"Gus and Ladies"
  • Gus Hansen
  • Clonie Gowen
  • JJ Liu
  • Beth Shak
  • Erica Schoenberg
  • Vanessa Rousso
"Poker Brat Attack"
  • Gus Hansen
  • Huckleberry Seed
  • Steve Zolotow
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Annie Duke
  • Shawn Sheikhan
"Play Anything"
  • Mike Matusow
  • David Grey
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Daniel Negreanu
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Jerry Buss
"Earphones Please"
  • Phil Ivey
  • Andy Bloch
  • Mike Matusow
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Sam Farha
  • Tony G
"Phil Phil"
  • Erik Seidel
  • Jennifer Harman
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Phil Laak
  • Antonio Esfandiari
"Talking Heads"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Phil Gordon
  • Mike Sexton
  • Chad Brown
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Michael Konik
"Against All Odds"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Gus Hansen
  • Clonie Gowen
  • Sam Farha
  • Tony G
  • Ted Forrest
"Killer Table"
  • Phil Ivey
  • Jennifer Harman
  • Jennifer Tilly
  • Erick Lindgren
  • Phil Gordon
  • Patrik Antonius
"Loose Lips"
  • John Juanda
  • Allen Cunningham
  • Mike Matusow
  • Shawn Sheikhan
  • Barry Greenstein
  • David Benyamine
"Golden Men"
  • Huckleberry Seed
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Johnny Chan
  • Greg Raymer
  • Joe Hachem
  • Jamie Gold
"Queens And Kings"
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Howard Lederer
  • Annie Duke
  • Vanessa Rousso
  • Ali Nejad
  • Kristy Gazes
"Live To Hurt"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Daniel Negreanu
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Phil Laak
  • Shawn Sheikhan
  • Antonio Esfandiari
"Hecklers"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Gavin Smith
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Shawn Sheikhan
  • Jean-Robert Bellande
  • Sam Grizzle
"World Champions"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Huckleberry Seed
  • Berry Johnston
  • Johnny Chan
  • Jamie Gold
  • Phil Hellmuth
"World Series Legends"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Erik Seidel
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Layne Flack
  • T.J. Cloutier
"Ladies' Night"
  • Jennifer Harman
  • Clonie Gowen
  • Dee Luong
  • Cyndy Violette
  • Vanessa Rousso
  • Evelyn Ng
"Internationals"
  • Gus Hansen
  • David Benyamine
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Daniel Negreanu
  • Marco Traniello
  • Brad Booth
"Love At First Raise"
  • Jennifer Harman
  • David Benyamine
  • Marco Traniello
  • Erica Schoenberg
  • Jennifer Tilly
  • Phil Laak
"Cowboys"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Andy Bloch
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Chau Giang
  • Hoyt Corkins
  • Gabe Kaplan
"Jam Up"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Mike Matusow
  • David Williams
  • Barry Greenstein
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Eli Elezra
"Commentators"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Phil Gordon
  • Ali Nejad
  • Mark Gregorich
  • Chad Brown
  • Robert Williamson
"The Cash Game"
  • Allen Cunningham
  • Tom Dwan
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Mike Baxter
  • Guy Laliberte
  • David Peat
"Nets v. Vets"
  • Brian Townsend
  • Huckleberry Seed
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Tom Dwan
  • Johnny Chan
  • Andrew Robl
"Heads-Up Challenge"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Paul Wasicka
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Ted Forrest
  • 0
  • 00
"Mission Impossible"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Clonie Gowen
  • Gavin Smith
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Phil Laak
  • David Williams
"Dream Table II"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Jennifer Harman
  • Gavin Smith
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Mike Sexton
  • Paul Featherstone
"Mayfair Club"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Steve Zolotow
  • Jay Heimowitz
  • Mickey Appleman
  • Dan Harrington
  • Mike Shichtman
"Cash Game II"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Eli Elezra
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Dee Tiller
"WPT All-Stars"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Erick Lindgren
  • Gus Hansen
  • Daniel Negreanu
  • Michael Mizrachi
  • Tuan Le
"Poker Prowess"
  • Andy Bloch
  • John Juanda
  • Clonie Gowen
  • Phil Laak
  • David Williams
  • Annie Duke
"Mega Match"
  • Phil Ivey
  • Jennifer Harman
  • Allen Cunningham
  • David Benyamine
  • Barry Greenstein
  • Eli Elezra
"Of Mouth and Men"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Paul Wasicka
  • Alan Boston
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Mike Sexton
  • Jamie Gold
"Show Open"
  • Phil Ivey
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Howard Lederer
  • Jennifer Harman
  • Gus Hansen
  • Phil Hellmuth
"Dream Table"
  • Jennifer Harman
  • Mike Matusow
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Daniel Negreanu
  • Scotty Nguyen
  • Ken Light
"WSOP Champions"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Carlos Mortensen
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Johnny Chan
  • Chris Moneymaker
  • Jamie Gold
"19th Hole"
  • Phil Ivey
  • Erick Lindgren
  • Gavin Smith
  • David Oppenheim
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Daniel Negreanu
"International"
  • John Juanda
  • Gus Hansen
  • Roland de Wolfe
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Johnny Chan
  • Daniel Negreanu
"Close But No Cigar"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Allen Cunningham
  • Andy Black
  • Lee Watkinson
  • Dewey Tomko
  • David Williams
"Speak Your Mind"
  • Phil Gordon
  • David Grey
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Todd Brunson
  • Corey Zeidman
"Brilliant Minds"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Andy Bloch
  • Brandon Adams
  • David Sklansky
  • Bill Chen
  • Jimmy Warren
"Dream Table III"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Johnny Chan
  • Daniel Negreanu
  • Jennifer Tilly
  • Phil Laak
  • Arnold Thimons
"Internationals III"
  • Brad Booth
  • Allen Cunningham
  • John Juanda
  • John Phan
  • David Benyamine
  • Ivan Demidov
"Cash Game Nets v. Vets"
  • David Benefield
  • Taylor Caby
  • Eli Elezra
  • Cole South
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Gabe Kaplan
"Hellmuth Bash I"
  • Kenny Tran
  • Tom Dwan
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Phil Laak
  • Bob Safai
"Hellmuth Bash II"
  • Kenny Tran
  • Tom Dwan
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Phil Laak
  • Bob Safai
"Celebrities and Mentors"
  • Phil Gordon
  • Gavin Smith
  • Don Cheadle
  • Jason Alexander 
  • Barry Greenstein
  • Orel Hershiser
"Commentators - NO SHOW THIS WEEK"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Ali Nejad
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Joe Sebok
  • Mark Gregorich
  • Kara Scott
"Commentators - NO SHOW THIS WEEK"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Ali Nejad
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Mark Gregorich
  • Kara Scott
  • Joe Sebok
"USA vs. Italy"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Howard Lederer
  • Erick Lindgren
  • Marco Traniello
  • Max Pescatori
  • Dario Minieri
"My Favorite Pro"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Jens Voertmann
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • James Ashby
  • Steve Bartlett
  • Craig Ivey
"Sit ‘N Talk"
  • Jennifer Harman
  • David Grey
  • Mike Matusow
  • Jean-Robert Bellande
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Vanessa Rousso
"Top Guns Cash Game #1"
  • Phil Ivey
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Howard Lederer
  • Eli Elezra
  • Tom Dwan
  • Ilari Sahamies
"Top Guns Cash Game #2"
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Phil Ivey
  • Howard Lederer
  • Eli Elezra
  • Tom Dwan
  • Ilari Sahamies
"Railbird Heaven Cash Game #1"
  • Phil Ivey
  • Gus Hansen
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Tom Dwan
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Daniel Negreanu
"Railbird Heaven #2"
  • Gus Hansen
  • Phil Ivey
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Tom Dwan
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Daniel Negreanu
"Commentators"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Ali Nejad
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Mark Gregorich
  • Joe Sebok
  • Kara Scott
"Nicknames"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Erick Lindgren
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Phil Laak
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Annette Obrestad
"Game 100k, Part 1"
  • Gus Hansen
  • Tom Dwan
  • Eli Elezra
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Phil Laak
"Game 100k, Part 2"
  • Gus Hansen
  • Tom Dwan
  • Eli Elezra
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Phil Laak
"Cash Game 50k, Part 1"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Mike Matusow
  • Brandon Adams
  • Todd Brunson
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Phil Hellmuth
"Cash Game 50k, Part 2"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Mike Matusow
  • Brandon Adams
  • Todd Brunson
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Phil Hellmuth
"He Said, She Said"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Erica Schoenberg
  • Karina Jett
  • David Grey
  • Annie Duke
  • Jean-Robert Bellande
"Magnificent Six"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Phil Ivey
  • Howard Lederer
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Daniel Negreanu
"Lonesome Shark"
  • Mike Matusow
  • James Akenhead
  • Erick Lindgren
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Brad Booth
  • David Williams
"Mixed Martial Arts"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Erick Lindgren
  • Bruce Buffer
  • Dan Henderson
  • Randy Couture
T.J. Cloutier

