Thomas Cloutier: A Consistent Poker Player
Thomas James Cloutier was a native of Albany, California, and was born on October 13, 1939. He played poker professionally and in 2006 was installed into the Poker Hall of Fame.
Cloutier studied at the University of California, Berkeley through an athletic scholarship for American football and baseball. In 1959, he took part in the Rose Bowl. Though, he left the university because of his family's economic hardship.
Luckily, Cloutier was drafted and entered the U.S. Army. After completing his term at the army, Cloutier brings his football talent in Canada, where he played in the Canadian Football League for Montreal and Toronto. His football career was cut short by an injury he sustained during a game.
Cloutier then tried his luck on business (food company), but unfortunately it was not doing well, so he transferred to Texas and find a job in oil drilling. During off days, he started to participate in poker games and soon give up his after comprehending that he was earning more cash in poker than performing his job. While working as a caddie boy, Cloutier have the time to play poker after a golf game is through.
Cloutier concentrates in joining tournament poker, particularly Pot Limit and No Limit Hold'em. He holds the record at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) for winning all three kinds of Omaha Holdem poker played at the WSOP- (Limit High, Pot Limit High, and Limit 8-or-Better High-low split).
Cloutier has even though winning dozens of tournaments, he has never won the main event of the World Series of Poker's Main Event continues to eludes Cloutier even though he won many tournaments. Placing among the top 5 was his highest achievement at WSOP doing it four times, twice runner up in 1985 and 2000.
He is also a regular in World Poker Tour (WPT) tournaments, where his best is placing 3rd place in the Legends of Poker 2003 event.
Cloutier has also participated in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, Ultimate Poker Challenge, Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament as well as the Poker Royale: Battle of the Ages.
Cloutier currently holds the second spot next to Phil Hellmuth (40) for the all-time WSOP final table appearances record, with 39.
As of 2008, Cloutier's over all career tournament earnings surpassed $9,300,000.
WSOP Bracelets
Year Tournament Prize
1987 $1,000 Limit Omaha Hi $72,000
1994 $1,500 Limit Omaha 8 or Better $135,000
1994 $2,500 Pot Limit Hold'em $163,000
1998 $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha Hi $136,000
2004 $1,500 Seven Card Razz $90,500
2005 $5,000 No Limit Hold'em $657,100
[edit] Poker writings
Cloutier and Tom McEvoy is the author of these four poker related books:
* Championship Tournament Practice Hands
* Championship Holdem
* Championship Omaha
* Championship No-Limit and Pot Limit Hold'em.
In May 2006 he published "How To Win The Championship: Hold'em Strategies For The Final Table", a book detailing tournament strategy with a stress on the last few tables.
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