T. J. Cloutier
Encyclopedia
Thomas James "T.J." Cloutier (born October 13, 1939) is a professional poker
player from Richardson
, Texas
. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame
in 2006.
, California
, and attended the University of California, Berkeley
on an athletic scholarship
for American football
and baseball
and played in the Rose Bowl in 1959. However, he later dropped out because of family financial hardship.
Cloutier was drafted into the United States Army
. After the Army, he played football in the Canadian Football League
for Toronto
and Montreal
, but an injury cut his career short.
Cloutier then started a food company, but it was not successful, so following the end of his first marriage, he moved to Texas
to work on oil rig
s. On his off days he began to play poker, and quit his job after realizing that he was winning more money playing poker than working. He started playing poker when he was a caddy at a golf course and played poker after the rounds.
In addition to poker, Cloutier is well known for his high stakes craps sessions.
, especially no-limit
and pot limit
hold'em. He is the only person in the history of the World Series of Poker
(WSOP) to have won events in three types of Omaha played at the World Series — Pot Limit High, Limit High, and Limit 8-or-Better High-low split
. He has won a total of six WSOP bracelets in his career, in addition to many other titles in various kinds of poker games.
He has placed four times in the top five in the main event of the World Series of Poker, including two 2nd place finishes, in 1985
, losing to Bill Smith, and 2000
, losing to Chris Ferguson
. Cloutier also finished in 5th place in 1988
, won by Johnny Chan
, and in 3rd place in 1998
, won by Scotty Nguyen
.
In 2009, he was one of numerous players turned away from the main event, as registration was capped on that particular day. Cloutier is currently second to Phil Hellmuth
(41) for the most all-time WSOP final table finishes record, with 39. His 55 WSOP cashes rank him 5th overall.
Cloutier also plays in World Poker Tour
(WPT) events, where his highest finish is 3rd in the 2003 Legends of Poker event, won by Mel Judah
. He has also been featured in the Ultimate Poker Challenge
, the National Heads-Up Poker Championship
, Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament
and Poker Royale: Battle of the Ages
.
As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $9,700,000. $4,324,186 of his tournament winnings have come at the WSOP.
In January of 2010, The Plano Pawn Shop auctioned off Cloutier's 2005 bracelet on ebay.com. It brought $4006.
) of four books:
In May 2006, Cloutier released How To Win The Championship: Hold'em Strategies For The Final Table, a book covering tournament strategy with an emphasis on the final few tables.
Cloutier formerly wrote for Card Player magazine.
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player from Richardson
Richardson, Texas
Richardson is a city in Dallas and Collin Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 99,223. In 2011 the population was estimated to be 107,684. Richardson is an affluent inner suburb of Dallas and home of the Telecom Corridor with a high...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame
Poker Hall of Fame
The Poker Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional poker playing in the United States. Founded and located in Las Vegas, Nevada, it was created in 1979 by Benny Binion, the owner of the Horseshoe Casino, to preserve the names and legacies of the world's greatest poker players and to serve...
in 2006.
Early years
Cloutier was born in AlbanyAlbany, California
Albany is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 18,539 at the 2010 census.-History:In 1908, a group of local women protested the dumping of Berkeley garbage in their community...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and attended the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
on an athletic scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
for American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and played in the Rose Bowl in 1959. However, he later dropped out because of family financial hardship.
Cloutier was drafted into the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. After the Army, he played football in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
for Toronto
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
and Montreal
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
, but an injury cut his career short.
Cloutier then started a food company, but it was not successful, so following the end of his first marriage, he moved to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to work on oil rig
Oil platform
An oil platform, also referred to as an offshore platform or, somewhat incorrectly, oil rig, is a lаrge structure with facilities to drill wells, to extract and process oil and natural gas, and to temporarily store product until it can be brought to shore for refining and marketing...
s. On his off days he began to play poker, and quit his job after realizing that he was winning more money playing poker than working. He started playing poker when he was a caddy at a golf course and played poker after the rounds.
In addition to poker, Cloutier is well known for his high stakes craps sessions.
Tournament career
Cloutier specializes in playing tournament pokerPoker tournament
A poker tournament is a tournament where players compete by playing poker. It can feature as few as two players playing on a single table , and as many as tens of thousands of players playing on thousands of tables...
, especially no-limit
Betting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
and pot limit
Betting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
hold'em. He is the only person in the history of the World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
(WSOP) to have won events in three types of Omaha played at the World Series — Pot Limit High, Limit High, and Limit 8-or-Better High-low split
High-low split
In traditional poker games, the player with the best traditional hand wins the whole pot. Lowball variations award the pot to the lowest hand, by any of several methods...
. He has won a total of six WSOP bracelets in his career, in addition to many other titles in various kinds of poker games.
He has placed four times in the top five in the main event of the World Series of Poker, including two 2nd place finishes, in 1985
1985 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 141 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry....
, losing to Bill Smith, and 2000
2000 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 512 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.Ferguson had a 10 to 1 chip lead when starting his heads-up vs Cloutier. After a see-saw battle, Ferguson decided to call Cloutier's AQ all-in with his own A9...
