Gavin Griffin grew up in a small suburban town just outside of Chicago, Illinois, where much of his youth was consumed by the game of baseball. He played from the age of five and throughout high school, and though he loved the game, he knew that the likelihood of playing professionally was slim, so he turned down baseball scholarships. Instead, he chose to attend Texas Christian University to major in speech pathology. During that time, poker became a bigger part of his life through private games with friends and a stint as a dealer during a college break.

Cash games were Griffin’s forte, though he did play some online poker to hone his skills. When some friends traveled to the World Series of Poker in 2004 and raved about the experience, he decided to check it out for himself. He drove to Las Vegas from Texas and decided to use his bankroll to play in a few WSOP events. In the second one he ever played, he emerged victorious – not only with a WSOP bracelet and more than $270,000, but as a record-holder for the youngest player to ever win a bracelet. That was the beginning of a life on the tournament circuit, where he amassed tournament cashes all over the country. Though there was a bit of a lull after the WSOP win, he began to do well online. In early 2007, he won a prize package online that took him all the way to Monte Carlo to play in the European Poker Tour Grand Final, a trip that would change his life.

Gavin won the EPT main event for over $2.4 million and put his name in the headlines of every poker media outlet. He was back in the winner’s circle in a major way, and though he did take some time after that Monte Carlo victory to relax and enjoy life a bit, he soon heard murmurs around the poker industry that if he won a World Poker Tour event, he would be the first to hold the yet unclaimed Triple Crown – WSOP, EPT, and WPT victories. He played several WPT events and it was in January of 2008 that he would accomplish what no other player had yet been able to do. He won a World Poker Tour event – the 2008 Borgata Poker Classic – and claimed the Triple Crown. What is next for Gavin is unknown, but the young player, only in his mid-20’s, has proven that the sky is the limit.