Gavin Cochrane, better known to the online poker community as “gavz101”, is considered one of the best cash game poker players of 2011. That’s saying a lot considering he was only 23 years old at the time. A graduate of neuroscience, Cochrane is a PLO specialist who hails from Welwyn, UK. He spends the majority of his time playing online poker at PokerStars; that is, when he’s not seated at the high stakes tables at the Rio in Las Vegas.
The online poker community first took notice of the moniker “gavz101” in May of 2011 when he accomplished an extraordinary feat. The young Englishman was playing simultaneous PLO events in the Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) hosted by PokerStars. Not only did he make the final table at the $500 PLO event, cashing out at nearly $20,000, he outlasted the entire field in the $5k 6-max PLO event for a staggering $170,000 profit.
Gavin spent the last three years honing his skills at the Pot Limit Omaha tables, both in Vegas and online. Cochrane went the smart route, starting at the lowest of limits and slowly working his way up to the nosebleed stakes he is now famous for. Although “gavz101” didn’t appear to have a fruitful year at Full Tilt Poker, having lost just over $600,000 between January and May of 2011, his success at PokerStars has been phenomenal, netting $1.9 million on the year; a total of $1.3 million in winnings overall.
Cochrane’s proudest moment in an online cash game occurred on March 11, 2011 at a 6-max $25/$50 PLO table, where “gavz101” walked away with his largest single-hand cash of $122,394. This transpired just 6 minutes after Gavin had scooped a pot worth $113,398. These hands are, to date, the only recorded 6-digit pots awarded to the rising English poker phenom in an online setting.
Gavin Cochrane does have some successful experience with live tournament poker as well. On January 6, 2010, before becoming and internet poker sensation, Gavin participated in season 6 of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, where a 16th place finish in the PLO Freezout event earned him $1,165.
In June of the same year, Cochrane made his way back to Vegas for the 41st annual World Series of Poker where he cashed in Event #33, a mixed Pot Limit Hold’em and Omaha event. The young Englishman made it to the final table, finishing in 8th position for $26,906.
Gavin continued to see sporadic success at major live poker events with a 53rd place finish in the Aussie Millions NL Hold’em Main Event in January of 2011, pocketing $21,033, followed by another WSOP cash in June of 2011. In a preliminary NL Hold’em Event, Cochrane scraped up another $18,863 for a 40th place finish.
Although his live tournament winnings only add up to $67,967, don’t let that fool you. Gavin’s consistent victories in high stakes online poker cash games, particularly at PokerStars, have resulted in the exponential growth of a substantial, 7-digit bankroll. To achieve such impeccable skills so early on in his career, Gavin “gavz101” Cochrane is one professional poker player you don’t want to take your eyes off of in the coming future.