, losing to Chris Ferguson
Chris Ferguson
Christopher Philip Ferguson is an American professional poker player. He has won five World Series of Poker events, including the 2000 WSOP Main Event, and the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. On September 20, 2011, the U.S...
. Cloutier also finished in 5th place in 1988
1988 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry....
, won by Johnny Chan
Johnny Chan (poker player)
Johnny Chan rather than his Chinese birth name. born in Guangzhou, China in 1957) is a Chinese American professional poker player. He has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, including 1987 and 1988 World Series of Poker main events consecutively....
, and in 3rd place in 1998
1998 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry.-External Links:*...
, won by Scotty Nguyen
Scotty Nguyen
Thuận B. "Scotty" Nguyễn is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who is a five time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, most notably as the winner of the 1998 World Series of Poker Main Event and the 2008 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship...
.
In 2009, he was one of numerous players turned away from the main event, as registration was capped on that particular day. Cloutier is currently second to Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth is an American professional poker player. He is best known for holding a record 11 World Series of Poker bracelets, for winning the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker and for his temperamental, "poker brat" personality...
(41) for the most all-time WSOP final table finishes record, with 39. His 55 WSOP cashes rank him 5th overall.
Cloutier also plays in World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
(WPT) events, where his highest finish is 3rd in the 2003 Legends of Poker event, won by Mel Judah
Mel Judah
Mel Judah is an Australian professional poker player, also known as "The Silver Fox" . He learned poker at the age of 14 by watching his father play 5-card draw....
. He has also been featured in the Ultimate Poker Challenge
Ultimate Poker Challenge
The Ultimate Poker Challenge was a series of weekly poker tournaments acting as super-satellites into the series semi-finals.The first and second seasons are available on NTSC DVD...
, the National Heads-Up Poker Championship
National Heads-Up Poker Championship
-2006:- 2007 :-2008:In additional to the poker professionals, several poker-playing celebrities from other fields were invited: Gabe Kaplan, Don Cheadle, Jennifer Tilly, Shannon Elizabeth, Jason Alexander and Orel Hershiser. Also invited was Alisha Kunze of Greensburg, Indiana, who won her seat...
, Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament
Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament
The Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament is a series of no limit Texas hold 'em poker tournaments. The first season is available on NTSC DVD. It airs on Fox Sports Net in the United States, Rogers Sportsnet in Canada and ftn in the United Kingdom.-Crew:...
and Poker Royale: Battle of the Ages
Poker Royale
Poker Royale was a television series on the Game Show Network , which featured No Limit Texas hold 'em Poker. The first series began on December 7, 2004. The seventh and final series, Poker Royale: Battle of the Ages, began airing on November 4, 2005...
.
As of 2009, his total live tournament winnings exceed $9,700,000. $4,324,186 of his tournament winnings have come at the WSOP.
WSOP bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 1987 World Series of Poker -Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 152 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry.... |
$1,000 Limit Omaha Hi | $72,000 |
| 1994 1994 World Series of Poker -Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 268 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament. Since this was the 25th Anniversary of the event, the winner received $1,000,000, plus his/her weight in silver, in celebration of the WSOP's silver anniversary.-Final table:-Other... |
$1,500 Limit Omaha 8 or Better | $135,000 |
| 1994 | $2,500 Pot Limit Hold'em | $163,000 |
| 1998 1998 World Series of Poker -Preliminary events:-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry.-External Links:*... |
$2,500 Pot Limit Omaha Hi | $136,000 |
| 2004 2004 World Series of Poker The 2004 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe after Harrah's Entertainment purchased the casino and the rights to the tournament in January... |
$1,500 Seven Card Razz Razz (poker) Razz is a form of stud poker that is normally played for ace-to-five low . The object of Razz is to make the lowest possible five-card hand from the seven cards you are dealt. In Razz, straights and flushes do not count against the player for low, and the ace usually plays low... |
$90,500 |
| 2005 2005 World Series of Poker The 2005 World Series of Poker opened play on June 2, continuing through the Main Event No Limit World Championship starting on July 7. The conclusion of the Main Event on July 15 marked the close of play, and the largest prize in sports and/or television history at the time was awarded to the... |
$5,000 No Limit Hold'em | $657,100 |
In January of 2010, The Plano Pawn Shop auctioned off Cloutier's 2005 bracelet on ebay.com. It brought $4006.
Poker writings
Cloutier is the co-author (with Tom McEvoyTom McEvoy
Thomas K. McEvoy is a professional poker player and author. He is best known for his win in the 1983 World Series of Poker main event.-Early life:...
) of four books:
- Championship Tournament Practice Hands
- Championship Holdem
- Championship Omaha
- Championship No-Limit and Pot Limit Hold'em.
In May 2006, Cloutier released How To Win The Championship: Hold'em Strategies For The Final Table, a book covering tournament strategy with an emphasis on the final few tables.
Cloutier formerly wrote for Card Player magazine.
Media
- He features in the PCPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
Game World Class Poker with T.J. Cloutier