T.J. Cloutier

T.J. Cloutier was born in Albany, California, in 1939 and played football at the University of California before a brief career in the Canadian Football League. After football, he discovered poker and spent years as a road gambler, traveling from game to game across the American South and Southwest, playing wherever he could find action.

Cloutier became one of tournament poker's most successful players, accumulating six WSOP bracelets across multiple formats. He finished second in the WSOP Main Event twice—in 1985 and 2000. His 2000 loss to Chris Ferguson on a brutal river card (Ferguson's ace hit to crack Cloutier's pocket queens) remains one of poker's most memorable bad beats.

Cloutier developed his skills in an era when reading opponents mattered more than mathematical precision. His road gambling background gave him unparalleled experience against all types of players. He excelled at No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha, games where feel and aggression could overcome mathematical edges.

Cloutier co-authored the influential "Championship" series of poker books with Tom McEvoy, sharing decades of accumulated wisdom with aspiring players. His books emphasized practical experience and situational awareness over mathematical formulas, reflecting his own path to expertise.

T.J. Cloutier was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2006, recognized for his six WSOP bracelets and his contributions to poker literature. His two Main Event runner-up finishes add a bittersweet element to his legacy—few players have come so close so often without claiming poker's ultimate prize. He represents the road gambling tradition that preceded modern tournament poker.