T.J. Cloutier - Poker Profile

Few players at a poker table are as physically tough as T.J. Cloutier. While attending the University of California-Berkeley on a football and baseball scholarship, Cloutier learned to play poker. When he was drafted into the U.S. Army after college, T.J. perfected his game more and more. The competition in poker gave way to the competition he found in professional football. After being drafted to the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Allouettes, then being traded to the Toronto Argonauts, Cloutier spent a few years north of the border until being forced to retire due to knee problems.

While working in the Texas oil fields, T.J. decided that since he could make more money playing poker, he began driving to Shreveport, Louisiana to play a few times a week. The next logical step in any poker career took T.J. to Las Vegas to try his hand in the biggest games he could find.

After finishing 2nd in the 1985 World Series of Poker Main Event for $280,000, Cloutier has found himself with over $9,300,000 in tournament winnings, including 6 W.S.O.P. bracelets in a variety of games. One of the reasons T.J. is considered one of the best players to never win the Main Event is his tournament consistency. Having made 39 final tables at the W.S.O.P., Cloutier is second only to Phil Hellmuth with 40.

In addition to being a successful poker player, T.J. is also an accomplished writer, having co-authored multiple books on tournament Hold ‘em and Pot Limit Omaha. He is also one of the most popular contributing column writers for Card Player Magazine.

While many stories float around the gambling world about T.J.’s craps habit destroying his bankroll, there are very few tournaments that he won’t be found playing in all over the world, and chances are, if he doesn’t win them, he will most certainly be making the money.