Known as one of the most aggressive players on the tournament circuit, Canadian pro Gavin Smith learned to play cards as a youngster; his father taught him cribbage and rummy at the kitchen table in his childhood home in Guelph, Ontario. His introduction to poker came years later, in 1994, when a traveling charity tournament was hosted at the golf course Gavin was working at.

Having earned a bachelors degree in economics, Gavin has a keen understanding of mathematics and is a natural poker player. Intrigued, he began playing home games with friends and co-workers and in 1996 took a job as a poker dealer, a position he held for nearly two years. During that time, Gavin opened and ran his own poker club in Kitchener, Ontario for about one year before going pro in 1998.

That year, Gavin headed to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. to compete in the World Poker Tour (WPT) World Poker Finals, where he made two final tables. In 1999, Gavin returned to Foxwoods and won his first major tournament, the No-Limit Hold'em event at the WPT World Poker Finals. The next year he won the Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Eight-or-Better tournament at the same annual series.

In his first years as a pro, Gavin became acquainted with fellow up-and-comer Erick Lindgren, who helped bankroll him and also coached him in strategic and analytical play. Since then, both players have signed on as representatives of Full Tilt Poker and have risen to prominence in the world of poker. They remain close friends.

In 2000, Gavin placed fourth in the Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Split tournament at the United States Poker Championship in Atlantic City, N.J., and in 2003 he placed second to "Miami" John Cernuto in the WPT World Poker Finals at Foxwoods, earning $33,630 - his largest tournament win at that time - and beating out poker pro Kenna James, who took third.

In the years since, Smith has shifted his focus from cash games to tournament play, and the results speak for themselves. He has placed in the top ten in 14 different events, four of which were first-place finishes. His most prominent wins include first place in the Mirage Poker Showdown Championship in 2004, third place in the Second Annual Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship in 2005, and first place in the World Pro-Am Challenge in 2006.

In the spring of 2006, Gavin's talent was recognized when he was named WPT Season IV Player of the Year, and the exposure his wins and skills garnered him have led to other poker-related opportunities, including a spokesperson position with Black Velvet Canadian Whiskey and a deal to film an instructional poker DVD with producers Vegas Maximum.

In spite of his lucrative sponsorship deals and skyrocketing poker career, Gavin remains grounded by returning to his roots and giving back to those less fortunate. In April 2006, Gavin spearheaded a charitable campaign in the poker community to help raise funds for the young daughter and surviving family of a woman who passed away from terminal cancer in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Led by Gavin, several top pros, including Scott Fischman, Phil Gordon, Joseph Hachem, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Isabelle Mercier, Michael Mizrachi, Daniel Negreanu, and Mark Seif donated money and autographed merchandise and photographs to be sold in a silent auction on eBay to benefit young Peyton Novoa and her grandparents, who had spent all their money trying to keep Peyton's young mother alive. To bring further attention to the cause, Gavin discussed the charity initiative on ESPN and brought it to the attention of the poker media, including PokerListings.com, where articles were published to help generate funds and awareness.

Though this kind of empathy and compassion are wonderful traits, they are not the most desirable when sitting at the green felt. Smith, however, has no trouble putting them aside when playing poker, and is instead known for his talkative nature and "crazy" antics at the table, which, combined with his instinctual style of play, give him an edge over his opponents.

When he's not scaling the ranks of the poker world, cutting sponsorship deals or leading charitable initiatives, Gavin likes to relax by playing golf, rollerblading and playing pool with his friends. A resident of Las Vegas, he spends much of his time traveling the poker circuit building on his skill, increasing his exposure and generally laying the groundwork for a fulfilling and successful future as a pro player among the world's best.

You can catch Gavin regularly on RawVegas.tv in his new show Prop Bets, with fellow poker pro Joe Sebok. The two go heads-up every week in a series of stunts or competitions; among those completed already are a chinese water torture showdown, an eating contest, and a "who can last longer in a tournament" bet, with the loser having the winner's initials tattooed on the backside.