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.

[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.

[8] The three WPT final tables earned him the World Poker Tour Player of the Year award for Season 4.

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

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

[18] From April 2006 until October 2006, Gavin was one of the hosts of The Circuit radio show sponsored by Card Player magazine.

Smith won a bet with Sebok on who would win the most Card Player magazine points at the 2006 World Series of Poker.