| T. J. Cloutier | |
|---|---|
 T. J. Cloutier in 2008 | |
| Nickname(s) | T. J. |
| Residence | Richardson, Texas |
| Born | Thomas James Cloutier (1939-10-13)October 13, 1939 (age 85) Albany, California |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | 6 |
| Money finish(es) | 69[1] |
| HighestITM Main Event finish | 2nd,1985,2000 |
| World Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | None |
| Final table(s) | 2 |
| Money finish(es) | 9 |
| European Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | None |
| Final table(s) | None |
| Money finish(es) | 1 |
American football player American football career | |
| Personal information | |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | California |
| Position: | End |
| Career history | |
| Information last updated on7 July 2017. | |
Thomas James "T. J." Cloutier (born October 13, 1939) is a professionalpoker player fromRichardson, Texas. He was inducted into thePoker Hall of Fame in 2006. Cloutier was also briefly a professional football player in theCanadian Football League.
Cloutier was born inAlbany, California, and attended theUniversity of California, Berkeley on an athletic scholarship forfootball andbaseball and played in the1959 Rose Bowl. He later dropped out of college because of family financial hardship.[2]
Cloutier was drafted into theUnited States Army. After the Army, he played football in theCanadian Football League for theToronto Argonauts andMontreal Alouettes, but an injury cut his career short.[3]
After his football career ended, Cloutier started a food company, but it was not successful, so following the end of his first marriage, he moved toTexas to work onoil rigs. 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.[4]
In addition to poker, Cloutier is well known for his high-stakes craps sessions.[5]
Cloutier specializes in playingtournament poker, especiallyno-limit andpot limithold'em. He is the only person in the history of theWorld Series of Poker (WSOP) to have won events in three types ofOmaha played at the World Series — Pot Limit High, Limit High, and Limit 8-or-BetterHigh-low split. Cloutier has won a total of six WSOP bracelets in his career, in addition to many other titles in various kinds of poker games.[6][7][8][9][10][11]
He has placed four times in the top five in the Main Event of the World Series of Poker, including two second-place finishes, in1985, losing toBill Smith, and2000, losing toChris Ferguson.[12][13] Cloutier also finished in fifth place in1988, won byJohnny Chan, and in third place in1998, won byScotty Nguyen.[14][15]
In 2009, Cloutier was one of numerous players turned away from the Main Event, as registration was capped on that particular day. He did admit it was own fault for not signing up earlier and not looking for special treatment.[16][17]
| Year | Tournament | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | $1,000 LimitOmaha Hi | $72,000 |
| 1994 | $1,500 Limit Omaha 8 or Better | $135,000 |
| 1994 | $2,500 Pot LimitHold'em | $163,000 |
| 1998 | $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha Hi | $136,000 |
| 2004 | $1,500 Seven CardRazz | $90,500 |
| 2005 | $5,000 No Limit Hold'em | $657,100 |
In January 2010, The Plano Pawn Shop auctioned off Cloutier's 2005 bracelet oneBay for $4,006.[18][19]
Cloutier also plays inWorld Poker Tour (WPT) events, where his highest finish is third in the 2003 Legends of Poker event, won by fellow professionalMel Judah.[20] He has also been featured in theUltimate Poker Challenge, theNational Heads-Up Poker Championship,Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament andPoker Royale: Battle of the Ages.[21][22][23][24]
As of 2024, his total live tournament winnings exceed $10,500,000.[25]
Cloutier is the co-author (withTom McEvoy) of four books on poker:
He has also writtenHow To Win The Championship: Hold'em Strategies For The Final Table, a book covering tournament strategy with an emphasis on the final few tables.[26]
Cloutier formerly wrote forCard Player magazine.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
