I have the illusion of being a very happy person, but on the inside, I’ve got my own personal struggles,” said the Canadian pro.
Always a social drinker, Smith made the decision to cut back on his habit after he realized just how unhealthy he had let his life become.
“I’ve made a few changes in my life. I’m trying to drink quite a bit less than I have in the past and settle down a bit,” said Smith. “I don’t know, I’m trying to be a little bit more professional about things, I guess.”
If you ran into Smith during a random night last year, chances are he was intoxicated.
“Someone asked me how much I drank, and I was thinking about it and when I kind of calculated it, I thought holy sh—. I think I probably drank 20 or more drinks 340 days of 2009,” said Smith. “It was just too much. I needed to scale it back.”
So he dropped drinking entirely, at least for a little while.
“I quit entirely in March. I’m not completely on the wagon now, but I still haven’t been drunk since March 4. The most I’ve had in a day since then is like four drinks,” Smith said earlier in June.
Smith says part of the reason he got so entrenched in that kind of lifestyle was because of his roots.
“I’m from Canada. In Canada, we drink a lot. It’s our pastime,” said Smith. “I’ve been like this since I was 18 or 19 years old.”
Smith also said the poker lifestyle has been difficult on his relationships. He acknowledged that a happier person makes for a better poker player, but said it was still possible and important to put your other issues aside to focus on the game and the task at hand.
“If you get into a spot where everything in life is great, then you play better poker. And if you get into a spot in life where everything is terrible, then you play awful poker,” said Smith. “Of course, you never get everything great and you never get everything terrible, but you’ve got to reach a happy medium.”
The Best and the Worst of the Poker Lifestyle
“The best thing is the freedom,” said Smith, when asked what he considered the greatest part of the poker lifestyle to be. “You get to live a life of excesses. It’s fun. It’s fun to stay in nice hotels, and fly first class, and drive nice cars, and always have 10 thousand dollars in your pocket.”
But he says all of the traveling involved contributes to some of the worst aspects of being a poker pro.
“As far as the downsides to it, it’s very, very hard on relationships. You’re away so much, and there are always trust issues and whatnot,” said Smith. “It’s very difficult for women to accept the lifestyle, especially for someone like me, a partier on the road drinking.”
While he’s trying to take care of his body by drinking less, he’s also trying to take care of his bankroll a little bit better than he has in the past. When asked what he has learned over the years about bankroll management, Smith responded with a smile: “Apparently, I haven’t learned very much.”
He acknowledges that he has it easier than a normal poker pro who must entirely depend on his winnings to pay the bills.
“As far as a bankroll goes, I don’t stake myself in tournaments. I’m a little bit sheltered from the ups and downs of a normal professional. I have some endorsements and whatnot, so I’m going to be able to eat every day regardless of whether I win or lose,” said Smith.
Looking Toward the Future
This November, Smith will become a father for the first time. It’s a reality that both scares and excites the likable poker pro.
“It’s going to be cool, but you always worry about whether you’re going to be able to provide for it,” said Smith.
In terms of the future, Smith is focused on self-improvement.
“I’m just trying my best to be happy and to be a good person,” said Smith. “I think I’ve got some work to do on being a happier person.”
As for poker, Smith will continue to play with a smile on his face. If you were wondering if the Full Tilt pro might play a few less tournaments now that he finally got the monkey off his back and won his first bracelet, he made his future intentions clear in the moments after he won his event, yelling out, “Sign me up for tomorrow.”
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