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Tournament
Poker Superstar T.J. Cloutier
Wins First Gold Bracelet Since 1998
--Dallas
pro surpasses $3 million in WSOP lifetime
winnings
No
tournament player has made more final
tables and won more tournaments over the
past twenty years than T.J. Cloutier.
By his own estimate, he�s won over 60
majors and earned millions of dollars
as one of the tournament circuit�s most
steady performers. That success has translated
into five World Series of Poker gold bracelets,
dating back to 1987. Cloutier added to
his jewelry collection tonight, winning
the Razz World Championship, held at the
Horseshoe Casino in downtown Las Vegas.
Cloutier
topped a record field that included a
195 entries. He overpowered one of the
toughest final tables at this year�s World
Series � which included David Chui, Chris
Bjorin, John Spadavecchia, Hoyt Corkins,
John Juanda, Abel Castellano, Howard Lederer,
and Dutch Boyd. When play became three-handed
-- between Cloutier, Lederer, and Boyd
-- the chip lead changed several times.
At one point, Cloutier was down by at
least a 4 to 1 margin and seemed destined
for quick elimination. But Cloutier managed
to stage a comeback, busted Lederer, then
set his sights on Dutch Boyd, who wasn�t
even born when Cloutier played his first
hand of poker.
The
final table was an eclectic mix of backgrounds
and personalities. All but two players
had previously won titles at the WSOP.
In all, there were a total of 12 gold
bracelets distributed between six of the
eight players with WSOP wins. Here�s how
the finishers were determined:
8th
� Chris Bjorin � Two-time bracelet winner
Bjorin went out first. He came in severely
short-stacked and was never a factor at
the final table. Bjorin, from London,
took $8,080.
7th
� John Spadavecchia � Sporting his trademark
�Goodfellas� look, Spadavecchia was on
the stage no more than 30 minutes before
he was eliminated. Spadavecchia has been
playing tournament poker for nearly twenty
years and won a gold bracelet in 1991
(No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Lowball). He
received $10,760 for 7th place.
6th
� Hoyt Corkins � Cowboy-hatted Corkins
had a super year in 2003. He was making
a bid for his second gold bracelet (winner
in 1992 for Pot-Limit Omaha), but came
up short this time. Corkins, who is originally
from Alabama but now lives in Las Vegas,
collected $13,460 for 6th place.
5th
� John Juanda � Juanda�s three WSOP wins
came in 2002 and 2003. He was crushed
by Cloutier, who enjoyed favorable position
on his opponent plus the added benefit
of a good rush of cards. Junada could
do no better than fifth in this event,
grossing $17,500 for the effort.
4th
� Abel Castellano � It didn�t seem to
matter that Catsellano was the only player
without a WSOP win. He showed he can play
with the best by coming in 4th. Castellano
was eliminated in a three-way pot with
Boyd and Cloutier. He collected $21,520.
3rd
� Howard Lederer � Two-time WSOP winner
Howard �The Professor� Lederer (wins in
2000 Omaha High-Low and 2001 Deuce-to-Seven
Lowball) had the chip lead at one point.
He seemed to be in position to close the
night with a victory. But, it wasn�t to
be. Lederer went out when he was drawing
to a 6-4 (missed) and lost to Cloutier�s
6-5-4-2-A.
When
heads-up play began, T.J. Cloutier enjoyed
a chip lead over Dutch Boyd -- $172K to
$121K. Boyd, one of �The Crew� who have
been such a force at this year�s WSOP
(most notable for Scott Fischman�s two
victories) was facing a bona fide tournament
legend in Cloutier. He wasn�t the least
bit intimidated. Nevertheless, one had
the feeling that a barn cat was toying
with a mouse. Cloutier remained firmly
in control and never seemed in danger
of losing the match. He let the cards
come naturally, made his moves at the
right time, and was aided by escalating
betting limits which put increasing pressure
on Boyd, who watched helplessly as his
chip stack continued to shrink. Finally,
the cat had his way and tore into the
mouse.
Cloutier
won with a 9-6 low against Boyd, who failed
in his attempt to join his �Crew-mates�
Scott Fischman and Brett Jungblutt as
gold bracelet winners. Boyd received $46,440
as the runner up.
T.J.
Cloutier has an interesting past that
is well-known to many poker players. He
graduated from Cal-Berkeley on a football
scholarship and played in the 1959 Rose
Bowl. In the 1960s, Cloutier played pro
football in Canada. After he retired from
sports, Cloutier turned to poker to feed
his competitive instincts. Essentially,
he�s been supporting himself playing poker
ever since.
It
hasn�t always been easy for Cloutier,
now in his 60s. He took his toughest beat
last summer when he suffered a heart attack.
After a few weeks in the hospital and
some lifestyle changes, Cloutier rebounded
and was back on the tournament trail by
September. Now, fresh off his big win,
he shows no sign of slowing down.
Cloutier
is the author of several books on poker
strategy. This is his fifth WSOP gold
bracelet. He won in 1987 for Limit Omaha,
1994 for Omaha High-Low, 1994 for Pot-Limit
Hold�em, and 1998 for Pot-Limit Omaha.
The $90,500 in first-place prize money
pushes Cloutier over the $3 million mark
in WSOP winnings. He has made more final
tables (35) than any player in World Series
history.
-- Official Report
by Nolan Dalla, Media Director -- 2004
World Series of Poker
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