T.J. Cloutier

Richardson, TX

See This Pro in Action

4/22/2008

Key stats:

He's never won the WSOP Main Event, but he's been in the top five four times, including two second places.

Close profile

Poker Stud

T. J. Cloutier is a familiar face at WSOP final tables – his 39 appearance set a record

You wouldn't know to look at him but T. J. Cloutier, the barrel-chested, 6"2&;, former Texas roughneck and professional football player, is a late bloomer.

Thomas James Cloutier was born in Northern California in 1939. Growing up he was a stand-out athlete and attended the University of California Berkeley on a football scholarship. He was part of the Golden Bear's 1958 Pac-10 championship team, but he was forced to leave college when his mother became ill. He got a job in the U.S. Army to help pay her bills, and spent the next several years in Uncle Sam's care.

When Cloutier left the service, he set his sights on playing professional football. He went knocking on the NFL's door, but his long absence from the game made him a forgotten man. He joined the Canadian Football League, and played for the Montréal Alouettes. He had a promising career ahead of him, but a knee injury cut it short.

Cloutier moved back to Northern California and invested his football money into a new family business. But like his stint in college and pro football, the endeavor ended shortly after it began. He filed for bankruptcy when he was 37 years old. He had six kids and wife who wanted a divorce. Cloutier had to start over again.

Cloutier could always count on his muscles, so he moved to Texas and joined an oil rig gang. During his time off, he'd play poker, regularly tapping big cash reserves in those dusty Texas towns. Within a few years, he quit his job and started playing tournament poker full time. That's when Joy entered his life. He and Joy were married in 1984, and less than a year later he took second place at the WSOP's Main Event. It was the start of a beautiful relationship.

In 1987, he won his first gold bracelet and, over the next 20 years, he'd win five more. Cloutier has had 39 final table finishes at the WSOP, including a second place at the 2000 Main Event. Cloutier is the only person in WSOP history to win bracelets in all three Omaha events - Pot-Limit High, Limit High, and Limit 8-Or-Better High-Low Split. In 2006, he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.

Starting a new life when you're middle aged is a bit like playing short stacked - every hand is counts. And with the cards he was dealt, Cloutier played them perfectly.

Bottom Banner
© Copyright 2006-2007 POKER-PROductions. All Rights Reserved
Face the Ace Poker Game Show on NBC