Interview With T.J. Cloutier

A few weeks ago I caught up with T.J. Cloutier, the Card Player 2002 Player of the Year, and had a nice conversation with him, which follows:

Jeff Shulman: Hi, T.J.; congratulations on winning the 2002 Player of the Year award. When and where were you born?

T.J. Cloutier: Thanks, Jeff. I was born Oct. 13, 1939, in Albany, California.

JS: Please tell me a little about your football career and how it has helped you in poker.

T.J.: I played tight end at the University of California at Berkeley. We went to the Rose Bowl in 1959. Later, I played in the Canadian Football League. I have been competitive my entire life. The most important thing I have used from football is the need to put on my "game face" each time I play.

JS: When did you first start playing poker?

T.J.: When I was a caddy in Daly City, we used to take $10 to Artichoke Joe's, which got us $20 in chips, to play lowball and draw poker.

JS: What is the difference between poker these days and then?

T.J.: There were two things that you needed to know in the old home games in Texas. First, you had to avoid being cheated, and then you had to learn how to play. Not too many people could play then. Now, there are cardrooms everywhere, and I feel much safer.

JS: What is your favorite game and why?

T.J.: No-limit poker is my favorite. This doesn't mean just no-limit hold'em; it also includes no-limit deuce-to-seven and no-limit draw. You don't need a hand to win in those games - but it sure does help.

JS: What is your best asset in poker?

T.J.: Reading players, and I won't forget how they play once I have played with them. It is very important to watch for different mannerisms even when you are not in a pot. I usually go with what I have learned. You won't always be correct, but hopefully you will be more often than you are wrong.

JS: I know that this is what books are for, but what is the best advice you can give a tournament poker player at the final table?

T.J.: Hmm. I would have to say that you don't need to knock everyone out … only the last one. People tend to knock themselves out. Sometimes by sitting back, you can move up the ladder without risking any of your own chips.

JS: Thanks for the final-table help. What else do you do throughout the tournament that can get you there?

T.J.: You need to play really smart in tournaments. You can't go into your pockets like you can in a live game. Poker really is a game of mistakes. Those who make the fewest do well. Take no-limit poker, for example. You can play perfectly for 10 hours, but if you make one mistake, it can cost you everything. If your first instinct is to throw a hand away, maybe you should. Instinct comes from all of the minutes that you have put in playing poker.

JS: Do you play your chips differently if you have more than most players?

T.J.: I play the same when I have a lot of chips. Remember, you don't need to break everyone. I just try to have a few more chips at every level. I haven't had many chips early in most of my wins. You can't win if you aren't around late in the tournament. If you give the cards a chance to come, they usually will. So, be patient. And you can't help the bad luck; if it comes, it comes.

JS: You have taken some pretty bad beats in your career in tough situations. What advice would you give to players regarding these situations?

T.J.: If you bust out, do it with class. Look the other player in the eye, shake his hand, and say, "Good luck." People judge you more in these situations than they do when you are playing.

JS: Do you like the expanded tournament payout structures?

T.J.: No. We used to play for 50 percent, and now we play for 25 percent to 40 percent, depending on the tournament. I think all of the money should be in the top few places. Players expect a big return on a small investment when they play in tournaments.

JS: Do you like the new rule in tournaments that you must flip over your cards when you are all in?

T.J.: Not really. Part of poker has always been reading your hand, and people sometimes make mistakes. But I do think it is good for televised poker. It does stop bluffing a little, but I will bluff, either way. Maybe they will call the next time and I will have a big hand.

JS: Did you do anything differently this year in tournaments?

T.J.: Not really. It was a funny year for me. I made 20 final tables before I won. I played well at some final tables and poorly at others. It isn't as easy as it looks. My first win was at the last final table I made.

JS: Yes, and luckily you were heads up with Phil Hellmuth. Ha-ha! Is there anything else you'd like to say to readers?

T.J.: Yes. You must work at poker all of the time. There is a reason why people practice things.

JS: Thanks, T.J., and good luck in 2003.

T.J.: Take care, Jeff. I will see you in Tunica.