Dan Smith biography
Dan Smith was born on February 23, 1989, in New Jersey and grew up as a nationally competitive chess player, earning a college scholarship for the game before shifting his focus to online poker at age 18. He rose to prominence in 2012 with one of the most dominant seasons of the era, winning three separate EPT High Roller titles at Monte Carlo within a five-day span and capturing the Global Poker Index Player of the Year award.
For years afterward Smith carried the reputation of being "the best player in the world without a WSOP bracelet," a label he finally shed in 2022 by winning the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship.
Beyond the felt, Smith has become one of poker's most prominent philanthropists, founding the Double Up Drive, an annual campaign that pairs poker players' personal donations with matching funds from wealthy backers to support causes including global health, hunger relief, and disaster response, raising many millions of dollars since its inception.
He now competes primarily in the world's largest buy-in tournaments and represents Australia in some tournament fields while remaining a fixture of the American high-stakes scene.
Career summary
A former competitive chess player turned elite high-stakes tournament professional with over $64 million in live earnings, a 2022 WSOP bracelet, eight EPT titles, and a parallel legacy as the founder of poker's largest annual charitable giving campaign, the Double Up Drive.
Dan Smith poker winnings
| Year | Event | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | WSOP $25,000 Heads-Up Championshipfirst WSOP bracelet | 1st | |
| 2019 | Triton Million for Charity (London) | 3rd | $8,765,628 |
Verified live tournament earnings: $64,197,682 from 275 cashes, plus 1 WSOP bracelet.
2012 - Three separate EPT €5,000 High Roller titles at Monte Carlo within five days
2012 - GPI Player of the Year
8 EPT titles and 1 WPT title across his career
Dan Smith playing style
An analytical, game-theory-optimal player renowned for mathematical precision, wide mixed-game competence, and a calm, methodical approach to exploiting opponents across No-Limit Hold'em and mixed formats.
Cash games
Plays high-stakes cash games selectively, favoring televised and app-streamed mixed-game and No-Limit Hold'em sessions over a regular cash-game grind.
Business & sponsorships
Founder of the "Double Up Drive," an annual charitable giving initiative within the poker community that has raised millions of dollars for causes such as global health and hunger relief.
Dan Smith Net Worth
As of November 2026, Dan Smith net worth estimates range from $45 million to $55 million.
Verified live tournament earnings account for $64.2M of prize money across 275 cashes. Sponsorships, business ventures and cash games, covered above, make up the rest of the picture. Tournament prize money is not the same as profit: buy-ins, staking deals and taxes are not deducted, so all net worth figures are estimates based on public reporting.
Why Dan matters
A former competitive chess player who redirected his analytical mind toward poker at 18 and became known equally for his game-theory-optimal precision and for organizing the industry's largest annual charity fundraising drive.
FAQ about Dan Smith
What is the Double Up Drive that Dan Smith founded?
It is an annual charitable fundraising campaign within the poker community where players' personal donations are matched by wealthy backers, raising millions of dollars for causes such as global health and hunger relief since Smith started it.
Why was Dan Smith once called "the best player without a bracelet"?
Despite years of dominant high-roller results and multiple EPT titles dating back to his breakout 2012 season, Smith did not win his first WSOP bracelet until 2022, when he claimed the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship.
How much has Dan Smith won playing poker?
Dan Smith has won $64,197,682 in live tournament earnings. Total cashes: 275.